Duties and hours
Duties of an au pair include childcare, light housework, cleaning, ironing, washing up at mealtimes and helping with the children.
An au pair may be asked to take or collect children to and from school and supervise them in a responsible manner in the absence of parents according to the instructions given. An au pair lives as part of the family. All food is provided and he/she must have the opportunity to attend a language school if he/she wishes. Free time will be given daily for study or to pursue personal interests and the aupair should have two days a week free.
An au pair plus conducts the same duties as an aupair but works longer hours and gets paid more (30-35 hrs per week and minimum £90 per week) There is still opportunity for attending language school; generally an au pair plus has two or three afternoons free during the week, although he/she may still be asked to return home to assist with bath times/mealtimes.
We also have au-pair plus candidates and mothers helps that are happy to work more hours for more money.
During school holidays you may ask your au pair to care for the children all day at extra pay.
Hours of work
Monday to Friday - 5-7 hrs per day, usually caring for school-age children before and after school, and doing some light housework. In addition she/he will do about 2 babysitting nights per week. Free time should be given daily for study or to pursue personal interests and they must have two days a week completely free.
Au pairs are considered to be working if they are required to be available and are not free to leave the house even if the are not actively working, for example if the children are in bed asleep. Most families do not usually ask an au-pair to work weekends apart from babysitting. Au-pairs should not be asked to baby-sit every Saturday, although one evening per weekend is not unreasonable. If there is additional work during school holidays, this should be made clear at the time of making the offer and reasonable additional pocket money can be expected in return for this.
It is very important to agree in advance what you expect from each other. We will also provide you with an agreement you can use or you can buy it in our online shop
Pay
We suggest a minimum pocket money of £70 for a basic 25 hrs week. The pay varies depending on the number of hours and the level of experience of the au pair. We are happy to advice you on this.
Some families will also contribute towards travel expenses. There are also families who are prepared to pay for, or contribute towards the cost of English lessons.
If you have broadband internet that they can use to keep in touch with home, it will minimize the risk of them being homesick.
We will gladly help advise you on approximate costs, benefits etc
Au-pair accommodation
All au-pairs must be provided with their own room and full board. It will undoubtedly be appreciated if their room is regarded as private (e.g. from intrusions by children), and is equipped with a desk or table where they can work.
If you do not already have one spare, a small second-hand television set is an inexpensive luxury to provide in the room. It gives the au-pair the freedom to choose more understandable programmes than the family might perhaps watch.
Driving au-pairs
If it is essential that the au-pair should drive your car, please remember that they are unlikely to be experienced drivers. You are advised to pay for some lessons with your local driving school, preferably in your car, to ensure that she/he is fully acquainted with driving on the left and with the British Highway Code. You must insure your car fully for her use, and you cannot expect an au-pair to pay for any damage done.
Petrol must be provided for use on duty, but the au-pair might pay for petrol for personal use whilst off duty. The admission on an application form that the au-pair has a driving licence does not guarantee her/his suitability to drive in England.