FAQs for host families
Q - Can I have a live-out au pair?
Q - What duties will an au pair expect to do?
Q - What duties are not acceptable for an au pair?
Q - If my children are out at school all day can I ask the au pair to do more household duties?
Q - How will my au pair occupy himself/herself during the day when the children are not at home?
Q - Can I have an au pair to care for my child who is younger than 2 years of age?
Q - Will my au pair babysit for us?
Q - Who pays the au pair’s travel costs?
Q - Can an au pair look after an elderly relative?
Q - Do au pairs receive paid holiday?
Q-I have an au pair helping me with my childcare – can I claim tax credits or childcare vouchers
Q - How can my au pair (or nanny) become Ofsted registered under the voluntary registration scheme?
Q - If my au pair comes from Romania/ Bulgaria does she require a visa
Q - Can my au pair drive in the UK?
Q - Who pays for the car insurance?
Q - Will my au pair be covered under the NHS?
Q - Will my au pair have health insurance
Q - Do we have to pay tax or National Insurance for our au pair?
Q - What questions should I ask the au pair when I interview him/her?
Q - Can I have a live-out au pair?
A - No. As this is a Cultural Exchange Programme and the au pair will specifically be joining your family, it is expected that she will be provided with her own private bedroom and full board. She must live as a family member and be made to feel welcome by all.
Q - What duties will an au pair expect to do?
A - An au pair will know that he/she will be required to help in the home with light housework and childcare. The acceptable duties of an au pair can include washing dishes, preparing simple meals for the children, keeping the kitchen tidy and clean, loading and unloading laundry into the washing machine, ironing for the children, vacuuming, dusting, making and changing children's beds, cleaning the children's bathroom, everything to do with keeping their own room clean and tidy, light shopping, walking and feeding pets, emptying bins.
Q - What duties are not acceptable for an au pair?
A - We do not expect au pairs to be asked to do gardening, spring cleaning, window cleaning, cleaning the oven other than simply wiping it out, washing carpets, washing the car, the weekly household shopping, pet training.
Q - If my children are out at school all day can I ask the au pair to do more household duties?
A - It is essential that the au pair is made aware of what will be expected before he/she arrives. If there are no children at home during the day he/she may be very happy to carry out additional household duties such as ironing for the parents, polishing silver and brassware, or even preparing food for the evening meal.
Q - How will my au pair occupy himself/herself during the day when the children are not at home?
A - Your au pair will probably be happy to attend a language course at a local college. Many schools have courses designed specially for au pairs. Au pairs do not work full-time and a proportion of the day should be set aside for study. He/she may also like to join the local sports centre / swimming pool.
Q - Can I have an au pair to care for my child who is younger than 2 years of age?
A An au pair should not have continuous sole charge of infants under the age of two. They are not usually qualified to undertake this level of care.
Q - Will my au pair babysit for us?
A - Au pairs expect to babysit for two evenings per week. Additional pocket money should be paid for any additional evenings.
Q - Who pays the au pair’s travel costs?
A - The au pair is required to pay his/her own travelling costs to and from the UK, unless the family chooses to fund this.
Q - Can an au pair look after an elderly relative?
A - Traditionally au pairs look after children and indeed like to be placed in a family where they can be involved in family life. However we are also able to offer “Companions” who are willing to assist in the home on a full-time basis with care of the independent elderly (non-medical).
Q. - Do au pairs receive paid holiday?
A. Yes. The family must specify the au pair's entitlement to paid holidays and must state when they can be taken or if there are any times which are inconvenient to them. In recent months in the UK there have been ongoing discussions regarding the status of the au pair given that the au pair is not an employee, but a participant on a Cultural Exchange programme. However in order to avoid any conflict with UK working time regulations, we recommend that families should give their au pair 28 days paid holiday pro rata.
The matter of paid holidays should be discussed and agreed between the Host Family and the candidate. The family must specify the Au Pair’s entitlement to paid holidays and must state when they can be taken or if there are any times which are inconvenient to them. Holiday times are to be mutually agreed between the host family and Au Pair at all times. If a host family wishes to take an Au Pair on holiday with them, it must be decided in advance if it is a holiday for the Au Pair as well, or if he/she will be working i.e babysitting
Q - I have an au pair helping me with my childcare – can I claim tax credits or childcare vouchers
A - This will depend on your individual family circumstances; you should contact the HM Revenue and Customs for detailed advice on your case. Follow the link below for general guidance from HMRC: www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/children/approved-childcare.htm
Q - How can my au pair (or nanny) become Ofsted registered under the voluntary registration scheme?
A - Follow the following link to download information from the Ofsted website:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms-and-guidance/Browse-all-by/Other/General/Guide-to-registration-on-the-Childcare-Register/(language)/eng-GB
Parents who use an approved child carer will be able to receive some financial support towards their employment costs.
Find out how you can help your Mother's help or even your au pair to become an approved carer so that you can benefit both financially and due to their increased knowledge on childcare.
See below for general guidance on the process:
- The au pair or nanny should call Ofsted and tell them that they want to become registered under the voluntary Ofsted registration scheme for home-based childcare.
- Ofsted will send out a form in the post to be filled in.
- The form must be returned with a valid First Aid Certificate.
- Ofsted will carry out a police check (even if he / she already has a CRB).
- If the person has lived in the UK for less than 5 years, then he / she will have to get a ‘good conduct letter/ certificate’ from his/her embassy which needs to be written in English or translated into English by an authorised translator. This depends on the country of origin of the au pair or nanny, so check with Ofsted first. Ofsted confirm that it is also acceptable for the au pair or nanny to get a police check from their country of origin and send it to Ofsted, but it must be an official document, on letter-headed paper, stamped and translated into English by an authorised translator.
- Ofsted will then send through another form (called a verify form) that must be taken to the post office, together with a form of ID (eg passport) so that their identity can be checked.
- The application fee, currently £103, must be paid.
- Annually, on the anniversary of the registration with Ofsted, the fee becomes payable again, as long as the au pair / nanny wants to remain Ofsted-registered.
- The au pair / nanny also needs a childcare (or similar) qualification from their home country, or from the UK, which has to be equivalent to level 2, or the au pair / nanny must enrol on a Common Core Skills and Knowledge course, by contacting their local authority. Information about the eligibility of your qualification is available by contacting Children Work Force Development Council on 0113 244 63 11 or 0300 123 1033.
- The au pair or nanny also needs to take out personal public liability insurance – most households have insurance, but this will not necessarily cover the au pair or nanny if he / she has an accident.
- The time take for registration is usually between 12 and 14 weeks; it often takes 6-8 weeks for the CRB to come back.
Q - If my au pair comes from Romania/ Bulgaria does she require a visa
A. Applicants from these countries do NOT need a visa but they DO need an accession worker card from the UK Border Agency before taking up an au pair placement. They need to meet traditional au pair requirements regarding marital status (single) age (17-27) and working hours (25).
Q - Can my au pair drive in the UK?
A. Yes if she has a full clean driving licence from another EEA country. Please check http://www.dvla.gov.uk for full information. Candidates on a Youth Mobility Visa should obtain an International Driving Permit.
Q - Who pays for the car insurance?
A. The Host Family is liable for the car insurance fee. The car must be roadworthy and covered by fully comprehensive insurance. The family should pay all the resulting costs of any accidents, including any excess payments. Petrol must be provided for use on duty but the au pair may be asked to contribute towards petrol for personal use whilst off duty.
Q - Will my au pair be covered under the NHS?
A. All EU Nationals are entitled to free health care under the National Health Service. A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles the au pair to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment. The card is free buyt must be obtained by the au pair before travel. See http://www.ehic.org.uk Please remember to register your au pair with your family doctor.
Q - Will my au pair have health insurance
A. We recommend that au pairs take out a policy in their home country to cover for costly emergencies such as dental care, legal assistance and repatriation.
Q - Do we have to pay tax or National Insurance for our au pair?
A. Tax and NI contributions are payable as soon as pay is more than £124 per week. (£ 6,475 tax year 200/10); For more information on Tax and NI contributions see:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm
and www.nannytax.co.uk
Q - What questions should I ask the au pair when I interview him/her?
A. To view some sample questions please click here