What does Brexit mean for au pairs?

Last Thursday, the referendum for Britain to leave the EU took place. As a result of this referendum many British host families and au pairs from the EU have asked what this means for the au pair programme. Up until recently young people from the EU could travel freely to the UK to participate in the au pair programme. For many years, they have been coming to the UK to enter into the au pair programme. The UK has long been a popular country for au pairs as they can improve their English, they have the opportunity to visit the many cultural sites and monuments throughout the UK and they can get to experience all that London city has to offer. For more information regarding the regulations and requirements for au pairs and host families in the UK see here.
There is a list of conditions and most of these conditions must apply in order for someone to be classed as an au pair. A central part of this list, is the requirement that the au pair live as part of the family and are here on a cultural exchange programme. The UK government sets out that an au pair lives as part of a host family and is given pocket money and the au pair is not usually considered to be an employee.
Following the result of the referendum, there has been much uncertainty as to the future of the au pair programme in the UK. Both the British au pair association BAPAA, and IAPA, the international au pair association have issued statements on the British referendum. Both have stated that they do not believe that the vote to leave the EU will affect Au Pairs for the foreseeable future.
Here in Kangaroo au pair we will also work hard to ensure that the very successful au pair programme in the UK is maintained. Currently young people from the EU, and those who have entered the UK on either a student or youth mobility visa can enter into the au pair programme in the UK. Over the years, thousands of young people have entered into the au pair programme in the UK.
We will continue to update you as more information is made available to us.

For more information regarding the au pair programme in the UK click here.

Other related articles:

Au pair visa information 

Am I eligible to be an au pair in the UK?

Being an Au Pair in the UK

Do you dream of waking up with an English breakfast waiting for you, calling your friends from a red phone box, having tea in the afternoon, or diving into the past in Stonehenge? Then the United Kingdom is the place for you!

Au pairing in the UK is a great opportunity to improve your English and discover English culture living with your host family. As long as you’re between 18 and 30 years of age, without children and some level of English, you can be an Au Pair in the UK. 

In the UK there is no specific programme for Au Pairs, but you would usually earn between ₤70 and ₤85 pocket money for around 25-30 hours work per week. Your main duties would be looking after your host family’s children and doing some light housework in exchange of food and lodging.

When it comes to holidays and spare time, you will be entitled to 2 days off per week, which should be a full week-end once month, and 4 weeks of paid holidays per 12-months.

Travel expenses, English classes and medical insurance are not covered by your host family, so please make sure you have enough money to bear the costs of your trip and your language school. If you’re an EU citizen and have a European Health Insurance Card, you are already entitled to receive some health treatments for free in the UK, but if you are a non-EU citizen, you should get private medical and travel insurance that will cover you for the length of your stay. 

Non-EU citizens coming from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan, British Overseas citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens and British nationals can apply for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa which has a validity of 2 years. In order to apply for this visa you should be able to prove that you have access to at least 1,890 GBP and have already a copy of your Au Pair contract signed by you host family.

Citizens from Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan need to have a certificate of sponsorship issued by their government. It's important that you request it in advance as the number of places and sponsorship certificates is limited. After receiving the certificate you need to apply for your visa within 3 months.

Please note that you cannot apply for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility scheme if you are already in the UK or if you have already participated in the Youth Mobility scheme or in the Working Holiday Maker scheme before.

Non-EU citizens coming from different countries than those mentioned above can still apply for other visas, such as the Tier 4 (General) Student Visa.

We suggest you contact your local UK Embassy or Consulate to check what type of visa programme you should apply for to enter the UK. 

For more information about being an Au Pair in the UK, take a look at the British Au Pair Agency Association.

Au Pairs from Hong Kong

Au Pairs from Hong Kong can now travel to the UK

Would you like your children to be taught Mandrin by your au pair?

Well now they can! Hong Kong is the latest country to have been added to the list of countries eligible for the youth mobility scheme. This scheme allows a certain number of young people aged 18 to 30 to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. For more information about eligibility for this youth mobility scheme Tier 5 visit UK government website. 

The countries that already participate in the youth mobility scheme are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Monaco, Taiwan and S Korea.

The scheme is for young people from participating countries and territories who want to come and experience life in the UK. 
For more information about finding your perfect au pair see Kangaroo Au Pair

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

How to keep your au pair

There was an interesting article in the Irish Herald about au pairs and how treating them well would ensure that they will stay with a host family. Click here to see the article.
Do you think that how an au pair is treated will determine whether they stay with a family or not? Or are there other factors that matter more?
We would love to hear your opinion:
What is the most important thing for you when deciding whether to stay with a family or not?
Is it how the family speaks to you and their attitude?
Is it the amount of pocket money you receive?
Is it the number of children that they have?
Is it the location of their house?
Or is it something completely different?
Please let us know by commenting below

www.kangarooaupair.com

Au Pair Salary / Pocket Money Survey

We asked our au pairs and families the following question:

"On our website, Kangaroo Au Pair recommends €80-€120 in Ireland and £70-£80 per week in the UK. How much pocket money to pay an au pair? We'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this."

What au pairs said...

Jules, au pair in the UK  "i think 70-80 is really low... i have had two jobs in the uk now as an au pair and both paid 125..."

Marion, au pair  "I think it all depends on the situation, what your costs are (for example language courses and getting there - bus, train etc) and of course in which country you are (what the usual salaries are in that country) how many children, how much hours you work etc etc, think it's difficult to generalise."

Yaheli, au pair in the UK  "I was paid 60 pound for 12 hours at day and the lady wanted me to clean as well!! pff please girls careful!".

Nives, au pair   "I think au pairs are underpaid... but i also have to say that i'd also make it up to the hours they work... i worked a lot more hours than i was supposed to... but never got anything in return... other au pairs were luckier got the same amount that i got but had to work a lot less..."

Freya, au pair  "I agree with Nives, the pay should be worked out by amount if hours to e.g. 70-80 pounds for 25hrs and then 80-10 pounds for 30 hrs for example. Also making a set amount is difficult because some people have more kids, and kids can have different ages, some families require more housework than others and some require none. So I think even if you have a set average pay you need to state what the average pay is based on e.g. age of kids, how many kids, how many hours per week etc. That might make it a bit more clear and also give a guideline to families and au pairs when looking so the au pairs aren't under paid if their circumstances are different to those stated in the average pay for an au pair. :).

I don't work in England or Ireland but based on au pairing in general I believe that the recommended pay is sometimes quite low, I remember getting offered when I was searching for jobs pocket money offers that were a lot lower than what to her families were recommending. I find that the recommended pay is just enough to live by. I believe being an au pair you should get paid in order to have enough to get to go around and visit places etc

and also be able to afford language lessons as not all families pay for it and also health insurance. I understand food and accommodation is payed for but once you also take these factors (language lessons, health insurance etc) out of the pay there is only enough to live by and I thought it was so the au pair could experience new cultures and see new places and learn a new language while helping out the family and get a bit of pay in return. Au pairs can work lots of hours/week so I think it should be based on your hours but I do believe in some cases (not all) we are under paid ( I surely am not under paid). 

And I think it is only fair that we get paid for the work we do because accommodation isn't really that much more with one extra person in the house when you already have the room there in your house you are really just adding water (which I believe in England you pay a set amount for?? correct me if I am wrong though) and not much more. In saying this I just believe that if you actually added how much the family pays for food and water for the au pair and then add their pocket money the family will in most cases if not all work out to be on top and be getting a good deal and I doing believe it would hurt to pay a little bit more. Your au pair will be a lot more at ease not having to worry about pay all the time and therefore will be happier and you will find probably a lot more willing when asked for extra task to be done and just a lot happier in general. 

I know that I am paid above average for an au pair so when my family asked me to do something extra that say isn't directly in my contract I know I don't mind because I am happy with the deal we have.

I hope this makes sense and I haven't gone on too much but from an au pairs point of view this is what I believe :)

thanks :)"

Rosi, au pair in Ireland  "‎100 € a week. and if i have to work a few hours more i get also some money more. i know a lot other au pairs who also get just 100 €. so id say that's the normal pocket money for that."

  

Sandra, au pair in Ireland  "First family, €110/week, 3 children and light housework. Close to (dublinbus) busstop with cheap busfares, so money was very good.

Second family, €100/week, two little children, money would be ok, but living in the countryside I spend around €50 a weekend on returnticket bus eireann fares (with student card), so sometimes it's very hard to get it right... :)"

Vanessa, au pair  "I will get 110€ per week, i am in Ireland. But i have 3 little kids under 5."

Monika, au pair in Ireland  "I´m in Ireland as an aupair and my family give me 100€ plus extra money for gym,pool,school,flight to my country, etc..."

Karine Novaes, au pair in Dublin Ireland  "Honestly YES, families should increase the pocket money of Au pair, after a few months. If people show a good au pair and fulfill all its obligations!

I always do much more than me is requested, then the parents are happy, why not increase?

Being an au pair is a job that requires a lot of responsibilities! and this should be rewarded!"

Martina, au pair in Ireland  "When i worked as an au-pair, i got 130 euro (10 euro/ hour for overtime)... plus money for phone and bus and flights home..."

Saskia, au pair in Ireland  "€120 a week. They pay also the taxi and top up for the phone."

Jules, au pair in the UK  "i think €70-€80 is really low... i have had two jobs in the uk now as an au pair and both paid 125..."

What families said....

Clare in London England "We live in London and are currently looking for our first au pair. We are offering £80 per week for 25hours per week. We have interviewed 3 au pairs, 1 said that she wouldn't consider the job unless the money was better and another said that she wanted £130 as her friend was getting this amount!! Most of the au pairs I have come across want more money than we are offering. Anyone else come across this problem?"

Louise in London England "We give our au pair £90 but this is for 35hours per week."

Lynn from Hampshire England "I tend to offer at the bottom range of the au pair wage as I don't want someone who is only interested in money. We offer a good package: a separate apartment beside our house as well as a car, mobile phone and we bring her on holidays with us 3 times per year. I usually renegotiate the wage upwards after 3 months if the au pair is really good."

Susan from Wexford Ireland (2 children aged 5 and 3) "We pay our au pair €100 per week for 30hours of work plus 1 evening of babysitting (Children are usually in bed by the time we leave the house so it isn't really extra work for our au pair. For any extra hours beyond this we pay her €5 per hour."

Horacethecheese, family from Ireland "Well from what I saw people are offering more than that plus holidays etc I was hoping to get one for the recommended price but when there's more offered they're gonna go with that. They're usually very well to do in their own country and eighty euro is pittance really. They are well shod young women."

Roisin from Galway Ireland "We pay €125 per week. Our priority is that the kids are well looked after and are happy. We also ask the au pair to do cleaning duties related to the girls such as getting them dressed, giving them lunch, sweeping floor after mealtimes, tidying toys as well as filling dishwasher and hanging out washing. If we find the au pair is very good we increase their wages after a few months, usually to €140."