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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

How much to pay an au pair

46 replies

MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:02

We are - hopefully - about to hire a student in her 30s as a live in au pair. School pick up works well with her uni timetable.
We have to juggle a little to cover some early evenings but we really like her and she has child care experience and is au pairing only to help fund uni as was previously a nanny.
We don't need evenings or weekends.
Standard uk paid hols of 20 days plus public hols.
Lovely big room with ensuite and not on same floor as DC (youngest is 9).
Outer London Zone 4.
Duties are pick up youngest, dog walking, cook supper and odd jobs like taking in supermarket delivery.
What is the going salary?
Max is 25 hrs a week - we could go as low as 15 when her studies are critical to make it work but need some flexibility as DH and I both work full time.
Thanks.

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PepeLePew · 08/09/2016 21:53

I pay our au pair (zone 1) £135 a week, plus her mobile phone costs. She does about ten hours a week during term time (pick up and drop offs from school) and more during the holidays, with about seven weeks holiday a year (contract says five but it's always more). She has sole care (my youngest is 10) when I'm at work. Very small amount of light housework - no more than I'd expect from an adult living in the house as we have a cleaner, though she does do the children's laundry and bedrooms.

Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:49

Thanks Merrymouse.
Consensus seems to be £125 ok and no extras required. (Includes TV, fast broadband etc inc anyway)
Thanks all.

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GeneralBobbit · 08/09/2016 21:49

I think that any sole care means nannying. I don't think au pairs are left in sole charge.

I appreciate you can leave them with her as she's a former nanny but I do think you should pay more for sole care.

Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:47

Whispering
Looked at au pair plus too - going rate seems to be £170 for 35 hours - but we don't need so many hours.
But it's not £5/hr as one first has to value the accommodation!
So it's not prorata.
I am trying to pay the right rate for the role that the candidate wants - to be fair - hence posting here.

OP posts:
merrymouse · 08/09/2016 21:46

Duties are pick up youngest, dog walking, cook supper and odd jobs like taking in supermarket delivery.

Sounds like a pretty standard au pair job to me. Au pairs definitely do sole care of children - as do teenage babysitters.

Au pair plus is more about doing extra hours.

Evergreen17 · 08/09/2016 21:44

Ok it has been explained by whispering already thanks

Evergreen17 · 08/09/2016 21:41

Amalfimama Can you explain "is she English" please? Hmm

WhisperingLoudly · 08/09/2016 21:41

amalfimama Aupairs are a unique category of worker whose primary focus is learning English whilst living abroad as part of a family. In return for board and English lessons they do a small amount of light childcare.

They don't do sole care unless they're aupair-plus (and for which you'd pay significantly extra)

WhisperingLoudly · 08/09/2016 21:37

If she has sole care I don't understand why you see this role as having significantly less responsibility? I get its less hours but she's still looking after your DC on her own.

Discount for live in v live out nanny is usually 20-25%

If you've had nannies in the past you must know that £5 an hour is unreasonable

Amalfimamma · 08/09/2016 21:34

WhisperingLoudly

Au pairs have a going rate of room, full board and pocket money of 70 - 85 GBP per week. Working an average of 30 hours per week. What the OP is offering is more than fair

Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:33

Amalfimamma and quitelikely5 - thank you!

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QuiteLikely5 · 08/09/2016 21:31

600pcm. No extras. I think that's fair

Amalfimamma · 08/09/2016 21:31

MiddleAgedMother

With what you're offering no need for extras unless you want to offer them as an incentive as the wage and board are more than fair

Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:31

Whisperingloudly - remember we are paying net not gross and its live in,
full board.
Have had full on professional nannies - inc Norlander - in the past when DC younger and this is a very different role!

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Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:28

She can't go for a nanny role as only doing 3-5 hours a day.
She chose to stop nannying and go to uni.
We would be her second au pair role as that is the level of responsibility she wants at the moment to give time for uni and study.
Live in rate with full board is very different to live out though!
Her current hours are lower and pay less and I want to be fair.
Anglophone but not British.

OP posts:
WhisperingLoudly · 08/09/2016 21:21

You can't pay £5 per hour Shock Confused

WhisperingLoudly · 08/09/2016 21:20

That's not an aupair role and given the woman has nanny experience I'm not sure why she isn't going for a nanny role?

In London the hourly rate would be about £15 ph

Amalfimamma · 08/09/2016 21:18

MiddleAgedMother
125 per week?
Is she English?

Original poster
MiddleAgedMother · 08/09/2016 21:17

Art and Co - that's the local rate for live out net here!
Amalfimoma - thanks for that.
I was thinking £125 - would you give extras at that price? Phone? Gym?

OP posts:
Amalfimamma · 08/09/2016 21:14

The going rate ATM is on average 75 pounds per week.

Artandco · 08/09/2016 21:09

That sounds like a live in housekeeper not an au pair? In which case around £10-12 per hr

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