Devon personal assistant network – terms and conditions of use

1. This ‘Personal Assistant network’ is provided for information only by Devon County Council to users of care and support services. Anyone who relies on this information does so at their own risk.  Access and use of this site constitutes acceptance by you of these Terms and Conditions which take effect from the date of first use.
2. A Personal Assistant (also known as a PA) is employed by someone who needs social care, either because of their age or disability, to enable them to live as independently as possible.
3. Information held about a PA does not imply an endorsement of that PA or their services by Devon County Council. Access and use of this website constitutes acceptance by you.
4.  The ‘PA Platform’ provides information which has been supplied by third parties – from the PA’s themselves.
5. Devon County Council:
   1. makes no representations or warranties with regard to the accuracy of the information supplied in the PA Platform Website;
   2. makes no representations or warranties with regard to the financial status of any PA, the suitability or quality of their services or the competitiveness of their prices;
   3. accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage suffered by any user resulting from their use of the information contained on this website or any services purchased from any PA shown or listed on the PA Platform website;
6. Information held about a PA does not imply an endorsement of that provider or its services by Devon County Council. 
7. Users are advised that they (and not Devon County Council) are responsible for resolving any complaints directly with the PA or PAs in question. 
8. However, users who have serious concerns about a PA may wish to notify Devon County Council (providing details and reasons) by emailing [email] clearly marking the email ‘PA Network. 
9. Devon County Council has not conducted background checks (for example, Disclosure and Barring Service checks) against the PAs listed on the PA Network website. Users are advised to undertake your own checks / verifications prior to engaging the services of any suppliers listed on the ‘PA Network Website. 
10. By engaging a PA sourced using the PA Platform Website or otherwise, users acknowledge and accept that PAs are engaged directly by the service user and are therefore not required to registered with or be regulated by the Care Quality Commission. User accept, therefore, that they will be required to regulate the conduct of their own PA as not statutory body or other public entity is responsible for doing so. 
11. A link to an external website does not imply an endorsement of that website, and Devon County Council is not responsible or liable in any way for the contents or reliability of external websites. 
12. If any person has doubts about employing or engaging their own PA, they may wish to refer their case back to the relevant Community Health and Social Care Team in order to discuss alternative options available to them, including the use of a managed Personal Budget.