General Information
What can be expected from the family?
- A private room of their own.
- Food for every meal time (even if the family are not eating).
- Extra pocket money for extra baby-sitting duties that might be required.
- A Bible.
- A bed and a warm supply of bedding.
- Units for storage of personal items.
- Alarm clock to wake in the morning.
- Mirror and Sidelight.
- A welcoming letter from the family. (Including the welcome letter from the agency.)
- Waste paper bin.
- Personal towel and face cloth / a bar of soap.
- A file with weekly plan of daily duties / menus and useful household tips. e.g. Where to find cleaning agents and cloths etc
- Maps of the local area and nearest city or town.
- Train and bus times and local stopping places.
- Local spots of interest to visit.
- Local church venues and meeting time.
The following items are optional:
- Tape recorder / CD player (with Christian music).
- Extra money for bus fares or language course fees.
- Christian reading material.
- Spare toothbrush.
- Vacuum Cleaner.
- Plant.
- Hairdryer.
Child-care Arrangements
An au pair should not be allowed to take sole charge of a child under two
years of age unless supporting an adult in the home. An au pair who spends
more than fifteen hours in sole charge of a pre-school child should be paid
£60 per week. Please realise that most au pairs come with only limited training and
experience in handling small children. The family will need to take full
responsibility for situations where an au pair is left in sole charge of children.
Au pairs are prepared to help with light house-work and child-care.
Legislation
Au pairs from EEC countries need no insurance, visas or work permits but a
letter of invitation from the family is helpful.
Non-EEC au pairs may need to be registered with the local police station.
They will be informed of this on arrival at immigration. Many Eastern European
countries (for example Bulgaria and Romania) will require visas to be
issued before entrance into Great Britain. Only au pairs from the EEC may take other
employment outside the family. Any non-EEC au pairs changing their address while in
England will need to notify the local police station immediately.
Health Care
There are full reciprocal health arrangements for European au pairs. It is
not necessary to have a medical insurance. However, dental treatment will need
to be paid for if necessary. Please note that any au pair will need to register
with a local doctor on arrival. Some au pairs are requested to pay a small
amount of money on registration.
