Help! How do you interview an au pair / how do you find one?

[SummerBlossom]

Newbie to au pairs. Always had nanny but youngest starting school.

I've had various messages of interest which surprised me somewhat, but silly question, how do i proceed? Do I ask them to email me a CV? What do I ask them? How can I be sure they'll be ok and not lonely in a suburb? That they're good driver (we're in London zone 5 but it is not urban, horses in fields down the road etc - have to drive to school or be happy to walk 30 minutes uphill with 2 kids)? Whether they like to be left alone or us to be sociable? Aside from pocket money (which i'd be very generous with) what do i offer?

You need to be very clear about your expectations. If you want them to drive you need someone older for insurance purposes and you can specify they have a couple of refresher lessons in the UK.

If you want them to walk 30mins uphill, then make sure you tell them that.

Find out if there are other APs nearby, think about what they could do in their off time -language classes, gym, cinema etc. How easy is it to get to central London, will you provide a travelcard?

Decide if you want someone independent or more family orientated. Explain to them your approach to discipline, any house rules about smoking, overnight visitors, curfews etc

Find out what they like to eat, if they can cook, childcare experience, hobbies, family.

Lots of good advice on aupairworld.

I found that signing up our au pair for language classes (a bus ride away and specifically for au pairs) really helped as she immediately made friends there and then had people her own age to explore London with at the weekend. I also sent her a rough timetable in advance so she was clear on what childcare was needed and when.

Thank you. I can provide a travelcard though we have a gym, cinema, shopping centre walkable too. It's the local town centre and there arent really any language courses there (all private which is pointless for au pair), so generally will need to bus towards various places, or into central London (20 minutes fast train). But that will become quite costly as they add up - do you normally ask them to choose an activity e.g. gym membership (it's nice with tennis pool etc) vs language lesson

smoking, overnight visitors, curfews etc yes i didn't think this would need clarifying!

and again i thought it goes without saying they will cook for children but good point i will specify

The thing with APs is nothing goes without saying. You need to be very clear and explicit in what you expect and what the rules are. It may take some practice as being too "polite" can be a recipe for confusion.

It is easier to be stricter to begin with and then relax the rules later if you are comfortable.

I tend not to pay for language lessons as we have free/very cheap at the local college and a lot of my APs had good English already and preferred to do other things. I just pay generous pocket money and travel when necessary for duties, no extras.

That's great OP.
As a PP says assume nothing!

Are you on au pair world? Firstly check they're able to work in the UK (so you need an EU national/Canadian/Australian or New Zealander). If they're another nationality they may also have a UK/EU passport, if they don't though, they cannot come and au pair here.

If so, send a message back re-iterating everything in your profile, so check how long the are willing to stay, if they can drive etc.

I then chat to them via skype and ask them why they want to come, what they'd like to do whilst here, their experience with children, if they've lived away from home before, if they have any particular dietary requirements. I also ask what they would do if they walked into the kitchen and the curtains were on fire!
At the end of the Skype call, I bring the kids in and they chat for 5 minutes or so.

All of ours have been lovely - our last one leaves in a few weeks and we'll really miss her.

thank you all! I have now signed up to aupairworld

signing up our au pair for language classes (a bus ride away and specifically for au pairs)
i'd love to do that but there isn't really one for au pairs or similar locally - so will have to be in central london (20 minute train in) which is fine too. i'll have to think around other options locally for other ways to socialise

I tend not to pay for language lessons good idea, was thinking, touch wood, what if au pair flies home after a month and you've put down a fair sum for an ESOL course

What would be generous nowadays in your view though? I'm quite happy to put all 'extras' (mobile, payg Oystercard, club membership or language lessons) through pocket money instead and that way she can manage herself - i can help get her set up ?

Schedules - good idea. Although it keeps changing (if one or both go back to work, from September and again from October when our afterschool clubs etc run).

if they've lived away from home before if they have any particular dietary requirements another one I would never think to ask. I was thinking of giving a budget (e.g. add £30 of your choice to the weekly food shop online) but also welcome them to eat with us on weekends but no pressure either way (we cook for her or go out)

i am very excited about having someone new in the family but keep worrying these young internationally minded au pairs will find our London suburb life dull and feel lonely

I most recently paid £140 for 25 hours a week for one child. I think that is quite top end of the market and you need to bear in mind that if you pay over £118 you will need to register for tax/NI (but I expect you know that from employing nannies)

Pocket money rates might have changed recently as there is low supply and lots of demand with covid and Brexit looming.

sounds reasonable

i didn't realise that, thanks for pointing out. I thought au pairs was different to employment. I still have my nanny's payroll provider so yes I could, although would prefer not to have to - i guess that's why people offer all the extras

ah Brexit i think they can still come in till next June ?

www.gov.uk/au-pairs-employment-law/au-pairs

They still have to pay tax/NI if paid above the threshold. The pocket money rates on the gov site are way out of date.

I think APs can only come until December www.aupairworld.com/en/blog/brexit

I also think that they can only come til December....although that may well change. Most au pairs would want to go home for Christmas anyway.
Au pairs are not counted as being employed, but you still need to register if they earn over the £118 threshold. You also need to follow the majority of the au pair rules - like eating as a family, going on days out etc...
www.gov.uk/au-pairs-employment-law/au-pairs#:~:text=Au%20pairs-,Au%20pairs,to%20%C2%A385%20a%20week.