Brexit has thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to Au Pairs in the UK. Where once it was a cultural exchange between Au Pairs and host families, the restriction of free movement between EU countries and the UK has meant that Au Pairing in the UK has had to adapt.
Whether you are looking to become an Au Pair or a host family looking for one, Little Ones is here to break down everything you need to know.
There are a few different options available if you are thinking of becoming an Au Pair in the UK.
EU citizens who have been living in the UK prior to the 31st of December 2020, could be eligible to apply for the pre-settled status. The pre-settled status allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years without any restrictions. The deadline for applying for pre-settled status was the 30th of June 2021
This is a visa for people who are aged between 18 and 30 years old. You can apply for this visa if you are from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Monaco and San Marino. You may also be eligible if you are from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan but you must be selected from the Youth Mobility ballot.
You may also apply for this visa if you are a:
This is an option that is open to young people from all countries. You must be participating in a course of study that is provided by a licenced student sponsor. With this visa, you are able to work up to 20 hours per week as an Au Pair whilst you are studying your course.
If you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and have a grandparent who was more in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you can apply for an Ancestry Visa which allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years without restrictions.
If you are from Ireland or a UK resident, you are able to work with families in the UK as an Au Pair without any restrictions.
As an Au Pair, you will always live in with the family. They will provide you with your own room and bathrooms will either be shared with the children or you will have an en-suite or own bathroom. An Au Pair is not able to take care of children under the age of 2 years old as it goes against Government guidelines.
Au Pairs can work up to 30 hours per week from Monday to Friday. A typical day may look like this:
A family may request a maximum two nights of babysitting per week, this needs to be between Monday and Thursday evenings. This should be paid on top of the weekly salary at a rate of £10 per hour.
The duties that an Au Pair can be responsible for include:
Au Pairs can help with child-related housekeeping such as those listed above however it should not extend to the parents or the whole home. If you are looking for someone to help with hoovering, laundry and ironing or changing bedsheets, for example, you will need to hire a Housekeeper.
In the current climate, the market rate for an Au Pair is between £150 - £200 net per week. This is paid directly to the Au Pair on either a weekly or a monthly basis. This is higher than previous years due to the demand from families looking as well as the type of candidates that are currently available in the UK.
Vetting procedures differ depending on the au pair agency you use. Little Ones au pair agency in the UK has the most thorough screening in the industry. These include a face to face interview or video interview with each individual au pair which is recorded. Interviews last approximately 40 minutes and include a thorough assessment of work and personal history including when and why the au pair became interested in childcare.
Safeguarding is our priority. Our families know we take child safety and education very seriously. We aim to place only the most competent and committed au pairs in roles throughout Gloucestershire.
Our au pair consultants will take verbal reference checks following a stringent reference process.
Identity and work visa checks are undertaken and recorded for all au pair and childcare candidates. Little Ones au pair agency will use photo ID to confirm a candidate’s identity.
Once an au pair has been offered a position in line with Ofsted guidelines, will request a DBS or police check from the au pair’s home country should s/he have lived fewer than 6 months in the UK.
Little Ones au pair agency requires all au pair and childcare candidates to undertake Paediatric First Aid certification. We offer Little Ones first aid courses, certified by the First Aid Industry Body. This is in order to ensure all au pairs working in Marylebone from Little Ones au pair agency are able to fund a course.
If you have further questions or would like to discuss your search in more detail, one of our specialist consultants is available to discuss your options.
Deciding to hire an au pair will bring multiple benefits for your family. Not only will you be hiring someone for childcare, you will be getting someone who will become part of your family and an important figure for your children. One of the benefits is that Au pairs will happily adjust their time to the parents’ and children’s time; they will be flexible with their schedule when needed. Another important point is that they won’t be late for work, as they will be living with the family, so you don’t need to worry when you need to leave for an important meeting or you arrive home a couple of minutes late one day.
As we have mentioned, Au Pairs are an affordable assistance. We understand how busy it can be for parents juggling work, home chores and their children, so when you most need help and don’t have a high budget, an Au Pair is the best childcare option.
Bringing an Au Pair into your home will enrich your children’s life with a different cultural experience; they will talk to and teach your children about their country’s culture, traditions, arts how people behave in different life situations and more. While they are doing this, they can be talking with your children in their mother tongue, so if your family is from France or Russia for example, and you hire an Au Pair from one of these countries, they will teach them about this that, so your children will feel more connected to their parents’ homeland.
When it comes to au pair recruitment, you can go it alone or use the services of a specialist agency, like Little Ones. While recruiting directly gives you an element of control over the process and also some flexibility, it can be a daunting task. An agency can take the stress out of the process and also give you peace of mind, as they will carry out screening and interviewing, including a full background check. There will also be consultants on hand to answer any questions and resolve any concerns. In addition, the agency will often provide training for the au pair, so they can carry out their role more effectively.
With the Little Ones commitment, the team pride themselves on being able to delicately align premium, luxury services to those who put their confidence in them. Would you like to talk to one of our expert consultants? You can call us on 02071830309 or send us an email to enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk
Little Ones agency offers additionally housekeeping and nanny employees that will work as live-in or live-out, full-time or part-time. Little Ones may help you to find a Personal Assistance, House Manager, Domestic couples and any other house staff that you require.
