I had au pairs for 4 years and it was very positive. I used a NW based agency so not sure if they'd cover your area - it was called Au Pairs Direct and was based in Hale or Bowden. They had a link with a NE agency too.
My main tips are;
- Select carefully. Think carefully about the area you live in and therefore who it would suit. eg we live in a rural area and its not easy to reach a city so I went for young women who had also lived in the country/small towns.
2.Telephone to interview the candidates and be careful to prepare the questions you want to ask. Allow an hour each. Its an opp to find out how much they have considereed the move, about their experience with children via siblings or baby-sitting etc, and what they are interested in.
3.Be very honest in that interview about your family, what your are interested in, the jobs you expect and the area you live in - the drawbacks as well as nice things! It helps if you have some common interests eg one of our's was v keen to come to us because we had a piano and an interest in classical music. Another was keen on walking which we are too.
4.TReat your au pair as you would a duaghter- part of the family. Some emploers exploit their au pair and it is miserable for everyone.
5.Invest a lot of time in the au pair o the first two months - take her around, introduce her to possible contacts, take her to the first English class, give lots of info re local transport and facilities, and allow time to answer a lot of questions, explain clearly how you would like things done, and what is important. This is an effort but it repays you later.
6.Depends on your au pair but we found the local Ramblers was a brilliant social network for 2 of ours!
- Help your children understand a little of the county the au pair is from - encourage them to try recipes and dishes from that country.
WE have found long lasting friendships with our au pairs and have been to three of their weddings! Good luck.