Information for Au Pair

Information for an Au pair

An Au pair can expect:

All your meals and accommodation, plus pocket money of at least £55 per week. You will have your own bedroom which will be private to you and you will be treated as a member of the Host Family.

You will have at least one or two days off every week and the opportunity to go to English lessons.

You will also receive one week paid holiday for every 6 months with the family.

Your responsibilities and duties:

Help care for the children, assist in cleaning the house- light duties to include vacuuming, dusting, washing, ironing etc. and help to prepare the meals.

You will care for the children in different ways, for example, sometimes you may be playing with them inside or outside, other times you may be keeping an eye on them whilst tidying the same room.

You will work on average 5 hours each day, 5 days per week, with 2 days off. You may be asked to baby-sit for up to 2 extra evenings per week. You will be given notice of this.

You are considered to be working and on duty if required in the home or with the children, even if not actively involved in caring for the children, for example, if the children are sleeping.

Travel to and from the UK:

Normally you pay for your own travel to and from the UK. Sometimes, a family will pay some or all of the travel costs but this is at their choosing. It is essential that you bring a return ticket with you or enough money to pay for your journey home.

Insurance

If you are from an EU country, you will receive medical treatment in the UK under reciprocal agreements set up between the UK Government and with your own country but you may not be able to recover the full cost of this treatment under these arrangements. For example dental care can be very expensive.

As an Au pair, you are strongly advised to take out appropriate personal and medical insurance cover before you leave your own country.

Medical / Health Information:
In the event of hospitalisation, as a result of accident or illness, all surgery, medical care, drugs & food etc., are paid for by the National Health Service.
It is important to register with a Doctor when you arrive in the country. Your Host Family can help you with this.
If you need a prescription, you will pay around £6.40.

Car Driving

If you state that you are a car driver, you should be very competent and happy to drive in the UK.

You should not require an international driving permit to drive in the UK if you are an EU citizen. Information can be found on the DVLA website.

You may be asked to take one or two driving lessons in the UK before driving the family’s car.

Don’t forget to bring your licence.

English Lessons

Most Au pairs wish to attend a local language school once or twice a week and your host family should help you to make this possible. Local Colleges hold open evenings where your level of ability in speaking, reading and writing should be assessed so that you can find the correct course.

You will pay for your own language classes although some families may offer to help with the cost of the classes, in addition to your pocket money. In some areas of Scotland there are free English classes available.

Before you arrive, ask your family if they can find out about courses held in your area, and the approximate costs involved. If your family is not sure where you can study English, we may be able to help you find a suitable course.

Use of Telephone:
Telephone calls from the UK can be expensive. It should be agreed between the family and the Au pair whether or not the home phone can be used for calls, who will pay for the calls, and when they will be paid for. The Au pair can purchase a telephone card from a local newsagent which can provide an easily managed way of paying. Aupair2u can provide a prefix number that reduces the cost of calls to many European Countries. It is normal for the Host family to provide one phone call per week.