Live out au pairs. Do these exist?

[savoirfaire]

We need someone to help with childcare when DS starts school in September. Essentially school pick up three days/week - there are no childminders with upcoming spaces at all near to us so we are struggling with how to deal with the school day and we do not have a spare bedroom to deal with a live in au pair. I don't think we need a 'nanny' per s (given the limited hours) and an au pair would be perfect - basically we need someone to do 2-3 hours of looking after DS 3 days/week, make him tea etc. It would be wonderful if we could get a bit of babysitting to but that's just a nice to have. Do 'live out' au pairs exist (in London) and how much should this cost? Does three days/week sounds achievable? Would it be reasonable to get an au pair to do some very light chores - filling/emptying washing machine, tidying etc? We would keep our current cleaner so no cleaning loos! Thanks.

You would still have to pay nanny rates as the job you are offering would not meet the deffinition of an Au Pair. You would not legally be able to pay less than minimum wage.

Here is the UK Gov Info Page on au-pairs.

Sounds the sort of job you want to advertise on childcare.co.uk -- it's perfect for students, for example, ideally who are studying childcare. f you're in London, you should get lots of responses. There are quite a few part-time nannies who want more work around, and you only need someone on the lower end of the experience scale.

Does school not have an after-school club? Surely that would be easiest, logistically, if you only have one child to think of?

You could seek out support from a retired person. You would need to do your own checks and negotiate with them CRBs but there are plenty of men and women happy to work such hours.

Thanks. School does have an after school club but it is very much geared up for older children (8+) and he will be only just 4 when he starts. We will definitely use it in the future but I'm a bit anxious about it at the beginning, particularly as there's no food and generally from what I can tell lots and lots of running about playing football, which he will try and join in with (leading to a very tired, emotional and hungry boy when I pick him up!!).

I wouldn't suggest paying less than minimum wage - but nannies round here receive (net) £11/hr on average (in fact I once advertised a nanny job at nearer to £10/hr and was basically told to stuff of by a load of the applicants. The childcare student option is a good thought - thanks for that. Also the retired person - how would I find someone like that? Thanks for the childcare.co.uk tip.

Where do you live? If in north west London I know the agency which specializes in live out au pairs.

You would have to pay a a 'live out' Au Pair minimum wage. (As they wouldn't legally be an 'Au Pair')

Minimum Wage Info

I also think this type of job would suit an older person. It is not too many hours and it is does not sound particularly onerous and you might find an older candidate more reliable.

Good luck.

Where did the minimum wage thing come from? I know what the min wage is - and I haven't suggested for a minute not paying it!? I'm just objecting to pay £11/hr (Net) nanny rates.

mikukin I'm not north london but Could you let me know the name of that agency please as it might cover where I am. Thanks!

A friend of mine has this arrangement with a lady who is lunchtime supervisor at the children's school. She picks them up at 3, takes the two of them home and makes tea etc until 6. Just another thought...

So you need an after school nanny?

Will you need Childcare in holidays? Of so then normally a nwoc is your best bet for this type of job

Maybe place an ad on your local Gumtree or netmums and see what responses you get

I have just found an after school and holiday nanny. I thought we'd have great trouble but it was fairly easy in the end. The person we've hired is studying (the childcare qualification) and so wants the mornings free to study/go to lectures. Holidays she is also off, so the full days (and resulting extra money) suit her.
We also interviewed two older women, one of whom I would have hired on the spot if it wasn't that her agency were charging £2,000 for a six month position. (It's maternity cover for our existing nanny.)
We also put an ad on gumtree and were inundated with responses - mostly unsuitable but there seem to be a lot of people looking for work.

I'm in SW London, can pm you the name of the agency we got our nanny thru if that helps.

Should have said - we've agreed to pay £9 per hour net

My friend has live-out before and after school care for her children (3 days a week) from a local phd student.

But she is a teacher and so does not need full time childcare in the holidays.

I'm self-employed and travel for work a couple of days a week (some weeks) and work from home the rest of the time.

I found someone through find a babysitter rather than through childcare which seemed to be largely nannies/CMs. I actually had load of applications from retired women/grans.

It's worked really well.

Helpful thoughts here, thank you. We shouldn't need holiday cover - there's a club at the school and we can get grandparents to chip in for odd weeks when needed. Main things is the regular week-in-week-out stuff. I will mull over.

What will the other children in ds's class do? I'd be surprised if the asc isn't also use by younger children. At that age I used to send ds in to school with a packed tea for him to eat at asc.

Please see www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage/who-gets-the-minimum-wage, where it says:
"The following types of workers aren?t entitled to the minimum wage:
[...]
non-family members living in the employer?s home who share in the work and leisure activities, are treated as one of the family and aren?t charged for meals or accommodation (eg au pairs)"

Advertise for a babysitter rather than a nanny. I'd try offering £8 gross and see who you get. Just be aware that if they have another job you might have to operate PAYE.

Thanks universal au pairs. Since I was talking about live out, I would always pay minimum wage.

This is the job that my friend is doing, I met her when she helped out with my parents (now both deceased) years ago, there are plenty of folk looking for such a job.
Try asking around, anyone know anyone etc. This particular lady is fab, her main job dosnt pay enough and she just does a few hours a week care work to pay for her social life now her kids have left home.

Thanks Violet.

hello there,
it sucks when you are a single mum with a full time job and no support network!!! need a retired lady that wants to earn some extra cash. MUST love children and cook!!! to look after my 8 year old and my 14 year old (the 14 year old only really needs cooking for) take the 8 year old to school and collect her and take her to my house until I arrive from work which is about 6is. sometimes need sitting in the evening also and about 2 to 3 times a year need her to stay over during my business trips, could be just over night or max 3 nights!!! anyone out there in the Hertfordshire area??? I live in Potters Bar!!!!!!!!!!!!