can anyone recommend a good aupair agency?

[ferrarimum]

there are so many online - but who knows if they are any good? how well do they screen applicants and trouble shoot if required? any recommendations gratefully recieved! also, how long does it take to find a good aupair? I want one to srat late august (doesnt everyone!)
we are in sw london but dont expect that matters?

I've used abacus in Brighton.

Thanks both. Childcare international have sent me loads of prospectives already!

I used Millenium, got a lovely au pair

Make sure the agency does the required background checks, agencies always say the kind of checks they do. Apart from the ones listed by nappymeastro, look for OFSTED checks too!

au pairs aren't going to be OFSTED registered.

True. but a lot of them are registering now I believe. It is safe for the parents and au pairs who are registered have a higher rate of gettin hired. Just an opinion :)

Sure, just picked some of the net

www.bapaa.org.uk/displaypage.asp?page=5

www.peekaboochildcare.com/childcare-courses/ofsted-info.aspx

I think it is highly unlikely that most au pairs would be able to navigate through the OFSTED system prior to arrival in the UK. Many placements are also for six months, after which time the au pair goes on to do other things.

Really I suspect some of those girls could be classed as just plain old nannies.

Ah yes those are agencies who offer au pairs registered with ofsted :)

oh ok, thanks for that :)

I just wanted to warn other mums what has happened to us. We got an au pair through Childcare International with a medical certificate and 40 page detailed document so we thought everything had been properly vetted. After only a few weeks we discovered the au pair had a history of mental health problems and had been in hospital with these for 8 months last year. The medical certificate and her form said she had no medical problems. We were horrified that our 2 year old had been left with her and sent her home to her family. I just want other mums to know because we thought we knew what we were getting and that everything had been properly checked but it hadn't. I'd never have another au pair.