Au Pair Responsibilities UK

 What can I expect from my au pair? 

 Depending on the country you are based in you can expect different things from your au pair. In the UK a standard au pair will usually work for 25-30 hours per week. An au pair may have some childcare/babysitting experience but does not have formal childcare qualifications. Standard au pairs cannot take sole charge of children under the age of 2.

• Au pairs are aged between 17-27 and their chief purpose for being in the country is to learn the language and assimilate the culture.
• An au pair lives with you and should be treated as part of the family. Au pairs earn board and lodging and a small amount of money each week in return for childcare and light housework.
• Many people tend to lump nannies and au pairs into the same category but they are totally different. Au pairs are NOT nanny-substitutes, and usually have no formal childcare training. R.E.C (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) stipulates that au pairs should never have sole charge of children under the age of two.
• Au pairs are often seen as the 'Cinderellas' of the childcare industry. Agencies are often faced with problems of au pairs being treated as cheap labour by people who should be employing qualified nannies. Frequently they are left alone with young children for long hours and given heavy housework duties far in excess of what they should be asked to do.
• An au pair should have their own bedroom and be allowed proper time to study English.
• Visit The British Au Pair Agencies Association for more information

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf

 An au pair is often called an older sister in their host family as the au pair lives as part of the family during the time that they stay with the family, rather than being an employee.

A standard au pair can be expected to:
-Work 25-30 hours per week but au pairs from the EU can work up to 35 hours per week.
-one to two evenings of babysitting per week (with a maximum of one of these to be at the weekend).
-To have one full day off at the weekend and one full weekend off per month.
-Have 5 free evenings per week.
-A standard au pair is most suitable for a family with school going children (a mother's help is more suitable for families with very young children).

What do I need to provide my au pair with?
An au pair should have their own room and have all meals provided. An au pair will pay for their own travel expenses and language classes unless otherwise agreed with their host family. Au pairs often study English classes and should be allowed to attend these.

What  housework can I expect my au pair to do?
An au pair's main responsibility is childcare but an au pair can be expected to carry out some household duties. We usually recommend that an au pair does approximately 1 hour of housework per day. Duties include housework related to the children such as keeping the children's toys and bedrooms tidy, giving them snacks. An au pair can also be expected to keep the kitchen tidy, the children's laundry and some hoovering. An au pair is not usually expected to cook the family dinner but in some cases an au pair will enjoy cooking dinner for the family on occassion. We usually recommend that an au pair does approximately 1 hour of housework per day.

Insurance
An au pair from the EU does not require additional health insurance as they are covered under the National Health System. 

What holidays does my au pair get?
The BAPAA recommends 4 weeks holidays per year as well as all bank/public holidays. British Au Pair Agencies Association

Pocket money
Pocket money of between £75-£85 per week (depending on hours) should be paid on an agreed day each week.

For more information please contact us at info@kangarooaupair.com or call us on  0044 203 1511660

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf

• Au pairs are aged between 17-27 and their chief purpose for being in the country is to learn the language and assimilate the culture.
• An au pair lives with you and should be treated as part of the family. Au pairs earn board and lodging and a small amount of money each week in return for childcare and light housework.
• Many people tend to lump nannies and au pairs into the same category but they are totally different. Au pairs are NOT nanny-substitutes, and usually have no formal childcare training. R.E.C (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) stipulates that au pairs should never have sole charge of children under the age of two.
• Au pairs are often seen as the 'Cinderellas' of the childcare industry. Agencies are often faced with problems of au pairs being treated as cheap labour by people who should be employing qualified nannies. Frequently they are left alone with young children for long hours and given heavy housework duties far in excess of what they should be asked to do.
• An au pair should have their own bedroom and be allowed proper time to study English.
• Visit The British Au Pair Agencies Association for more information

Duties:
Assist with light housework, help in the kitchen and care for school age children. They should also be available for babysitting one or two evenings per week.
Qualifications:
Au pairs have no formal training in caring for children and may have little or no experience.
- See more at: http://www.bestbear.co.uk/childcare-information/au-pairs.php#sthash.f6lpfsDk.dpuf

Au Pair and Nanny - What is the difference?

An au pair is often considered to be the same as a nanny or a childminder, but there are some important distinctions between the two, here are some of them!



1. Demographic profile

Au pairs are usually aged between 18 and 30 years and are not from the country in which they are au pairing (au pairs who are from the country in which they are au pairing are known as 'a mother's help').  Au pairs travel to another country to improve their foreign language skills and/or to gain a new cultural experience.  

An au pair lives as part of a host family and will take on a share of the day-to-day duties of the family in exchange for board and pocket money. Nannies (sometimes refered to as childminders*) usually have a background qualification in childcare and have chosen childcare as their chosen career. Nannies will usually not live with a family and maybe considerably older than an au pair.

2. Material conditions

An au pair lives in a host family’s home and has a separate bedroom. A host family is responsible for supplying her meals and providing pocket money and usually provide her with internet access. They also ensure that she has time to attend language classes.

 The pocket money that an au pair receives is not considered to be a salary and is not subject to taxation. Nannies usually come by day. They aren’t entitled to meals or accommodation. A nanny will work for a family as an employee in accordance with the employment regulations of that country.

Standard labour laws govern a nanny's employment, and their salary is subject to taxes and other statutory deductions.

 3. Purpose

A nanny will probably consider her work to be her long term career. A nanny's primary responsibility is taking care of the children but will probably not undertake household chores that are not related to the children. 

The primary goal of an Au pair is usually continuing their education and participating in a cultural exchange. Au pairs are often undergraduate students travelling to a different country during their summer break from college or post-graduate students wishing to improve their language skills or travel before beginning their career in their chosen field. Au pairs often teach the children their language, a little bit about their culture or even enlighten them about their chosen college course. 

Au pairs often have a background in a caring profession such as teaching, childcare or nursing.

4. Costs

Au pair pocket money is paid to an au pair weekly. 

In the UK pocket money of approximately £75 per week. They may have come to the UK as part of the Youth Mobility Scheme or as a temporary worker and as long as they fulfil UK Border Agency requirements. Guidance as to their treatment is outlined by the Home Office who stipulate that they should be regarded as an equal member of the family and not as an employee. In Ireland they usually receive pocket money of approximately €100 per week. For more information about au pair costs see here.

In the UK a nanny works for a family as an employee and as such has a contract detailing her terms of employment. The family are her employers and are legally obliged to pay their nanny an acceptable wage in accordance with employment regulation and are responsible for paying her tax and National Insurance. Nanny positions are fully subject to employment law. Nannies expect to be earning between £18,000 and £20,000 per year for a live-in position or £22,000-£25,000 for a live-out position. In Ireland a nanny is sometimes referred to as a childminder* and is also considered to be an employee of the family. The family must pay a nanny's taxes and PRSI and can expect to pay their nanny either an hourly rate of approx €10-€12 per hour or €400+ per week.


Full-time Vs Part-Time
Most nannies work full-time or for two to three full days per week. Their hours tend to be longer than standard jobs with many working regular 10-12 hour days. This is in contrast to au pairs, who work a standard 25 hours per week in the UK and 30 hours in Ireland, and who are free the rest of the time to attend language classes, meet friends or explore the area. Some au pairs, known as 'au pair plus' and mother's help work more hours. Some au pairs,  known as 'demi au pairs' work shorter hours. Pocket money is alterred to reflect these longer or shorter hours.

5. Work experience and qualifications

A nanny is likely to have several years of childcare experience, some form of childcare qualification or practical training such as montessori qualifications or may have worked in a nursery or creche for a period of time. 


Whereas au pairs are often undergraduate students travelling to a different country during their summer break from college or post-graduate students wishing to improve their language skills or travel before beginning their career in their chosen field. Au pairs often teach the children their language, a little bit about their culture or even enlighten them about their chosen college course. Au pairs often have a background in a caring profession such as teaching, childcare or nursing.

Most nannies work full-time or for two to three full days per week. Their hours tend to be longer than standard jobs with many working regular 10-12 hour days. This is in contrast to au pairs, who work a standard 25 hours per week, and who are free the rest of the time to attend language classes, meet friends or explore the area. Some au pairs will work more hours, but these tend to be called an ‘au pair plus’ or a Mother’s Help.

* In Ireland a nanny is often referred to as a childminder. A childminder can also be a person who takes care of children in her own home and may mind children from a number of different families.

Tags: aupair, babysitter, childcare, contract, employment, home, nanny, salary, au pairs, babysitters, differences, nannies, childminder, mother's help

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