Self-Funding Support

Some people pay for their own care and support. We call this self-funding.

At Humans Cornwall, we help you find a personal assistant (PA) for home or community support.

A PA can assist with:

  • Daily tasks

  • Getting out and about
  • Living with greater autonomy
  • Support at home or in the community

Our team offers friendly support and useful help to help you find the right person.

Not sure if you need to self-fund?

An older gentlemen uses the assessment calculator on his laptop.

Many people wonder if they need to pay for their own care.

Cornwall Council has a simple online financial assessment tool. It helps you see if you might need to pay for care yourself.

Check it here: https://cornwall.bettercare.org.uk/#/forms/list

The tool asks about:

  • Savings
  • Income
  • Assets (like property)

This helps estimate if you might need to pay for care or get financial help.

If you want to set up your own support, Humans Cornwall can help you find a Personal Assistant.

How we can help

We support people who want to recruit their own PA.

We can help you:

Think about the support you want

Find PAs nearby

Advertise for a PA

Understand the recruitment process

Prepare for interviews

Choose the right person

Our goal is to make the process clear, supportive, and centered on you.

Our support options

We offer two options based on your support needs.

Tier 1

PA Matching Service
£ 50 (Only if a match is successful)
  • A quick chat about the support you need
  • Searching our PA register
  • Sharing contact details of suitable PAs
  • You pay the £50 fee only if you choose to work with the PA who accepts the role. If we can’t find a match, we can assist with recruitment (Tier 2).

Tier 2

PA Recruitment Support
£ 150 If a match isn’t available, or if you prefer, we will help you recruit your own PA.
  • Creating a PA job advert with you
  • Advertising the role on our website and social media
  • Sharing applicant details with you
  • Supporting you in shortlisting candidates
  • Guidance on interviews
  • Recruitment templates and resources
  • This fee covers the support during the recruitment process.

Important to know

Humans Cornwall does not employ Personal Assistants.

If you recruit a PA, the working relationship is between you and the PA.

You are responsible for:

  • Agreeing on how the work will be done
  • Managing the PA
  • Conducting checks if needed
  • Making employment arrangements or contracting a self-employed PA

We provide guidance on good recruitment practices and helpful resources.

Safe recruitment

Your safety is important.

We encourage safe recruitment with guidance on:

  • References
  • DBS checks
  • Right to Work checks
  • Good employer practices

We also offer resources from Skills for Care – Being a Great Employer.

Payments PA Matching Service: You only pay if a successful match is made. PA Recruitment Support: £150 paid before recruitment work starts.

Payment options:

  • Bank transfer
  • Cheque
  • Secure online payment

Terms and conditions

Our services follow our Self-Funding Service Terms and Conditions.

You can read the full terms here:

Read our Terms and Conditions

Choosing a service means you agree to these terms.

A happy woman in a wheelchair, ready to discover helpful support services.

Need help deciding?

If you’re unsure which option is right for you, our team can help.

We’re happy to discuss and help you find the right support.

Hospital Discharge

Self-Referral Form