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GENERAL INFORMATION
FOR APPLICANTS
FOR FAMILIES
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What is an Au Pair?
Home Office Guidelines
An Au Pair is a single Male/Female, aged between 17 - 27, who comes to live with a UK family, in order to improve his/her English, and experience life in another Country, for a maximum of 2 years.
Being part of the family
The words Au Pair come from the French, meaning "at par", or "equal to".
The Au Pair is NOT a domestic servant or Housekeeper, and should be treated as part of the family. She should eat her meals together with them, should have her own (heated!) bedroom, and to the extent of having regard for everyone's need for privacy, should sit with the family in the evenings if she wishes.
If the Family can find the time to chat with the Au Pair, make an effort to introduce them to friends of their own age, and show them round the local area (P.O, shops, language schools, Church, etc.) the Au Pair will settle far more easily into strange surroundings.
Working hours and pocket money
An Au Pair helps in the home for up to 25 hours per week, i.e.5 hours per 5 days of the week. Additionally, he/she can be asked to Baby Sit up to 2 evenings per week. The recommended current minimum allowance is £60 - £80+ per week, plus full board.(You will need to pay towards the top end of this in London)
An Au Pair + will work for a maximum of 30 hours per week, and Baby Sit for no more than 3 nights per week. The recommended allowance is a minimum of £100 - 120 + per week, plus full board.
All categories of Au Pairs are entitled to 2 full days off per week.
All Non - EU members may only be an Au Pair, and are not allowed to work as an Au Pair +, whereas an EU member may be either an Au Pair, or an Au Pair +.
Duties of an Au Pair / Duties of an Au Pair Plus
The duties of an Au Pair and Au Pair Plus are both to help with childcare (e.g. taking and picking up from school/ nursery, simple cooking for the children, bathing children and putting them to bed, playing games with the children), and household duties (ironing, dusting, hoovering, washing up, general tidying).
An Au Pair is not a qualified Nanny, and is not specifically trained to look after either babies or very young children.
It is recommended by the Home Office that an Au Pair/ Au Pair + should not be left in sole charge of Children under 2 years of age for long periods of time.
Mother's Helps
A Mother's Help works up to 8 hours per day, for a maximum of 6 days per week, and Baby Sits up to 4 evenings per week. They have at least 1 free day, and 3 evenings, off per week.
A Mother's Help is not officially part of the Au Pair Scheme, but it is sometimes possible to find members of the EU who are willing to work for more hours than an Au Pair + per week.
Pay guidelines for a Mother's Help are £150 -£200+ Net on a live-in basis, and £200 ++ Net per week live-out.(London rates)
Learning English
The Au Pair / Au Pair + must be allowed time to both attend English Classes at a local College, and to study. He / She is expected to pay for his / her own Tuition if necessary. It would be helpful though, if the Host Family finds out details of nearby Colleges and classes before the Au Pair arrives.
Travel
The Au Pair / Au Pair Plus pays for his / her own travel to and from England, and should come either with a return ticket, an open ticket, or at least with sufficient funds to be able to return home.
The Host Family should speak to the Au Pair / Au Pair Plus 24 hours before he/she is due to arrive in order to confirm Travel arrangements, and pick up points, etc.
(This will help soothe any last minute nerves, and also serve to reassure the Au Pair's parents too, who are sending their child into the unknown!)
The Au Pair / Au Pair+ should either be met by the Host Family themselves, or their representative, at either the Airport, Bus Station, or Train Station, at which he/she arrives in the host country. If this proves to be impossible,then the Host Family should reimburse the Au Pair for his/her onward journey to their Home.
All this should be arranged in advance, so that upon his/her arrival, the Au Pair/Au Pair+ knows exactly where to go and what to do.
Car drivers
If it is essential that the Au Pair / Au Pair + drives the Family car, please remember that they are unlikely to be experienced drivers, especially if they are not used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Just because he/she may hold a driving licence valid in the U.K, this does not automatically make them a suitable person to drive your car and children safely.
It is up to the Host Family to ensure the standard of the Au Pair's / Au Pair +'s driving on the English roads.
What to do if there is a problem between Au Pair and the family
The Agency is there to help mediate between the Client and Au Pair, in order to sort out any problems that may arise.
This might especially apply in the first few days after a new Au Pair's arrival, when he / she is trying to settle into a new Country, and is surrounded by people talking a foreign language, and is very possibly struggling with feeling Homesick.
However, sometimes, things simply do not work out between the Au Pair / Au Pair + and the Host Family. To terminate the Contract, a minimum of 14 days notice must be given by either side.
The Host cannot make the Au Pair homeless, and he/she must be able to stay where she is, with full board and allowance, unless criminal activity has taken place.
(Imagine if it were your son/daughter thrown out on the streets in a foreign country!).
All monies owed by either party to the other must be paid.
Health And Insurance For An Au Pair
N.I. contributions are not required for an Au Pair
However, if the Family is considering employing a Mother's Help, Tax and N.I. contributions become payable as soon as the payment level exceeds £93 per week. (2006).
Au Pairs from EU countries should be eligible for NHS healthcare, which is unlikely to be available for Dental problems.
Non-EU citizens MAY be eligible for NHS treatment, but the Family should check with the local GP/ Healthcare Centre.
All Au Pairs will be eligible for emergency hospital treatment should the need arise.
The Family and Au Pair should check when the Au Pair arrives what insurance, if any, she/he has.
If the Au Pair becomes ill, the Family will have to continue to provide food and accommodation until other arrangements can be made, if that proves necessary.
Au Pair Holidays
At some time during his/her stay, the Au Pair may return Home for a visit. If he/she has been with the Family for less than 6 months, this will be unpaid, but if he/she has been with them for longer, this should be a paid holiday.
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