Is it just my au pair who doesn't do her basic jobs without being asked EVERY time???

umm australian law is a bit different, we have social security but my family isnt entitled to it,so we aren't governed by it, apparently we earn too much. We dont need contracts of any sort to work for anyone. Some places do and some just dont. As for income at tax time, I only need to declare my income no matter where it came from. If it was cash in hand then i just declare it as cash in hand work.then i pay tax, which i would keep aside anyway.so yes laws must be different.Maybe that is why everyone likes Australia.People come into the UK under false pretences all the time,anyway I have decided that me and the kids are just going to come over for a nice holiday to the UK for about 6-8weeks and see a few things. I feel as though I probably won't fit in and from the feedback I hear about the UK from other aussies I know I ain't going to fit in. I'm too Australian and people over there are too UK... which is absolutely fine, we come from different sides of the coin...so to speak.I will go back to a nanny position here in Oz, there are plenty available even with my kids, even if they get sick, with 2 and 3 bedroom houses supplied for accomodation on stations, Good wages and people I know im going to get on well with....I guess I was just hoping other countries had adopted our way of life of giving people a go no matter what their circumstances are, without the 30 questions on why people shouldn't employ me.It was a dream that I am quite willing to give up now, knowing that I have tried and learnt that I really am proud to call Australia home. SO thankyou to all of you for your input. Cheerio.

The irony is if you had tried this two months ago you would probably have got away with it, as of 28th November the UK adopted a new tougher immigration system based on "the Australian system" (the governments description not mine) with much more stringent evidence rules.

Er well you just admitted to us you haven't met them yet and there would presumably be a paper trail, unless Australian employment law is completely different and you don't have contracts, tax, social security etc....

Personally I wouldn't risk coming to the UK as an illegal immigrant, which you would be coming as a domestic worker under false pretences. Each to their own though.

Who sais I havent worked for them for 12months .........they have been in Australia for a while.

You are talking about the Domestic worker category - this requires you to have worked for your employer for 12 months prior to entering the UK - I thought you were looking for more or less an immediate start?

Hi again frannikin, i am still to meet them yet, although they stipulated around 6-8mnths. Yeah sometimes it takes that long to warm to a family and vise-versa them to you...lol. It's hard enough warming in Australia let alone in a foreign country. I worked as a nanny for 3 years for 1 family here in Australia and it took around 6-7months for us to totally understand each other and then another 6 to really be apart of the family. Well thanks for your advice. Hope you's all have a happy weekend... oops it's not Australia Day over there is it.I love long weekends.

If you've got a family willing to take you for 6 months then that's fab. But an 18month - 2 year commitment is a much more solid length of time than 12months max which is the impression you were giving. I'm sure that as a nanny you know it takes a while to settle into a position and get to know a family and a while to wind down too. I don't think it does either side any favours going into something with mentality that you're only staying for a year max. But I didn't realise you had a firm offer - I was under the impression you still hadn't met the family.

Hi frannikin, I am a qualified Nanny and a qualified child carer and apparently a lot of nannies go through agencies or come over on the Youth Mobility Scheme. I am under the impression that a lot of these nannies only stay for a maximum of 18months - 2 years and the reason there is only a 6-12month committment is becuase the famiy that has offered me a job, is only returning to the UK for between 6-8months. I felt that, that worked well because of my situation with the children and coming back for school and back to daddy, he will be finished what it is he will be doing by then too.. Thanks

Slightly at the 6-12 months when you're expecting a family to offer your separate accomodation (ie a whole floor of the house or a cottage) for you and your DCs and paying you a salary. I think there will be very highly qualified and experienced nannies looking for that kind of job (I know I would have) prepared to give a much longer commitment than that.

And as for not typing correctly, sure the occasional typo is fine, we all make them, but I feel one should still be aware of basic grammar, spelling and presentation.

To attempt an answer to why it's so expensive living in the UK....comparatively it was expensive in the UK because sterling pound was very strong compared to other countries which makes the cost of living seem comparatively higher. If you think that this summer the pound:euro ratio was something like 4:5 then things do seem very expensive. Against the US dollar it was even worse - 1:2 I believe. But it's also expensive within the UK when you look at what your salary will buy so what you might be able to get out of the same amount of money is very different.

Oh I missed, If my children DO get sick and I have to leave then I will rent until they get better and find another job or just have a holiday and come home when they are better

I offered my partner to come with us but he has no interest in coming to the UK.He has his reasons and I am at current starting to see why he doesn't want to come.He is more than happy for me to do something I want to do.I have stood by him throughout his dreams. As for my children if they get poorly--which i am assuming means sick/ill then I would deal with that...though to date I havent had any sick children...I realise it's a different environment and I will just have to wait see. As for education, neither of my children are school age.And as this would only be a 6-12mnth committment I would be back in time for my oldest to start school.

what does your childrens' father think of you taking his children so far away?

Is he too planning on coming over here?

What will you do workwise if your children get poorly? What about their schooling?

Hi PaulaMummyKnowsBest, No,no snobbiness here. Although I would like to say that I am not in the forum to spell correctly at the moment.I am just typing.I wasn't sayin it's at the bottom end of the rung, im merely saying that obviously some families can afford to have a whole floor or whatever the circumstance,I think it's wonderful that people in overseas countries can offer someone from another country the opportunity to experience your life in. Whether it be in a room, shed, apartment, corner - whatever it may be. There are low income families right through to being high income. I myself have been at the low income family point before.As I am young I am still not that far off it and it would be easy to slip straight back THERE. We all need to start somewhere, now im only in the middle class point but thats ok too. I believe life is about happiness not about money.. Now, i have friends in england and yes I do believe it is very expensive... Does anyone......well, I know no one has the answer but, why is it so expensive in the UK?

dadinsteadofmum: Hi as far as visa for nanny/aupair with dependants. The family that i am thinking of joining has been away from home for about 4 years in Australia. I can accompany them and my dependants if I have been working for them in Australia, so there's a loop hole. I like loop holes. It's kind of like the US au pair/nanny system, they have been trying to shove down my neck(figure of speech) for the last month that by US state law section bla bla bla i could not be a nanny in the US with dependants, I have to be skilled etc. After I took the liberty of reading US state law section bla bla bla I pointed out to these agencies that no where in it does it say a nanny/aupair can not have dependants which can accompany them into the US. I then had a company reply and say well, it's a requirement of our agency that you have no dependants, I asked where it stated that on their website and am still waiting for the reply....I think its quite funny.

Cause, if you want something bad enough you will keep trying and even if you never get that dream,then you know you did your best to make it come true.

Kittywise - I missed this thread when it first appeared - otherwise you would have got my input earlier(looking at the date you first posted, it was the first day of term and I have been working my bits off, but that's another story). Having had 'flu myself last month, I was going to say that she is probably under the weather.

Hopefully now she's feeling better, you'll see her true colours & they'll be shining thru. Also, hopefully, immigration won't be after you! I use aupairworld and have had several lovely German girls.

I sense a bit of snobbery coming through on your behalf aussie mum.

England is a very expensive place to live in. My au pairs have all complained about how much everything costs.

I live in a lovely town (St Albans) but you would not be able to afford my house if you were at the bottom end of the income rung.

I may not be wealthy enough to offer my au pairs a whole floor (there are only 2 floors here) or a cottage in the grounds (maybe a shed? ) but I can offer a lovely family setting in a great area.

If I were to be wealthy enough to employ a nanny, I would at the very least expect them to know how to spell and the correct usage of "there" when it should be "their". Even my primary aged children know that.

Sorry but that is so funny.

Low income family that can afford to spend £70 - £100 on an au pair?

"bottom end of the income rung" but can afford an au pair and have a spare room in a house (and are living in a house not a flat somewhere).

You are sooooo going to experience a different culture when you get here.

Though not sure if you are going to get here, since we adopted the Australian system last year au pairs/nannies come in on the youth mobility schem but you can't do that with dependents. Other than that it is the highly skilled migrant route and nanny/au pair isn't on the list.

Good luck

hi julesnobrain. There really honestly are families in the UK that offer a 2bdrm cottage,and a whole spare floor..checkout aupair agencies and or gumtree.com, I myself am assuming they are at the top end of the employment income scale in the UK too. I figure this because some of these people are willing to pay 300-400 pound a week plus this large accomodation and as i am noticing, many low income families only pay around 70-100 pound a week. SO as you see i was obviously referring to the people who earn more than you do.Theres nothing wrong with being at the bottom end of the income rung. No i have never been to the UK thus why i want to, too experience a diffrent culture and to see what your lives are like. I have actually only yesterday applied for a position in the UK,the people have commented that they are at least interested, it would start here in Australia then me and my children can accompany them back to the UK with proper working visa. I am unsure on if i will take the position as the people i meet i may not get along with etc,but it seems like a good opportunity no matter what the outcome is.They are offering a 2brm cottage self contained, but all meals can be eaten with family or they will supply food for us to cook. They are offering a wage of 220 pound with my children there.There previous advertised wage was 350pound a week. Hours are 7am - 4.30pm and i can take care of my childrens care-bathing,feeding etc at the same time there children have these cares done. I feel this is more than a good deal. I can meet them next week.Looking after children is a constant job and very rewarding the same but i believe you get what you pay for,i myself would never employ a nanny for my children.... personal comment no offence intended. but i do understand the need for some families....well a big majority of families to do this.

Aussiemumof2. a spare floor of house or cottage in the grounds???????? Have you ever been to UK before or should I ask what planet are you on??. Clearly not planet UK ..I am afraid that cuts out 99% of the normal hardworking families here,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Our houses are tiny compared to yours (generalism I know) but really most families on MN can just about afford a nice AP / nanny room or am I in the poorer minority.... sob sob

Kitty wise.... how are things going with your au pair now?

Has she managed to get the jist of everything?

Mine took off the week that she told me she was taking off (due to her having a cough)

This is her second week back at work and she too seems to be struggling with basics even though everything is written out very carefully for her.

Why do we have au pairs, someone please remind me

Thanks for your imput guys, I realise i am verse the single nanny, as far as my children i can fully support them from money i have whatever country i would be in. Its plenty to suffice for many years to come, on top of that my partner is more than willing to pay for expenses for all of us, he has a change of career coming where he wont be home BUT.... i have ofered to take as low as 100 pound a week for jobs that are advertised at 350-400 pound. im not after money more a chance to cut some living expenses and help a family and experience a culture, all at the same time. Accomodation wise well some families offer a 2bdrn cottage or a whole floor with queen bed in bedroom, living area, kitchen,bathroom and so forth, thats plenty of room.but anyways i have found a few lovely australian families that will take us at a great rate.more than acceptable....thanks to your replies

Aussiemum, wiht the credit crunch there are shedloads of nannies and au pairs available here and there is a downward pressure on nanny salaries as well, so I think your problem is too much competition - no-one is going to take on someone with kids versus someone without kids, especially because if it doesn't work out it is going to be a very complicated situation. I really think you will struggle to find anyone willing to hire you at the moment unless you are very very cheap .

And the problems we have with au pairs can't really be compared to your situation - they only earn £70 a week, so we only expect them to be mildly better than useless to start with!!! We expect all our nannies to work their socks off...

aussiemum, what's the plan regarding your children? If you were looking for a live-in position, how and where would the kids be accommodated? Who would be bearing the cost of feeding them, doing their washing, etc? And what if they didn't get on with the kids in the household?

if you were looking for live-out, who would look after your children while you were working?

maybe these are the factors that are putting people off?

i know what you mean tankie, here in australia plenty of people are willing to give me a go. Its without a doubt the aussie way we give people a go.but i really wanted to experience another culture.But obviously thats not going to happen which is a real shame i feel. I guess its back to the drawing board.lol......thanks

I expect it's pretty difficult for someone in your situation to get a visa for the UK or US and bring their children. Maybe you'd be better off finding work in Australia? Few people would take on a nanny with two children of her own in tow, and coming from another country.