CRB's for Au Pairs?

[SorryMyLollipop]

Hi, I am looking into getting an Au Pair and I was wondering how to get them police checked?

I have been looking on Au Pair world, I can't see any info about this, I was wondering what people's experiences are with Au Pair world Vs an agency?

Thanks

Are you considering candidates already in the UK or from overseas? If from overseas I would start by asking them if they can get a document confirming they have no criminal record from their local police or justice department. Ask them to look into it. In some countries it is fairly easy for them to get this.

In this country you need to use an agency for a CRB check but it is possible to organise this by finding a suitable third party agency who can do this without using an au pair agency. It can take a long time to get a UK CRB check if they don't already have one. I personally prefer to focus on overseas candidates who can get their document from overseas or someone who has been in the UK for a short time as an au pair and can provide a reference from the family she's with to account for the time she's been in the UK. I don't know if au pair agencies would automatically provide you with a UK CRB check even for an au pair who is already in this country so I would check that if you are considering using one.

We've had a number of au pairs and have always asked for a CRB check. It helps that we've always had people from France (my mother tongue) so I can check the paperwork and make enquiries if necessary. If you are going to hire an au pair direct, I think it is pretty essential to test references direct (with any previous employer, or creches/kids clubs they have worked at), or ask someone who speaks the language to do it for you.
one of the more personable au pairs I ever interviewed had clearly fabricated large parts of their personal story!
Good luck. It's worth it in the end though. :-)