Aupair questionnaire / contract / handbook / houserules & other questions

[laura032004]

We're just about to start recruiting our first aupair. Has anybody got any paperwork that we could use? Have been following these threads for a few months, and picked up lots of useful tips. Is any particular website better than others at the moment? I think we might struggle to get someone, as we're in Devon (a long way from London!)

Is this a bad time of year to be looking? We'd ideally like someone to start in January, poss start of February.

Also, if anybody knows of a good aupair that would like to do a few weeks from mid/end Nov to mid December, I'd love to hear from them

[email protected]

TIA

Hi Laura,...
Was the Handbook of any use to you? I'd register with an agency now, you've got a much better chance of finding someone in Devon. Most of the AP's on the aupair world etc. want to go to London. January is an all right time to start..September and June are better.

The handbook was for a friend originally, who is doing really well with her aupair. She's really landed on her feet as her aupair is fantastic Hence I now want one! I'm sure we'll be using something very similar if and when we find someone!

I was really loathe to go down the agency route as have read so many nightmare stories. You think that's the way to go though?

Agencies aren't a magic solution. I used an agency for two aupairs and neither were any good. I use Aupair World now, and have had lots of success.

Oh I agree SST...but I have never managed to find anyone on Au pair world who's prepared to do rural! Are you in town?

We're not really rural - we live a couple of miles from Plymouth city centre, in quite a big town. There is a language school in Plymouth as well, so that should help. The aupair across the road has a friend who's thinking of aupairing too, so I'm hoping that we'll click with each other, which would make life very easy

OOhh, I was going to ask a similar question tonight - as I need all the info I can lay my hands on for my realignment meeting on Monday am (which I am dreading and also think waste of time as I'm sure I will be asking her to leave in a fortnight).

I was particularly going to flutter my eyelashes at ingles. But if you have a handbook that you could email out I (and my DCs/DH) would be eternally grateful!

As for the rural angle, I live in deepest Kent and have had my last 3 from AuPairworld, but the strain (and months of work it can involve) of finding someone prepared to live out in the sticks has caused me to, very sadly, lower my standards.

Out of those three, one lasted a week (believe me a day was enough), one was a brilliant summer AP and the current is a waste of space and I would boot her out in a flash if it wasn't so damned hard to replace 'em!

Hi Guys...
Do you Aly...Me too. Where abouts are you?

Aha, so not too far for me to travel when you run your 'Sucessfull Au Pair employment' bootcamp then .

I am between Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, I know a little unspecific. You?

Hi Guys. Laura, I am using an agency called Peter Pan Au Pairs having only ever used Au Pair World before for the last 18 months. We've had 2 good ones out of 6! And I'm fed up with the whole thing hence the agency. We have gone with a 25 year old Turkish girl who will hopefully start at the beginning of November subject to how quickly her visa gets sorted out. I'll let you know how she pans out. We live in deepest rural Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire.It hasn't stopped the girls from applying but certainly sorts sheep from goats - God that sounds awful sorry. This agency came recommended by a friend with an amazing au pair from it, and the agency was recommended back and back and back glowingly. Certainly I've found it very refreshing to deal with and very helpful as a few of our previous problems with aps have been a result of me not knowing how much I can ask them to do and consequently resenting it when they completely take the p. I'm very nervous about this next one as I desperately want it to work out as I have dc3 due in April with dcs 1 and 2 not yet aged 3, and 18 months old. I work from home and am finding it quite a struggle to juggle everything. Hi Ingles, how are you, and how's your ap getting on? I too am fluttering my eyelashes madly at the sound of your handbook .....!!

Aha..Doesn't that cover a 20 mile radius!! .. We live in Rolvenden Layne. About 40 mins SE Tun Wells.
Hi again Cloud..so pleased you've managed to get AP sorted, fingers crossed she'll be great!
So my fantaboulussss handbook,. you're both more than welcome to copies, just has pages of rules, conditions, jobs etc. Are you both on this CAT thing? If not I'll email you,

I am CAT enabled, I would love and help any one can send!

I know where R Layne is (get you, fab place to live) the caterers for my wedding came from there - excellent people. My MIL lives in Goudhurst so not too far either.

I'm only hesitant to name where I live as only 16 houses in the hamlet, it is near Paddock Wood.

Not rural here - very suburban. I make very clear to them up front how far the station is, how many trains to London, how long to Waterloo, and how much it costs.

This handbook - is it a recruitment tool, or an information folder for when they arrive?

Ingles I am also on this CAT thing I think, so that'd be great thank you. Is your ap OK? I thought I saw something on a different thread where it looked as thought you were less than chuffed - or am I completely barking?

Well I know I'm barking anyway but maybe also living in a parallel universe where things float into my head from nowhere!!

you're right cloud...she was p*ssing me off there for a minute!..she's very nice & sensible but she doesn't find being with children that easy. She's trying hard, which always makes me happy, but just has very little understanding of how to get ds's to do what she wants. She'll get there I think,..I just fancied a moan
My handbook is just an information book I wrote with the help of the agency I use SST...As I paid a fortune for this help I thought I share with whoever wants it! It just covers rules, hours, jobs that sort of thing and obviously it's very geared to me, but it's just a starting point so you can write your own. I'll cat you later guys....

I have a webpage that I send out to prospective au pairs. When they ask me a question, I update the site with the answer (assuming that others have similar questions).

you need to get hild of eleuisis, shes an expert on all of this

hold!

{ssd talking like the queen!}

Oooo..that's a good idea SST...can I be cheeky and have a look?

Try looking on www.bromleycma.org.uk/ i know its a chilminding website but i have found lots of use info.
Good luck

Have emailed you Laura.

Thanks everyone, & to gooseegg for your email

Website is a great idea! Will have to see if I get free webspace from Virgin on broadband.

Have sent you a CAT, Ingles