Guide to further learning
Each chapter has included suggestions for further learning. This final part of the guidebook offers additional ideas and suggestions. Please do explore as many of these avenues for further learning as you can. You don’t have to do it all at once. You can come back here from time to time to take your learning a step further.
General
Your employer should be your first port of call for any training needs you may have. It is you employer's responsibility to arrange for you to be fully trained to do your job.
The PA Net website (no longer updated) has useful information for Personal Assistants, including about the kid of training that you may need.
Everything you do as a personal assistant should be rooted in a commitment to dignity in care and so the SCIE Dignity in Care portal is one you may wish to explore as fully as you can.
Lots of information about the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is available form the Care Council for Wales' information and learning hub.
UNISON's ever-popular Return to Learn course, delivered by WEA Cymru, is a great way to continue your learning journey towards further and higher education.
Working for a person with dementia
These podcasts from the Alzheimer's Society provide more information about aspects of working for a person with dementia may be of interest.
Personalisation and direct payments
These resources from the Social Care Institute for Excellence are worth exploring:
E-learning course on personalisation
Personalisation: A Rough Guide
Being an employee
ACAS provides employment forms
ACAS also provides an A to Z of employment guidance: and an employment helpline.
Communication
The SCIE website offers a good starting point
A very useful book on effective communication is:
Thompson, N. (2011) Effective Communication, 2nd edn.
Disability equality
The following offer useful insights:
Deep Sea Diving in a Wheelchair
The Disability Rights Handbook
Preventing Abuse
SCIE offer a safeguarding e-learning course to complement the care Council for Wales resource mentioned earlier.
No Secrets - is also worth exploring as useful general background reading
Developing your learning
SCIE offers a range of online learning courses.
The Open University and its partner have offer a range of free high-quality e-learning courses through their OpenLearn and FutureLearn websites, including Caring Counts: a self-reflection and planning course for carers.