Why hire an au pair?
Hiring an au pair is an excellent way of maintaining your work / balance lifestyle. The au pair will help with domestic & childcare tasks which will able you to fulfil your work commitments, leisure interests & engage in quality family time.
Who is an au pair?
An au pair must be a single woman or man with no dependants aged between 18 -27 years. They must be prepared to stay for at least 6 months but must not stay in the UK for any more than 2 years. An au pair is a national from any of the 27 EEC countries and some also come from the Philippines, Croatia, Macedonia & Turkey.
An au pair must have a letter of invitation from the host family to be allowed an au pair visa & must have a valid passport. All au pairs from non EU countries must get a working visa before they travel to the UK. Legislation can change from time to time so to get the most updated information please see the home office information site www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Au pair plus
An au pair plus can work for up to 40 hours per week and can take on slightly more childcare duties. As they are working for longer hours, their weekly allowance will be around £100-£130 per week.
Hours & Costs
Au pairs are paid an allowance each week of approx £70 to £100 per week. This is for a working week of no more than 25 hours with the au pair working no more than 5 hours per day. They can also be asked to baby-sit for up to 2 evenings per week. They must have 2 consecutive days off per week.
According to Home office rules (www.homeoffice.gov.uk) as the au pair has only worked part time, the employer does not need to give them a paid holiday. If the au pair stays for over 6 months, then there is a case for the employer to give paid holiday as well as unpaid.
Accomodation
The au pair will need to have her own bedroom with a comfortable bed, television, desk & chair. She will need access to a bathroom. The au pairs privacy is an essential key to maintaining a happy household!
Studying
It is essential that the au pair is able to study English at the local college as this the main purpose of the au pair program. Before the au pair arrives in the UK find out about English courses held in your area, what the costs are & make sure their arrival date is before enrolment for the course.
Duties as a host family
- Provide clean, comfortable accommodation.
- Provide all meals.
- Organise for the au pair to attend English lessons at the local college Agree on work responsibilities including hours & free time and stick to it.
- Always treat your au pair as part of the family
Interviewing au pairs
As the au pairs live abroad, you don’t have a chance to meet with them until they come over to work for you.
Initially, we will send you over some brief information of the au pair coupled with a photograph. We will try and match up as best we can a suitable au pair for your family. I.e. if your family are sporty we would endeavour to find an au pair with similar interests.
You can then speak over the phone with the au pair for a telephone interview. The au pairs English may be slightly vague and basic so you will need to speak slowly & in simple sentences. Once you have decided on your au pair, you can take each others e mail addresses and exchange photos and information so you can get to know each other properly. If your children are old enough, they may also want to be part of this.
Settling your au pair
This may be your au pairs first visit to a foreign country so the first days may be very difficult for her. Make sure you spend the first couple of days with her, showing her the local area, the children’s schools & spending some quality time with her. Communication is the key for a happy, longstanding au pair. Make sure you go through all the household routines before she starts & if you see her making any mistakes, be sure to let her know so she gets it right from the beginning. Remember, your au pair is not a qualified child carer so will need a lot of guidance.
Driving
If you require your au pair to drive for school runs, shopping etc then make sure she has obtained her international drivers licence before she leaves her home country. As all countries have different driving laws & abilities then we would recommend setting up some driving lessons for your au pair. You should also let her take your car out to asses her safety and ability. Make sure insurance is arranged for her too.