au pair/ would you employ

[Devlesko]

Ok, would you employ this person over the summer, would be prepared to live in.

Experience - babysitting for niece, (from birth) first aid certificate, safeguarding course, recent offer of employment from a nursery, Silver DofE, Scout leader, ref from school as the junior prefect.
Has lot's of stimulating games and activities to offer, has a natural rapport with younger children.
Age 16. No Ofsted, not regulated.
Would suit parents working from home.
Can cook, clean, look after themselves.

No, I wouldn't want a 16 year old as an au pair. I've worked with enough trainees and students at that age to know that even with first aid and safe guarding training and baby sitting experience they still need a lot of support to properly care for young children. Is her first aid peadatric training? If I was working from home I'd want to constantly hover and would probably feel like I had an extra child to be responsible for. I had lots of jobs baby sitting by her age and actually a bit younger but through people my parents knew and had known me for years. I'd also probably worry about the type of people who might choose to employ such a young girl particularly living in. Would go through an agency?

Is she training in childcare or wanting to go into teaching? The opportunity is more likely to naturally present itself if she is, we were never without suitable work in our holidays. Private schools might be a better place for her to look rather than family based. Our holiday club support staff were usually college and university students who were able to board at the school, a small independent. They supported the schools summer provision of sports and music camps. A local activity centre also takes on more boarded staff in the school holidays to support groups that stay with them.

nedtherobbot

Thank you, for the suggestion. She is looking at work as a House assistant in School, but this is for when much older when at Uni.
They won't take them until age 20, so a way to go yet.

I’d consider hiring her as a housekeeper that does a bit of childcare on the side for half and hour here, an hour there but I wouldn’t make a teenager responsible for having an active roles in my children’s upbringing.

I did a similar job at 16, though it was not live in and the parents did not wfh.

I assume you mean she would travel abroad to be an aupair as she can't be an aupair in the UK. She would have to be a babysitter or mothers help in the uk.

Aw, ok. I didn't realise, not an aupair then, a mothers help or babysitter.
The live in was just a suggestion due to the virus.
thanks for all the responses, they are very interesting.

At age 16 I'd employ her to babysit for ds (7) calm and sensible only child.... for a couple of hours or to take care of a child or children whilst I worked mainly from home just to keep them entertained and out of my hair. I'd employ her as a general mother's helper with a young family.... possibly short term if I had a newborn and older children to juggle too. As long as she was prepared to get stuck in with general household chores and didn't expect to sit and cuddle the baby all the time.

At 16 I wouldn't give her big amounts of sole charge work and I wouldn't leave her much at all with young or difficult children. She's just a little too young but she sounds lovely and would probably be able to get a job.