FAQs

What is pooling? Go to What is pooling
What are the benefits of pooling? Go to Benefits of pooling
What types of pooling are there? Go to Types of pooling
How do I get approval for pooling? If you are using a Direct Payment you should probably check with your social worker or support broker before thinking about setting up an arrangement. You should also check that any activity or proposed spending is covered in your support plan and that it addresses identified needs. If you are using your own funds it’s up to you!
What can I use the money for? If you are using a Direct Payment you should check that the activity or proposed spending is covered in your support plan and that it addresses identified needs as specified by social services. If you are using your own funds, again it’s up to you.
How do I find people to pool with? Go to step 1 finding others
Who can I get to support me? Go to step 2 having a safety net
Why do I need to set up a club? It’s important to have some agreement between the group members about how the group will run. If the group is committing to spending money in advance or making bookings there are lots of things you need to think about. Our guidelines for forming a club will help you to do this and will help to ensure that things go smoothly. Go to organising yourselves, forming a club to find out more.
How do we manage our money? Go to step 4 organising support, how to form a club, point 4
When do we need to set up a legal entity? If you want to sell things or employ someone to support you, you may want to think about forming a legal entity like a limited company, which is the simplest way. This will protect the liability of the individual members of the group. If you are employing someone to support you there are lots of things you need to think about. Go to step 5 - organising support to find out more.
Which is better an agency or directly employing a PA? This table will help you decide – Go to step 5 organising support
What do we need to check if we are taking on a self-employed PA? Go to step 5, organising support, taking on a self - employed PA
How do we employ a PA directly? Go to step 5, organising support, employing a PA directly
How do we write a job description? Use this template or go to our recruitment handbook website www.employ-a-pa.co.uk to find out all you need to know about being a direct employer.
How do we write a contract? You can use our contract building tool on the recruitment handbook website
How do we set up the PAs tax and Natonal Insurance? There are payroll companies who will do this for you or HMRC give guidance on their website if you want to do it yourself. Your social worker or support broker may know of one in your area and the cost may be funded by social services if you are using Direct Payments.
Why do we need insurance? Employer’s liability insurance protects you and your PA if you have an accident or injury during the course of the PAs work. It also gives you access to employment law advice. Click here for a list of companies who specialise in home employment insurance.
How do we get insurance? You can find a list of companies who specialise in home employment insurance here. FISH insurance have special packages for groups.
Where can I see examples of pooling? Go to Pooling examples
What are the benefits of pooling for Local Authorities? Go to Pooling for Local Authoriteis
How can Local Authorities help people to pool successfully? Go to Pooling for Local Authorities
What experience does Ruils have in setting up pooling? Go to Consultancy and Training
What help can Ruils offer? Go to Consultancy and Training
Who should I contact for more information? Contact Paula Buckton on 020 8831 6088 or paulabuckton@ruils.co.uk