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An Au-Pair must be prepared to help her host with general light housework and help with young children for up to 5 hours per day, or a maximum of 25 hours per week. In addition, 2 evenings baby-sitting per week would be reasonable.
It cannot be too strongly stressed though, that these applicants are not qualified nannies or domestic servants, they should not be expected to take sole responsibility for the children or household duties.
During the school holidays an Au-Pair may be asked to look after the children for more hours when the mother is working. However extra pocket money should be paid to compensate the extra hours worked. Au-Pairs are not expected to work excessive hours and families must be considerate. Treat your Au-Pair as you would like to be treated yourself.
The Au-Pair must be given free time daily to study or to pursue other interests. Two days a week must be free and any evening when baby-sitting is not required. Please make sure you arrange with your au pair in advance for any weekend or evening baby-sitting to avoid any confusion
They must be provided with their own bedroom where they can study in comfort. However, the Au-Pair must also be made to feel that they are welcome to share in the social life of the host family, as if they were a member of it. Not to do this may lead to the applicants becoming very homesick and lonely and eventually lead to them wishing to leave the family.
We also recommend that you are as flexible as possible regarding the times that your Au Pair must be back at home if she goes out for the evening, especially during the weekends (her free days). Au Pairs will want to go out and have some fun while they are here in England (after all, they are still young!), it should not only be work and studying for them.
Some applicants wish to follow a language course, usually for a few hours once a week. This may take the form of private lessons or group classes at a language school or technical college.
Au Pair's are responsible for their own fees, but it is extremely helpful if the family can assist them in finding the most suitable and convenient classes.
Remember that Au Pair's attendance at classes legally takes precedence over their work for you, but obviously it is sensible to arrange that the applicant's classes are at a time that is convenient to the family, both from the point of view of them getting there and back, and the cost of the classes to the applicant.
It would be expected if families are not located close to the college and the applicants incur travel costs, that the family help with these in addition to pocket money.
The Home Office recommends a minimum of £45-£50 per week. This must be paid on a weekly basis to the Au-Pair. We have also been advised by the Home Office that it would be reasonable of the family to give the Au-Pair two week's notice, when wishing to end the Au Pair placement prematurely.
One week's paid holiday shall be offered to the Au Pair after completion of a six month period with the family. If a family goes on holiday without the Au Pair, then the family is responsible for providing accommodation and food for the Au Pair, and the Au Pair is still entitled to her pocket money. Au-pairs are entitled to be free on all public holidays without loss of pocket money.
National insurance contributions are not required for Au Pairs. All Au Pairs from EC countries should be eligible for NHS health care. Most non-EU citizens are also eligible for NHS treatment, although it does depend on where you live, so please check first with your local GP/Health centre. Please check when your au pair arrives, what insurance, if any, she has.
Nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romanian, the Slovak Republic and Turkey must get a visa from their British Embassy or Consulate before they travel to the United Kingdom. If staying for 6 months or more they must register with the Alien registration office.
If you have to register with the police this requirement will be stamped in your passport when you get a visa or when you arrive in the UK. If so you must register not later than seven days after your arrival in the United Kingdom. To register you will need your passport and two passport size photographs of yourself. If you are staying in the Metropolitan Police Area you should take these to the Overseas Visitors Records Office, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LH, between 9am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday. If you are not staying in the Metropolitan Area you should contact your local police force for the address and opening hours of other police registration offices. You will have to pay a fee for police registration, currently £36.
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