Au pairs and agencies

[Hikey]

Hi I'm thinking of getting an au pair for the first time. I quite like the idea of going through an agency as although it's quite pricey, they seem to check references, interview the au pair, and provide a replacement if it doesn't work out. However, I've seen quite a few posts on here from people who have said that agencies are no good. Can anyone give me any details as to what's gone wrong so I know why not to go through one? Or if anyone's had a good experience it'd be useful to know, and are there any agencies that anyone would recommend?
Thanks!

For me I don't use an agency because I actively feel I get a much better fit for our family by doing the searching/shortlisting/interviewing/reference checking myself. My experience of agencies was they pretty much ignored my criteria and just sent me very brief CV's of anyone they had on their books. Whereas by using an AP recruitment site I could put up an accurate profile of my family (so weedle out anyone who doesn't think they will fit us), be very specific about only shortlisting individuals who sound like they will fit us. Then I email them with even more details about our family and a huge long list of questions. This weedles out more - as only those genuinely interested in our family will bother to answer. Then I have their direct answers, and they send photos. Then when I'm down to a possible candidate I can check references, and phone/skype etc and by that stage the individual already feels like they have a link with us that it's less of a complete shock when they finally join us. The massive downside is that if it doesn't work out (for whatever reason) you don't get a replacement - and if you are really going to be stuck with a childcare problem I do wonder if an agency fee could be worth it for that! However, there are quite often people on AP World looking for immediate placements where their family hasn't worked out, or their plans have changed. I think I felt that the agencies I briefly started using were expecting money for not a lot of work and expecting me to take a candidate who I knew very little about.

I used abacus agency who deal with AP's all over the country.

This is the 2nd time I've used them and they were quick to get me a replacement when the last AP didnt work out.

Look them up.

Everything that Weegle said

I have used the same agency for a year since we first started having an AP. They have been very good and all the girls have been ok (3rd one is leaving next week), and the last 2 really very good. Cost is £25/month. they have found suitable replacements and cut down the amount of work I have had to do. When someone suggested sourcing someone away from an agency, I said I wasn't interested.

I use Au pairs by Pebbles - French APs only, and would recommend them.

I have used Norma Lewis Domestic staff twice and have found Norma to be excellent.She is extremely thorough and professional and I far prefer using her to doing it myself. I had an excellent summer girl from her and have now had my current aupair for 6 months.

I've always used agencies. There was too much time wasting trying to do it myself with AP World etc. Admittedly, we're not the easiest family to match an AP with as I've got 3 young children and 3 dogs (and don't live in London or on the coast).

I think that now the children are older and even the youngest is at nursery 4 days a week it would be easier though to find a match.

We've used various agencies - most recently Childcare International who seem to specialise in German APs.

I'd recommend registering with 3 or 4 agencies and being as specific as possible about the type of AP you need and about your family.

I always used an agency. One time we had an au pair that I just didn't get on with and the dc's wouldn't communicate with her either (they were toddlers). I knew after about three weeks that it just wasn't going to work and yet at the same time she hadn't done anything wrong. As we'd used an agency I was able to speak to them, they found her a different family and me a different au pair. It was worth every penny for that.