PANS Members Group Minutes – 9th July
Apologies to members who tried to attend but could not access the meeting – we experienced some technical issues. Our next meeting will be held on Zoom, following feedback from the group.
Thank you to all those who came along especially given the tech problems that arose – your patience and continued engagement is greatly appreciated.
PA Survey
Attendees collectively expressed that the recent survey did not provide meaningful or actionable insights. Concerns were raised that the questions lacked relevance and failed to reflect the realities of their role and experiences. Some of the feedback included:
- The group noted that the survey consisted solely of yes or no questions which limited the opportunity to provide context or feedback
- Members expressed the desire for future surveys to include challenging questions to encourage more meaningful responses.
- Members felt like they could not open up
The group emphasized the need for future surveys to be developed with greater input from PAs.
Members also raised concerns that some PAs are still not receiving the wage uplift that was previously announced in April.
PVG Scheme
Some members of the group expressed concern that information about Disclosure Scotland and the PVG process should have been presented to Personal Assistants much earlier.
It was highlighted that many PAs are still waiting for their PVG certifications, which has created uncertainty, and many applications are being rejected.
Currently the responsibility to seek out information about applying for a PVG falls heavily on the individual PA.
There is a shared concern that this lack of guidance and support could discourage potential PAs from entering the role.
PANS Offer – Unite the Union
When asked why they believed the Unite the Union offer has not received a strong uptake, the group suggested a couple of possible reasons.
Some felt PAs may be already affiliated with similar organisations that will be offering the same support.
Others believe that many PAs may not see the relevance or benefit of Union membership until they encounter a specific challenge where support would be valuable.
The group suggested that sharing case study stories could be an effective way to increase engagement for this offer. We are taking this into consideration and will explore how personal stories can be incorporated into our communications.
If you have any comments to add, please get in touch with pans@wea.ac.uk