88 Appendix A Knowledge and skills of personal advisers A.1 In assessing whether or not an individual possesses the right knowledge and skills to be effective as a PA for a care leaver, the local authority will need to establish that they are able to work within the legal and leaving care policy framework and that they demonstrate the necessary personal qualities, so that, they are capable of becoming an effective professional with the ability to advocate for the young person so they are supported to reach their potential. A.2 The local authority’s selection process for these important posts will involve the need to make an assessment of a candidate’s potential abilities, as those with no previous experience who are employed as PAs or social workers cannot be expected to have acquired the detailed knowledge base and skills necessary for this rewarding and complex area of work. A.3 Some skills will be common to all those who work with looked after children. Others will be more specialised – as PAs for care leavers should have demonstrable skills in assessing young people’s needs and designing relevant interventions so that each care leaver is enabled to make positive transitions. There will also be circumstances where a professional’s relationship with an individual young person may mean that they will be best placed to act as their PA, even though they may not possess the usual skill- set – e.g. in cases where a young person’s former foster carer takes on this function. A.4 The table below outlines the skills and knowledge that an experienced PA might usually be expected to demonstrate. This may have to be adapted or enhanced to take into account any wider statutory frameworks affecting groups of care leavers with more specific needs - e.g. disabled young people or unac