Will this arrangement work for an au pair?

[CobOnTheCorn]

I'm expecting dc3 in a couple of months and I'd like to have some extra help, especially for the first few months.

I've never had an au pair before but I'm not sure any other arrangement would work.

I need someone to help out, to do the things I'd normally do if I didn't have a newborn.

Something like this:

Am 4 hours (7-11am)
Breakfast for children
Get children dressed
General tidy up (eg putting breakfast things away)
Out for an hour with children (garden, park)
Prepare and give Snacks for children
Prepare lunch for children

Pm 2-3 hours (4-7 pm)
Help prepare dinner (eg chopping)
Help with bath and bed time (only some evenings)
Help with general housework (some laundry, ironing, sweeping, hoovering etc)

6-7 hours per day, 30-35 hours per week
No evenings or weekends required
No preference over male or female
No requirement to drive
Children will be 2.5 and nearly 6.

Because I won't be working, this will be an extra cost (ie not one offset by an additional income) so I'd be grateful on any advice regarding how much to pay. We live in Brighton.

Thanks

Hours seem quite high, more what may be called an aupair plus, or live-in nanny. An aupair would often attend language school, so you need to fit working hours around that.
What pay are you thinking? If they are doing 35 hours a week that is likely to be paid over the LEL for NICs and thus you will need to operate payroll.

Duties wise it looks ok.

Could you look at dropping the hours a bit, so that you can then pay 'pocket money' of up to £109 a week (think that is he figure for 2013/14) tax year.

Have a look at what other families are advertising for an au-pair, how can you make your position attractive to someone. Many want to be in London.

Thanks nannynick, really helpful to have an alternative view.

I can drop the hours a bit and jiggle things around to accommodate language lessons.

Maybe offer a morning or afternoon off each week.

£109 sounds very high, I'll do some comparisons for the area, look at other adverts, as you suggest. Is there a site you recommend? I've only looked aupairworld so far.

Presumably your eldest is at school so you could always shorten hours during term time to 7-9 (so ap is doing everything for the 2 children inc school run then bringing dc2 home to you) and keep the afternoon as you said so much shorter day & gives her enough time to herself. I would then increase daytime hours in the school holiday some days but with maybe 1 or 2 afternoons off to compensate.

I think this way you keep well under the 'salary' threshold & would be normal ap role paying more like £75/80. I do however think you might find your housework expectations might be a bit ambitious & you'd be better off paying a cleaner once a week getting the whole house done properly & let you with AP help focus on DC.

Thanks lechat, dc1 is home schooled so no school run required.

I think I need to get a better idea of hours/duties/pay because if I need to pay a cleaner, there is no way I can afford £80 for an au pair.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for slave labour, I probably just need to get a better idea of 'the exchange' of money and work.

Your hours look fine - my aupair works 35 hours a week and I pay her £90 per week, well below the £109 per week. I have no shortage of aupair applicants - but I live in London.

Your duties are standard. Housework is a very normal part of an aupair's duties.

I stick to aupairs from the EU so there are no visa restrictions or restrictions as to the type and hours of work. So long as you are clear at the outset what the role entails, you can pretty much agree anything you want with your aupair.

Our last aupair worked for us 1.5 years on those terms, so it does work and can work very well.

If she is really helping you and not doing all of that herself, I think it's okay for it to be standard au pair role/rate. I would pay towards the top end though ~ £90 p/w.

It would be a very good role for someone who really wants to improve her English as you are around to interact loads. (If you can deal with someone whose English is at the lower end of intermediate.)

How much were you looking to pay? Maybe we can help rejig the role to meet what you can afford?

Thanks blueshoes, do you also pay for language classes? Where would you recommend I advertise/search.

LadyHarriet, it's an interesting point you raise. I see the duties as helping, ie tidying as you go, rather than deep cleaning the toilet and gardening for example which I would never expect.

Milk, the guidance on au pair world says £70-85 p/w for 30 hours. So that was my starting point. I think, as blue shoes says, I need to be flexible and be prepared to negotiate on hours/duties, as does the ap.

I don't pay for language classes, but I tend to go for aupairs with good English. I work outside the home so will not spend that much time at home for her to practise with me, plus she must be able to take instructions over the phone etc, so my family would not work for an aupair who is here to learn (as opposed to polish up) English.

But it sounds like you will largely be home so you can cope with an aupair with a lower standard of English but whether you want to is up to you.

If you get a good aupair, you might consider subsidising her language classes after a few months. But I would not offer it at the outset (because until you know she is good, why offer?). BTW, with the best will in the world, aupairs can still be pretty hit and miss so I tend to offer quite basic terms until I suss them out and am confident they will work out and stay.

I advertise on www.aupair-world.co.uk, which is an aupair website. Some people use aupair agencies but aupairworld is cheaper and I prefer to check up the references myself, rather than rely on an agency to do it properly.

Thanks again blueshoes, your posts have been extremely helpful.

I think we offer quite a good deal in terms of our family setup/location etc but I don't want to appear to be wantign too much for offering too little.

You've really helped me consider the balance in the round rather than just the cash we have available.

All the best. Hope it goes well