|
AUPAIRS
(This page is directed at foreign Aupairs who would like to come to the UK. If you are British and are
considering becoming an Aupair overseas, most of the information below will
still apply in general– but please do contact us to discuss your
requirements and we will make you aware of any special criteria relating to
the country of your choice)
Want to be an
Aupair?
Consider the information provided below……Do
you have what it takes to enjoy a successful aupair placement? If you think
you do, then read on and don’t forget to check
our page of LIVE AUPAIR POSITIONS AVAILABLE AROUND THE UK.
What is an aupair placement?
UK
home office standard guidelines for aupairs are as follows:
`an au-pair placement is an arrangement whereby a single
person aged from 17 to 27 inclusive, comes to the united kingdom to study
English; and lives for up to two years as a member of an English-speaking
family with appropriate opportunities for study; and helps in the home for
a maximum of 5 hours per day, with at least two full days off per week, in
return for a reasonable (pocket money) allowance and the use of a room of
his or her own. `
You will be living as `part of ` an English speaking
family. Your host family will expect you to interact with the family, even
when you are `off duty`. It is very important that you become a `member` of
the family. This is the key to a successful au-pair placement. The way to
achieve this is to get to know every individual in the family as well as
you can, talk to them and ask them questions. Let the family members talk
to you, and ask you questions and get to know you as well. Make sure you
respect the privacy of all of the members of your host family and they too
will respect yours. When you have made `friends for life` from the members
of your host family - you have had a successful stay.
You are expected to be mature and relatively
independent. Your family do not want am additional child to care for - you
are here to help them with their own children.
One of the main reasons why you wished to come to the United
Kingdom
as an au-pair was to study and improve your knowledge of another language -
i.e. - English, so most of you will want to attend a language course at a
local college or other institute offering language courses. Your family
will expect you to do this.
In return you are expected to help your family in the
home and with the children for up to 25 hours per week, usually 5 hours per
day. The duties required of you by a host family will vary greatly from one
family to another. Some of the duties that might be expected of you might
be;
· -helping to get the children out of bed, washed and dressed in the
mornings.
· -making sure the children have a proper breakfast in the mornings.
· -taking children to school or nursery school, and collecting them
afterwards.
· -caring for the children outside of school hours, while the parents
are still at work.
· -entertaining the children during the day while the parents are
working.
· -preparing or cooking a simple meal for yourself and the children.
· -taking the children swimming, to the park or to their after-school
sport or dance class.
· -laundry duties, such as washing, drying and ironing laundry.
· -cleaning duties, like hoovering, washing
floors, dusting surfaces and washing dishes.
· -tidy duties, such as making beds, putting toys away, and picking up
after the children.
· -up to a maximum of two evenings baby-sitting per week.
Most families will require you to carry out, only some
of these duties as part of your 25 hours per week. You should do some of
these duties in addition to what your family requires of you during your 25
working hours per week, because you are staying in the family home and
contribute towards any cleaning and tidying required.
Your host family has been informed of the home office
standard guidelines above, and is aware of what they can reasonably expect
from an aupair, and what they must give in return.
Your host family will not treat you as a slave or
servant. Your host family will treat you as an aupair should be treated -
as an equal. You will be cared for by your family as a member of their
family. They will respect you and wish to be treated with respect in
return.
Your family will actively encourage you to learn and
improve your english by going to a college or
other institution, where you can take formal english
lessons. If you ask for their help at home, they will surely give that help
to you willingly.
Your family will ensure that you are only expected to
work for approximately 25 hours per week for them, and they will ensure
that your duties are clear, so that you know what is expected of you. Your
family will expect that you carry out some of the household duties outside
your `working hours` because you are sharing the house with them and contributing
to the amount of housework required overall. Your family is unlikely to
require more than the two evenings baby-sitting per week, which is expected
of you. If they do occasionally ask you to baby-sit for any extra evenings,
then you can expect to be paid £4 per hour on those evenings.
Pocket money paid to aupairs varies from family to
family. Standard and minimum rates of pocket money for an au-pair (max
25hrs + 2 evenings baby sitting) are approx. £55-£70 per week. Your pocket
money should be paid to you weekly - not monthly.
Your family will provide you
with a room of your own, which they should not enter without your personal
permission - it is unlikely that there will be a lock on your bedroom door
- nor is it likely that any of the other bedrooms will have locks on the
doors. As an aupair, living in another
family’s home, you are in an extremely trusted
position, and likewise the families accept that you too, need to be
trusting of them. For this reason, all antoinettes families are required to
provide a personal reference to Antoinettes agency, (these references are
checked in the same way that we check your own references) before we are
able to send candidates applications to them.
Your host family knows that when you first arrive, you
will need to be shown where everything is in the house, and instructed what
to do, when and how to do it and they will devote some time to this - a few
days at least - and in the long run this can only be to the advantage of
all concerned. Please listen carefully, when the family explains things to
you, and if you do not understand then you must ask them to slow down or
repeat it for you.
How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an au pair?
You must show that you want to come to the UK on an au
pair placement and that you:
· Are not married
· Have no dependants
· Do not plan to stay in the UK for more than two years as an au pair
· Can support and accommodate yourself without help from public funds
· Plan to leave the UK when you complete your stay as an au pair
What we do for our Aupairs?
The aim of Antoinettes` is to ensure a quality service, for both the aupair
and the host family'.
Antoinette’s locates positions for au-pairs all over the United Kingdom and overseas. We have families all over the UK and overseas – for short stay, summer stay, or long stay – 6
months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months or 2 years.
We have all our families checked out – they provide us
with references, so you can be sure that you are going to be placed in a
family who you know are normal! We will help you to choose the right family
for your needs and requirements, so that you will be happy with your family
from the moment you arrive. However we can arrange for you to find a new
family if you are not satisfied with your original one. You will always be
looked after by Antoinettes Aupair and Nanny Agency.
On arrival with your UK host family, we provide you with
area information all Antoinette’s au-pairs are
given English packs on their arrival containing very useful information about
how to get the most of your aupair stay in the UK. The agency advises that
the aupair read this carefully when she/he is in receipt of it.
We also keep in touch with you throughout your stay in
the UK as an aupair, and are here in the office for you to contact at any
time with questions or requests for assistance.
We also run an Aupair network which includes helping you
all to arrange social occasions and meetings, which staff
from our agency attend as often as possible. We also send you a
monthly news letter, where we will give you lots of ideas for games and
activities for the children you look after, and answer your questions if
you wish.
Application procedure
First and foremost the aupair must complete an
application form which helps the agency to understand the applicant and her
motivations for wanting to become an aupair in the UK.
When we have received and vetted your application we
will send you a brief summary of each family
available - it is possible to select which families you would like
your application sent to by choosing from the list of aupair positions
available in the UK.
We arrange a telephone interview between you and the
family you choose – sometimes you will be asked to phone the family and
other times they will be asked to phone you during a pre agreed time
window.
The family will write an invitation letter to the
aupair and we will send it to you or your agency where you can
collect it – this is your formal invitation – so you can now arrange your
travel – it is wise to confirm with the family the best dates to arrive
before you arrange your travel
All au-pairs pay their own fares to and within the UK or other country and should have sufficient funds to pay for their
return tickets. The host family is not obliged to assist the au-pair in any
way in this respect. An aupair, who will travel to the UK in order to take up a position, is solely responsible to make the
necessary travel arrangements and to inform the host family and the agency
of their intended date and time of arrival. Consequently any reception
arrangements should be made directly between the host family and the
aupair. – Although he agency can help with this
If you change your mind about being an aupair at any
stage – we understand – but it helps us to be informed at the earliest
possible date
Finally you will travel to he UK and the family will meet you at the agreed place. Then you will
begin to settle in with the family and start to take on your duties in your
role as aupair with them
We will send you all the information we have promised
you and you will (with the help of your host family) start to organise and
attend your English classes at college and build your own social network by
meeting and making new friends
All our services are free to aupairs who want to come to
England.
If you are interested in our free service, please email
us your application, a letter about you and a photo.
We can then send you a short list of suitable families
for you to choose from, who match the criteria you specify…
Please note – we are only able to send complete
applications to families. – The full application + photo +letter to family
and children + references.
Email Us Now To Start The Registration Process
Which countries are
included in the aupair scheme?
An au pair must be a
national of one of the following countries:
Andorra Estonia Malta
Bosnia-herzegovina Greenland Monaco
Bulgaria Hungary Poland
Croatia Latvia Slovak republic
Cyprus Lithuania Slovenia
Czech republic Macedonia Turkey
Although European economic area nationals are not included in the au pair
scheme, they are free to come to the UK to take au pair placements.
Further advice
and information
You can get further advice and guidance about visas
from:
UK Visas
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1 2AH
General enquiries: (+44) (0)20 7008 8438
Application forms: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
E-mail: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/enquiries
You can get further
advice and guidance about extending your stay once in the United Kingdom from immigration and nationality directorate.
Croydon Public Caller Unit
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon CR9 2BY
General Enquiries:
(+44) (0)870 606 7766
Application Forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645
E-mail: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uK
Information for
Aupairs
Information here...
Useful
Links
Useful links here..
·
Latest Nanny Positions
·
Latest Aupair Positions
·
Find a Nanny
·
Find an Aupair
|
