Current West London Au Pair rates

[Strix]

So, we have decided to go for a childminder and au pair combination. The au pair will work morning and after school. Her hours will total 35-40 per week. We live in Whitton (Twickenham). She also gets a nice gym membership, mobile phone, and Greater London bus pass (no car).

Two kids are school age and there is also a baby. The au pair will take the baby to the school gate with the older kids and hand him over to the childminder who will then bring him back to the school gate at the end of the school day and pass him back to the au pair.

Now, obviously I am using the term "au pair" rather loosely here. She will have to have some childcare experience, and know how to look after a baby, but won't have the baby for long hours all day long.

I know some au apairs around who work for about £70 per week and don't get a gym membership. But, then my hours are a bit longer and I need someone a bit more experience that your average 18 year old who used to babysit her brother.

Really, I guess I'm looking for an au pair who is no too far from stepping into a nanny role, but is not quite there. Sort of a pre entry level nanny position.

So, anyway, what do people pay their au pairs? (I figure I'll adjust mine up a bit.)

Hi Strix! We tried the au pair plus thing last year (complete disaster, but that's another story and not pay related!), and had someone living in with full board and lodging, dealing with a nursery child and school child, and we paid her £100/week plus phone.

We may well try it again next year (2 kids in school) and I will offer more like £120+ I think. It's a question of getting the balance between an experienced au pair and paying accordingly, but not paying too close to a nanny salary so that they feel as though they are nanny status on less than nanny salary, if that makes sense?

Have you found an au pair yet?

35 hours nominal (bit less in practice due to late pick up from school clubs), £80pw plus phone and PAYG travelcard.

The job suits less experience though as our youngest is 7.

What happens in the holidays?

Similar situation to you from Sept but 1 6month old and she will have some sole care of the baby while I teach, that just happens to be limited to a max of 20 hours if I stay here and 10 of those will be afternoons DH is home but likely to be working, I hope. Any planning etc I will do as working from home but effectively shared charge. We're looking at 150? gross (doesn't include tax, does include NI equivalents), gym membership, phone with limited credit, possibly a car.

Again we're looking for not massively experienced but some, ideally a qualification or working towards - I'm not terming it an au pair role though as that's still v tightly controlled but it's not a full on nanny job so 'aspiring nanny'!

I pay £100+general travel+phone for my AP and reckon he would be £120-£140 in London. That's for someone older (26) and with childcare experience (children's club) and a degree in Early Years.

Oh, and to OP

Hi Squiffy. How many hours do you get for that £100?

Yes please Mr. A., send Jura out to play.

I thought with APs is the opposite of nannies. Cheaper in london. They dont pay accomodation so the london high rent does not apply and they spend less on travelling on weekend when they meet friends.

I have never understood why live in employees nannies and au pairs included need a higher wage to be in a more expensive area since all of their living expenses are already covered.

Jura's been a bit busy recently, but normal service will be resumed shortly IRL and (I assume) in the other place.

I always thought an au-pair worked a MAX of 30hrs a week?
also even if your not paying for a house/food etc.. if you go anywhere in a more expensive area its more expensive. as in higher bus fares, expensive coffee, 'cheap' shops not nearby, etc..

Strix, they don't need higher pay in london - especially if you provide car or oyster card. If anything you can pay less for APs in london, it is where they want to be. As for shops, there are many cheap ones in london and markets too and free exhibitions and colleges/evening classes, local cheap theatres, student nights, free museums, parks.....It is more attractive position for a young person.

Live out nanny is different story because will have to pay high rent/mortgage/council tax.

livefortoday there is H & M everywhere And portobello market...

Good grief, what a typo - that's £80 for 25 hours nominal, plus up to two nights babysitting we hardly ever use.

My £100 buys me 35 of my AP's finest hours each week.

Iivefortoday - typically au-pairs do 25-30 a week but a) theres no limit unless it's related to nationality and b) as strip has said she's not so much looking for someone who isn't a typical au pair, more a pre-entry nanny however if you advertise for an au pair plus (plus) you get more responses meeting that profile than you would as a nanny, particularly in that area.

Also for my job I'm yet to work out whether location is an incentive or not. Cost of living is more expensive than London and I'm paying for 30ish hours, 10 of them v flexible, with lots of holidays!