Sunflower Au-Pair & Mothers Help
Agency is a professional team committed to finding the most suitable
au-pair / Mother's Help for you and your family. Our staff have many years
experience of arranging work placements at home and abroad, and recognise
the need for the highest quality of au-pairs.
Since our staff have themselves worked
in childcare and social work, we feel that we have an excellent understanding
of the needs of both the children and their families and au-pairs.
Our success lies in the strength of our
international personal network which ensures that all our au-pairs and
families come to us through word of mouth. We also have extensive links
with international agencies abroad.
Information About
Au-Pairs
Au-pairs come to the UK to learn about
our language and culture, and to help with childcare and light housework.
In return for these duties they receive pocket money and full board and
lodging. Au-pairs should have their own room and eat with the family even
on their free day.
Au-pairs are single, female or male, and
between the ages of 17-27. Au-pairs should live as part of your family
as an elder daughter or son with appropriate responsibilities.
- Regular au-pairs (25 hours per week) - work 5 hours per day (5 days
per week) and babysit for up to 2/3 evenings per week. They have at
least 2 free days per week and usually weekends and must receive a minimum
of £50 per week pocket money.
- Au-pair Plus (26-40 hours per week EU only) - carry out the same duties
and have the same free time as our au-pairs, but work for up to 40 hours
per week. They should receive a minimum of £60 to £70 per week pocket
money.
All au-pairs must be allowed time off
to attend English language classes either during the day or the evening.
Au-pairs appreciate having their weekends
free when possible. Whilst the length of stay is flexible, most come for
between 6-9 months. Some au-pairs come for the summer period only, in
between studying for 2-3 months.
Holidays
Please ensure that you find out whether
your au-pair wants to return to his/her home country e.g. for Christmas
or any other reason during her stay.
Our Au-Pairs
And Mothers Helps
Our au-pairs come from all over Europe
and particularly France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Northern and Eastern
Europe, Martinique and Guadaloupe. They are well educated, mature and
have proven childcare experience. Turkish au-pairs have to register within
one week of arrival into the UK with the Overseas Visitors Records Office,
Theobalds Road Police Station, London WC1. Tel: 020 7230 1208.
Our au-pairs differ from others in that
they are chosen principally for their love of children and their desire
to become part of a family in Britain.
Our Service
For you and your family:
- All our au-pairs are rigorously screened and selected by Sunflower
Au-Pair & Mothers Help Agency.
- We discuss your needs on the telephone as part of the matching process.
- We send you a full information pack on your au-pair, complete with
childcare references, medical certificate and photographs of your au-pair.
- We offer a replacement guarantee whereby should your au-pair prove
to be unsuitable during her stay, we will replace her with another of
your choice within 14 days from the au-pair's start date. See our terms
and conditions of business.
- We offer a follow up service to identify and resolve problems or concerns
that you or your au-pair may have during the preliminary stages of the
stay. In our experience the followup service has been very successful
in ensuring that the relationship between our au-pairs and families
remains compatible. This involves a follow up telephone call to discuss
how you and your au-pair are getting on in the first ten days.
- We provide on-going customer care throughout your au-pair’s stay,
and offer a 24 hour service. We can help to resolve any problems or
queries which you may have.
- We are available by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 020
8245 4789.
Mother's Helps
Where the mother is at home with the children
she wants another pair of hands to help with the care of children and
housework. Although less experience is required to work under supervision
as a Mother's Help it is important to like children and to be flexible
about duties.
Typical duties expected of a Mother's
Help are:
- Assisting the mother with the daily routine from the time the children
get up until they are in bed.
- Sorting and putting laundry in the washing machine and tumble dryer,
then putting away clean clothes. Ensuring that repairs are made when
necessary.
- Assisting with shopping and cooking, cleaning children's rooms and
play areas (light housework). Most households employ cleaners for the
heavy work.
- Playing with and entertaining children creatively, taking them to
nursery school or approved play schemes, babysitting once or twice a
week. Driving may be required.
- May accompany the family to the country for weekends and holidays.
- Time off is at least one and half to two days and evenings per week.
- Some families may require you to take sole charge of the children
and do housework unsupervised. You are not expected to take sole charge
of a newborn or very young baby.
- Mother's Helps can be live-in or live out.
- Mother's Helps can expect to be paid £80-£200 depending on the hours
and conditions of service.
How to Apply
for One of Our Au-Pairs / Mothers Helps
- The first step is to discuss your requirements with us by telephone.
We will arrange to ask you to complete the family application form and
weekly timetable.
- The next step is for us to match one of our au-pairs to your family’s
requirements, and to pass her details on to you. We will then arrange
for you to telephone the au-pair to discuss the placement.
- Once you have accepted one of our au-pairs, we will send your application
form and your letter of invitation to your au-pair, and agree an arrival
date. Fees will be due at this point, i.e. once you have accepted an
au-pair.
- We recommend that you register as early as possible for an au-pair
as our rigorous selection process limits the number available.
- For a mothers help we will discuss available / suitable candidates
and send her for an interview.
Fees
There is no registration fee.
Au-Pair |
£375 |
Summer Au-Pair (2-3 months) |
£100 |
Mothers Help |
£375 |
Babysitter (Introduction) |
£100 |
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