Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC)
LightNews LightNews
banner
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC)
@surreyilc.bsky.social
30 followers 79 following 110 posts
A voluntary organisation led and run by disabled people, offering a range of services to support people in Surrey to live independently. www.surreyilc.org.uk
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Jul 18
Meet Ted, another outstanding example of the remarkable PAs you can find on Support Finder!
Ted's dedication and empathy in his role significantly enables Mike's independence.
Visit our website: supportfinder.org.uk

#PASpotlight #CareJobs #Jobsite #SurreyJobs
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 2h
Trustees' Week – At SILC we are lucky to have an incredible board of trustees who give their time, expertise and effort to ensure that SILC is able to thrive. Thank you to our wonderful trustees! www.surreyilc.org.uk/our-trustees/

#TrusteesWeek #Trustees #Nonprofit #Charity
Graphic for Trustees' Week. Top section has a blue background with the Trustees' Week logo on the left and the SILC logo on the right. Text reads: "At SILC we are lucky to have an incredible board of trustees who give their time, expertise and effort to ensure that SILC is able to thrive. Thank you to our wonderful trustees!" Below the text is a photo of a meeting with several people seated around a table with laptops and papers, and one person in a wheelchair. Another person is standing and shaking hands with someone at the table.
2
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 3d
Our FREE certified PA Training courses for 2025/26, funded by Skills for Care, are now available to book, including the next accredited First Aid at Work course!
See the full list of courses on the post or on surreyilc.org.uk/training-for...
#PATraining #IndependentLiving #SurreyJobs
Promotional flyer for free training courses for PAs and employers from Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC), blue background with white and orange text, SILC logo top right, in-person Emergency First Aid at Work on 18 Nov 2025, online courses include Health & Safety Awareness (7 Nov), Person Centred Care (13 Nov), Learning Disability with Dementia (25 Nov), Dementia Awareness (4 Dec), Epilepsy Awareness (12 Dec), Diabetes Awareness (17 Dec), "Many more in 2026!", booking link: https://surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk, image of two people, one male adult sitting in a wheelchair holding a bag of shopping while one female adult assists with pushing the wheelchair.
1
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 4d
We're at the SCC Care Experienced Careers Fair today at Woodhatch Place, encouraging more people to sign up as Personal Assistants through Support Finder - helping grow the pool of available support!
www.Supportfinder.org.uk

#SurreyJobs #SocialCare #FlexibleWork
A photo of the Support Finder stand at the SCC 'Care Experienced' careers fair today, at Woodhatch Place.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 5d
You can now raise FREE donations for SILC via @easyfundraising.bsky.social app when you shop on the high street with your card!
Follow this link and raise vital funds for SILC - easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/silc/
It is quick and easy to sign up and will cost you nothing!
#charityfundraiser #charity
Easyfundraising logo, a photo of two women, with text on the image saying "Easyfundraising now offer in-person donations. You can now raise free donations for SILC when you shop on the high street with your debit or credit card!" with the website address also available on the post text and the SILC logo on the bottom right.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 11d
Our next facilitated IN-PERSON peer support group for Employers of PAs to meet and support each other is on 29th January 2026 at 11am. Sign up via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pa-employe....

#PeerSupport #PersonalAssistant #IndependentLiving
Peer Support Group for Employers of PAs, In-person Group in Guildford, Lunch Included, Thurs, Jan 29th at 11am to 2pm. This group is being held at Astolat in Guildford and is for PA Employers to come together and gain knowledge and advice around all aspects of employing a PA. Sign up via the Eventbrite link in the description.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 13d
If you require a PA to support you to live independently, we provide a lot of information and support to people becoming employers of PAs - surreyilc.org.uk/employer-hub/ It is great to get such positive feedback on our services. #MakingADifference #TestimonialTuesday #IndependentLiving
Two quotes from clients of our advice and recruitment service, which read: "I felt SILC were approachable and it was a great experience overall. I was heavily pregnant at the time, and they were able to help with everything so brilliantly." and "SILC have really helped me so much with my situation and with finding a PA for my mum."
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 17d
Our FREE certified PA Training courses for 2025/26, funded by Skills for Care, are now available to book, including the next accredited First Aid at Work course!
See the full list of courses on the post or on surreyilc.org.uk/training-for...
#PATraining #IndependentLiving #SurreyJobs
Promotional flyer for free training courses for PAs and employers from Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC), blue background with white and orange text, SILC logo top right, in-person Emergency First Aid at Work on 18 Nov 2025, online courses include Mental Capacity Act (20 Oct), Health & Safety Awareness (7 Nov), Person Centred Care (13 Nov), Learning Disability with Dementia (25 Nov), Dementia Awareness (4 Dec), Epilepsy Awareness (12 Dec), Diabetes Awareness (17 Dec), "Many more in 2026!", booking link: https://surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk, image of two people, one male adult sitting in a wheelchair holding a bag of shopping while one female adult assists with pushing the wheelchair.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 26d
Our next facilitated IN-PERSON peer support group for Employers of PAs to meet and support each other is on 29th January 2026 at 11am. Sign up via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pa-employe....

#PeerSupport #PersonalAssistant #IndependentLiving
Peer Support Group for Employers of PAs, In-person Group in Guildford, Lunch Included, Thurs, Jan 29th at 11am to 2pm. This group is being held at Astolat in Guildford and is for PA Employers to come together and gain knowledge and advice around all aspects of employing a PA. Sign up via the Eventbrite link in the description.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · 27d
A reminder that Independent voices matter. Sign the petition to protect independent scrutiny in health and social care. 📜 Without local Healthwatch, who speaks up for people facing health inequalities?

🔗 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
#ProtectHealthwatch #PublicVoice
Petition: Review decision to abolish independent local Healthwatch
We are asking the government to: • Revisit its decision to abolish local independent services that speak up for the public • Consult with the public to codesign a service which meets their needs and s...
petition.parliament.uk
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Oct 3
We've attended multiple job fairs over the past 3 weeks which has led to a BIG increase of people signing up wanting to work as a PA! Now is the perfect time to find someone! www.supportfinder.org.uk

#IndependentLiving #MakingADifference #SocialCare
Graphic promoting Surrey Independent Living Charity’s Support Finder service. The text reads: ‘Looking for a PA? Now is the perfect time! We’ve had a big increase of new PAs signing up and actively looking for work over the last 3 weeks! www.SupportFinder.org.uk.’ The image includes the SILC logo, the Support Finder logo, and a subtle bar graph on the right showing an upward trend.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Oct 1
After the great success at Royal Holloway last week, today we're at University of Surrey at the job fair encouraging more students to become PAs!

#PartTimeJob #IndependentLiving
SILC stand set up at University of Surrey job fair, including a table with a blue tablecloth, and a popup for Support Finder entitled "Make a difference in someone's life".
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 30
If you live in Surrey and are unhappy with the NHS treatment you have received, our team can provide free, confidential, and independent advocacy support to help you to make a complaint about an NHS service, provided in partnership with Healthwatch Surrey.

#TestimonialTuesday
Two quotes from clients of our Health Complaints Advocacy service, which read: "Thank you so much to the person I spoke to on Reception. They de-muddled my muddle and I can now move on" and "Thank you for the speedy execution today regarding the returned form. It was a positive experience, and I am grateful".
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 29
There are still a couple of spots available for our FREE and accredited Safeguarding training this Thursday! Don't miss out, book now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/safeguardi...

#FreeTraining #PATraining #ImproveYourCV #JobSearch
Promotional graphic for a free PA Training Course titled "Safeguarding Adults & Children – Level 1", hosted by Surrey Independent Living Charity. The course is scheduled for Thursday, 2 October 2025, from 10:00 to 13:00 BST, and will be delivered online via Zoom. The image features the SILC logo in the top left corner and a photo of people in a training or classroom setting. Key information is highlighted in bold and coloured fonts. The text invites Personal Assistants to join the session to learn how to identify signs of abuse, respond to disclosures, and understand their duty to report concerns. A note at the bottom indicates that the link is in the description.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 26
Our FREE certified PA Training courses for 2025/26, funded by Skills for Care, are now available to book, including the next accredited First Aid at Work course!
See the full list of courses on the post or on www.surreyilc.org.uk/training-for-pas
#PATraining #Training #IndependentLiving #SurreyJobs
Promotional flyer for free training courses for PAs and employers from Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC), blue background with white and orange text, SILC logo top right, in-person Emergency First Aid at Work on 18 Nov 2025, online courses include Safeguarding Adults & Children (2 Oct), Autism Awareness (9 Oct), Mental Capacity Act (20 Oct), Health & Safety Awareness (7 Nov), Person Centred Care (13 Nov), Learning Disability with Dementia (25 Nov), Dementia Awareness (4 Dec), Epilepsy Awareness (12 Dec), Diabetes Awareness (17 Dec), "Many more in 2026!", booking link: https://surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk, image of two people, one male adult sitting in a wheelchair holding a bag of shopping while one female adult assists with pushing the wheelchair.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 25
What a fantastic day at our Employer Peer Support Group!
A big thank you to David Howard Payroll Ltd for joining us as our special guests and sharing their expertise.

Date for the next group soon!

#PeerSupport #IndependentLiving #SurreyILC
Three women posing for a photo at the SILC Employer Peer Support Group Two women having a conversation at the SILC Employer Peer Support Group
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 23
We have one space remaining for our in-person facilitated Peer Support Group for employers of PAs, with guests from DH Payroll, this Thursday at 11am! You can sign up via www.surreyilc.org.uk/employer-pee...

#freetraining #directpayments #personalhealthbudget #employers #individualemployers
Peer Support Group for Employers of PAs #2. In-person group in Guildford, Lunch included. Thu, 25 Sep at 11am to 2pm. "SILC, in partnership with David Howard Payroll Ltd., would like to invite all Employers of PAs to our peer support event at Astolat in Guildford. You can sign up via the link on this post." PA Employer Peer Support Logo, and "One space now available" with a large exclamation mark above it.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 17
Our FREE certified 'Mental Health Awareness' PA Training course, on Tuesday next week, still has a few spots available to book! Get tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mental-hea...

#PATraining #Training #IndependentLiving #SurreyJobs
SILC Logo and text reading: "Free PA Training Course - Mental Health Awareness - Tuesday 23rd September 2025 10am to 1pm BST-time. All PAs are invited to join our online course to deepen your understanding of mental health, explore common conditions, support strategies, and the basics of the Mental Health Act – all via Zoom."
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 15
Our next facilitated IN-PERSON peer support group for PAs to meet and support each other is this Thursday, the 18th of Sep at 5.30pm. Sign up via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pa-peer-su...
Please let your PAs know!

#peersupport #personalassistant #caregiver
SILC logo and text saying: Peer Support Group for Personal Assistants This Thursday 5.30pm to 6.30pm. "Our Peer Support Group for Personal Assistants is this Thursday (15th) at 5.30pm. This group is facilitated by SILC, and is for people who work as PAs to meet and support each other. Sign up via the Eventbrite link in the description! Please let your PAs know!"
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 11
For a limited time, @easyfundraising.bsky.social will match the first £5 you raise for us when you sign up! It's free for you and you'll raise vital funds for SILC - easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/silc/ - Sign up today and make a difference.

#charityfundraiser #charity #independentliving
Easyfundraising logo with the statement "easyfundraising will match the first five pounds you raise for us!". £1300 has been raised so far and 46 supporters have joined the cause. SILC Logo and a message which says "Sign up today" on a bright background.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 10
Our FREE certified PA Training courses for 2025/26, funded by Skills for Care, are now available to book, including the next accredited First Aid at Work course!
See the full list of courses on the post or on www.surreyilc.org.uk/training-for-pas
#patraining #training #independentliving #surreyjobs
Promotional flyer for free training courses for PAs and employers from Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC), blue background with white and orange text, SILC logo top right, in-person Emergency First Aid at Work on 18 Nov 2025, online courses include Mental Health Awareness (23 Sep), Safeguarding Adults & Children (2 Oct), Autism Awareness (9 Oct), Mental Capacity Act (20 Oct), Health & Safety Awareness (7 Nov), Person Centred Care (13 Nov), Learning Disability with Dementia (25 Nov), Dementia Awareness (4 Dec), Epilepsy Awareness (12 Dec), Diabetes Awareness (17 Dec), more courses available, booking link: https://surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk, image of two people sitting together on the right.
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 9
If you require a PA to support you to live independently, we provide a lot of information and support to people becoming employers of PAs - surreyilc.org.uk/employer-hub/ It is great to get such positive feedback on our services. #makingadifference #TestimonialTuesday #independentliving
Two quotes from clients of our advice and recruitment service, which read: "I was so stressed before we had the extra care. Thank you so much to SILC for helping me through the processes." and "Thank you so much for making everything so clear for me. It's very helpful indeed!"
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 4
Our free Emergency First Aid at Work training for PAs is in full swing upstairs! If you couldn't get a place this time, we have another on 18th November: surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk

#SILC #FirstAidTraining #FreeTraining
A woman putting a bandage on another woman's arm during emergency first aid at work training A woman doing chest compressions on a dummy during emergency first aid at work training A woman putting a bandage on another woman's arm during emergency first aid at work training A woman doing chest compressions on a dummy during emergency first aid at work training
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Sep 2
We’ve had a couple of last-minute cancellations for Thursday’s Emergency First Aid at Work course for PAs. Book your place here: surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk

#FreeTraining #PAtraining #IndependentLiving
SILC Logo and text saying "Free training course for PAs and employers. 4th September 2025, 9-4. Emergency first aid at work 1 day accredited course. This course is suitable for people who might need to provide first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work. It gives learners the skills and confidence to respond to a range of accidents and first aid emergencies they could encounter in the workplace. Taking place at Astolat, Coniers Way, Burpham, Guildford, GU4 7HL. Book courses online at https://surreyilc.eventbrite.co.uk."
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Aug 29
Independent voices matter. Without local Healthwatch, who speaks up for people facing health inequalities?
Sign the petition to protect independent scrutiny in health and social care.
🔗 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
#ProtectHealthwatch #PublicVoice #ProtectIndependentVoice
Petition: Review decision to abolish independent local Healthwatch
We are asking the government to: • Revisit its decision to abolish local independent services that speak up for the public • Consult with the public to codesign a service which meets their needs and supports the NHS to realise its ambitions • Invest in and strengthen independent services
petition.parliament.uk
surreyilc.bsky.social
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) @surreyilc.bsky.social · Aug 28
Our next facilitated IN-PERSON peer support group for PAs to meet and support each other is on Thursday 18th September at 5.30pm. Sign up via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pa-peer-su.... Please let your PAs know!

#PeerSupport #PersonalAssistant #CareGiver @surreycoalition.bsky.social
Peer Support Group for Personal Assistants, Thursday 18th September between 5.30pm and 6.30pm, Our Peer Support Group for Personal Assistants (PAs) is in person this September. This group is facilitated by SILC, and is for people who work as PAs to meet and support each other. Sign up via the Eventbrite link in the description! Please let your PAs know!