Purple Match

Personal Assistant (PA)/Support Worker
Job ref.
Support Worker – PUR-660-367
About the Direct
Payment Holder
S is starting a nursing degree at Anglia Ruskin University in
September and will be living independently in student
accommodation for the first time. She is a capable,
hardworking and determined young woman who manages a
great deal on her own, but she is autistic, has a mild learning
difficulty, and a communication disorder.
S enjoys swimming, which she does weekly, and she is warm
and sociable once she feels comfortable. She would also like to
go to gym and play badminton. She is genuinely interested in
healthcare and caring for people, which is what drew her to
nursing. She likes routine and familiar activities, and she is
keen to try new things and build her social life at university
with a bit of encouragement.
Hours and rate of
pay hours
10 to 14 hours per week to start, increasing during clinical
placement periods @ £20 per hour. Hours built around
timetable but mainly weekday evenings & weekends.
Location
Histon – CB24
DBS/Checks
Confirmation of DBS check
Right to Work and references will be needed.
What you would
be doing…
S is independent with her own personal care and, when she
has a fixed routine such as classes, gets herself up and out
without difficulty. Her support needs are around prompting,
planning and organisation, travel, and staying safe. She takes
longer to process complex or unfamiliar information, can find it
hard to speak up or ask for help under pressure, and benefits
from structure, gentle encouragement, and a consistent,
trusted person.
A regular check-in and gentle prompts to keep her day and
week on track. Help to plan and organise her week and stay on
top of coursework and deadlines. Meals: planning, shopping,
cooking together, and reminders to eat and drink regularly.
Everyday living: laundry, keeping her space in order, and
managing money. Travel: building her confidence to get
around, and getting to and from university and her clinical
placements, including early starts and late finishes. Confidence
and community: trying new things, social activities, and settling
into new situations. Encouragement on the days she finds
harder. The aim throughout is to help her do things for herself,
not to do them for her.
She needs the right person alongside her to help her stay
organised, keep to a routine, and grow in confidence. This role
will enable her to live independently, thrive on her course,
travel safely to her placements, and build the skills and
confidence to manage adult life. Her family are relocating
abroad, so this consistent support will become the mainstay of
her independence.
This is a permanent, ongoing role. We are looking for someone
who would like to build a lasting working relationship with
Sahana and support her throughout her studies and beyond.
Required skills
and experience
A full driving licence and use of a car is highly desirable but
not essential.
Patience, kindness, reliability and consistency above all, as
trust and continuity matter enormously to S. A calm, clear
communicator who is happy to explain things in a way that
works for her and to encourage rather than take over. Someone
who promotes her independence by helping her do things for
herself. Good time-keeping and dependability. Experience of
supporting an autistic person or someone with a learning
disability is welcome, but genuine understanding, patience and
a willingness to learn matter most. A positive attitude and a
good sense of humour.
No specific additional training is required beyond the
mandatory safeguarding, first aid and health and safety. An
understanding of autism and learning disabilities, or a
willingness to learn about them, would be valuable. A short
induction and time to get to know S before the role begins
would be part of the arrangement.
S is genuinely excited to be starting her nursing degree, and is
looking for someone to be alongside her as she take this big
step into living independently for the first time. This is not a
heavy care role. It is much more about encouragement,
structure, and being a steady, friendly presence, the kind of
check-in and support a family gives, tuned to the fact that she
is autistic , has a mild learning difficulty and Speech and
language communication disorder.
If you are patient, reliable, and happy to help S do things for
herself rather than for her, we would love to hear from you.
Please send a CV (with 2 references) and a covering letter explaining why you would suit this role.
Thank you.
* Sponsorship is not available for this role*