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Last modified on 1 October 2007                                                 

Created and maintained by Claudia Donegan

 

Frequently asked questions

 

Here are answers to some of many questions people ask us when enquiring about getting an au pair. Some are obvious, others are not, either way we hope it’s helpful.

 

 

Q: How quickly can you supply us with an au pair?

A: This is very individual and it depends on where you live and what requirements you have. We often have to provide clients with au pairs within 24 hours or on the very day they contact us but generally speaking it takes between one to two weeks.

 

Q: Does it matter where we live? Can you still provide us with an au pair?  

A:  Although the majority of our clients live in South West London or the Greater London area, we also place girls further a field. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this issue.

 

Q: What accommodation do I have to provide for the au pair?

A: An au pair has to have her own room (not shared with any children). This should be an area where children are not allowed in the au pair’s absence. An au pair’s room should be free of any family possessions (children clothing stored in the cupboards or draws) to allow complete privacy. The room should be reasonably sized and furnished and where possible, it should have a desk with a chair, to allow the au pair to study in her free time. If there is no desk in the room, the au pair has to be allowed to use another table or desk in the house (dining room, family office etc.)

 

Q: How much should I pay the au pair?

A: The very minimum you can pay your au pair is £55 per week (according to the Immigration Guidelines). However, most of our clients pay between £65 and £80 per week, for the standard 25 hours. Should you need your au pair to work more than 25 hours per week on occasions (only citizens of EU), you have to increase the pocket money accordingly.

 

Q: I live in a rural area but I don’t need an au pair who drives. What would be the normal travel arrangement, should I be providing my au pair with a bicycle?

A: It is always good to have a bicycle the au pair can use, even if the family is located in a populated area. Au pairs like to use it to get to and from their English classes as this is the cheapest way to get around. If you live in a rural area, we would recommend that you provide your au pair with a monthly bus pass or a train card. It is only fair that she/he should not spend her/his weekly pocket money on buses or trains because of the location of your home. Families, where children are required to be taken to and from school by the au pair using the public transport, have to provide a bus pass/train card or reimburse the au pair.        

 

Q: Do I have to pay for my au pair’s English lessons?

A: No. Au pairs pay for school tuition themselves. Some families however, like to pay for it or contribute towards it. This is entirely up to you and you should not feel under any pressure to do so yourself. 

 

Q: How many baby-sittings can I expect my au pair to do per week?

A: Au pairs can do up to two baby-sittings in any one week. This should  not include every Friday and Saturday, as au pairs have to have two full days completely off. Baby-sittings cannot be “forwarded” to the next week. This means that if you don’t need your au pair to baby-sit for one or two weeks, you cannot ask her to do four or six baby-sittings the following week.    

 

Q: Can I make rules for the au pair not to stay out late?

A: As all of our au pairs are aged between 18 - 27, they should be treated like adults. On one hand you give them responsibility and trust them enough to be taking care of your children and your home so on the other, you have to trust them to make decisions regarding staying out late. During their weekends when they are off, au pairs have to be able to come home accordingly or sleep over their friend’s house. 

 

Q: What do au pairs eat, will I be expected to cook for my au pair?

A: English cuisine is not that different from the cuisine of other European countries. We find that most of the au pairs get use to English way of eating and English food very quickly. We would advise to take your au pair to the supermarket when she first arrives, so she can give you a general idea of food she normally eats. A large percentage of au pairs cook for the children in the evening and they also join the children when having an evening meal. At the weekends, if the au pair is staying in the house, you have to include her at family meal times.

 

Q: What happens when we go on holiday?

A: When you decide to go on holiday, you still have to provide food for her while you are away and pay her pocket money. You can, however give the au pair some tasks to do while you are away. Alternatively, if you are going away for 2-3 weeks, you can offer to pay for your au pair’s ticket to visit her family back home.

 

Q: Can au pairs look after the babies?

A: Au pairs are not trained in any way to look after small children or babies and should not be in sole charge of children under 4 years of age. Many au pairs have experience in looking after small children or babies but that does  not necessarily mean they are experienced.  

 

Q: What is considered an au pairs’ working time?

A: Any period of time when you need your au pair to be available is classed as her working time. For example: if you need your au pair to be in the house or on “stand by” while you are out shopping, it is still considered as a part of her working hours.

 

Q: What if my au pair becomes lonely or homesick?

A: It generally takes about a month for an au pair to settle down after her arrival to the UK. It is only natural that she may miss her family and friends in the first few weeks. However, au pairs come prepared for this and they understand that they are not alone going through this experience. We always try to help and settle them down as quickly as possible, we provide them with a list of other au pairs in the area. We often select a couple of au pairs who have been in the area for some time, to take the new au pair out, introduce her to their friends and show her the area. 

 

Q: What if things don’t work out?

A: Normally they do, as we work hard to match au pairs with families according to their requirements, preferences etc. However, should the problem occur we will provide full support and try to solve any underlying issues. We would encourage the family to speak to the au pair first to try iron out the differences. Very often what seems a big problem at the time turns out to be just a misunderstanding (due to the language or cultural differences). In the event when the problem cannot be solved and this is no fault of the family, we will provide an au pair replacement free of charge (please read our Terms and Conditions).