News

NEWS 11/08/25

TRAINING

Skills for Care offer funding to pay towards PAs training costs and cover while doing the training. Now available both for employed and self-employed PAs as long as you evidence your self-employed status.

This is the link for employers to apply for the funding on behalf of personal assistants for their training. If any support is needed with the application contact [email protected]

Fire Training

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service invites you to attend our free fire safety in the home awareness training, available to those who visit/support/care for people in the community. For example: carers, volunteer groups, partner agency professionals. Please share this email with any team members or partners, you feel would benefit from this training.

This is an interactive session led by our Prevention Officers helping care professionals to identify fire risks within the homes you visit.

We cover:

What are the main causes of accidental house fires.

What makes someone more at risk of having a house fire.

Home escape plans.

Services provided by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Online Home Fire safety check tool for partners.

Below are dates and times for the upcoming look and refer session in your area. To book, please click on the preferred link below and it will take you to Eventbrite. Places on the courses are free.

Ellesmere Fire Station – Friday 19th September 2025 – 10:00AM-11.30PMhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/look-and-refer-shropshire-fire-and-rescue-service-tickets-1447185614129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ellesmere Fire Station – Friday 19th September 2025 – 14:00PM-3.30PM

Look and Refer – Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service PM Tickets, Fri, Sep 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite

Other online training

Kcil (Kingston Centre for Independent Living) have links to a lot of relevant training for PAs.

Please see below link for upcoming online training Online Courses – Kcil

See our Shropshire Direct Payment website for more information on training.

National PA Network

Skills for care also run regular national online webinars and a peer support network for individual employers and PAs. See Personal assistants

The next online Midlands and Eastern Individual Employer and Personal Assistant Network will take place on the 4^th of September 13:00 – 15:00

We are delighted that the following speakers will be joining us for this session:

Katie Thorn from the Digital Care Hub to talk about Digital Care and Artificial Intelligence.
Sarah Bernardini and Maisie Bull from Blue Sky Brokers to talk about the Blue Sky Social Care Card and the PA Hub.
Skills for Care to talk about the Care Workforce Pathway.

We will also have an update from Skills for Care on the funding, support, and resources available for Individual Employers and Personal Assistants.

It will be an opportunity to share good practice, highlight new and innovative ways of working and provide opportunities to support and network with others.

Please follow this link to register your place: Midlands and Eastern individual employer and personal assistant network

Drop Ins

The Direct payment team currently offer quarterly virtual drops in for Council staff and direct payment users. If you want to join please get in touch at [email protected]

We are aware that PAs may also appreciate the opportunity to meet with other PAs and the direct payment team to share good practice, any current employment info etc.

If this is something that you may want to be part of or help develop for PAs in Shropshire get in touch at [email protected] so we know whether there is a demand.

For more news please see Newsroom | Shropshire Council