04-12-2024Candidate Highlight - Yan
Yan is one of our recent arrivals from Australia, she is currently placed with a love…
Why smartaupairs & Nannies?
There are SO many reasons to choose our au pair program - however to mention a few...
Smartaupairs uses a simple user friendly introduction process to our CAREFULLY SCREENED HOST FAMILIES in England. We listen to your preferences and do our very best to find matching families for you. Most of our host families have been using Smartaupairs for many years, so we know them really well and although a little biased, we think our families really are amazing! Their previous au pair/nanny testimonials speak for themselves..
We speak with all our host families to ensure their compliance with and understanding of the au pair program. Families also have to provide references which you will be able to read as part of their profile. Each family has an informative profile and photos for you to see.
We provide you with lots of support material including our exclusive AU PAIR HANDBOOK - a BIG document full of handy information regarding preparing for your au pair time, childcare advice and general practical informaiton - such as a selection of recommended language courses.
Airport collection at the start of the placement & drop off at the end of your au pair time
One week pocket money bonus upon successful completion of your full agreed stay (for placements 6m+)
Weekly pay from circa £180/week - £400/week depending on role and requirements.
Regular au pair meetings and monthly AU PAIR GET TOGETHERS – we will help you connect with other au pairs, and give you discounted access to a variety of tours!
Follow up calls and full-time availability for ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE from our friendly MULTILINGUAL TEAM throughout the stay
24h emergency line & emergency support
Exclusive access to a monitored WHATSAPP NETWORK of au pairs
Most of our families live in or near London
We are a member of the British au pair agencies association BAPAA & International Au Pair Agencies Association IAPA. This means that we have to follow strict industry standards to ensure the best experience for you!
And last but not least, Smartaupairs does NOT charge au pairs!
Why Become An Au Pair?
To me becoming an Au-Pair in London was the best decision of my life because after a few weeks now I can already feel that I'm learning a lot more about the english language, culture and even about myself. Before I came here I was a little worried about going to a completely different country all on my own but after a short time I was building up a new life over here which is an amazing feeling. I become way more indepentend at the moment and luckily I have a nice family and found very lovely friends over here so homesickness isn't really becoming a big deal. I think becoming an Au-Pair is the best thing you could to if you want some changes in your life and love to work with children because you get the chance to open so many doors for your future and on top of that you're having a great time with precious memories that will last forever. Annika from Germany
Here are some of the many reasons why we at Smartaupairs think the au pair programme is so great :)
GUARANTEE & SAFETY – By choosing to become an au pair through our agency – you will be fully supported throughout your experience by our friendly and experienced team.
TRAVEL – Because you earn as you go, you can spend your weekends exploring the highlights of your Many au pairs also get to travel with their host family on holidays!
NEW FRIENDS – make new friends and learn about yourself in the same time, many au pairs make ‘friends for life’ during their au pair year.
AWESOME MEMORIES – as any adult what was the most memorable year of their life, they are likely to say their gap-year; scores higher than being in love
NEW PLACES & CULTURE – see your new place as a local, not a tourist.
CHILDREN – you get to do ‘kids-stuff’ like going to the zoo, kick a ball in the park and make a tent in the lounge!
YET IT’S MORE THAN CHILDCARE – no need to be ‘supernanny’ or choose a career in childcare, just be a big sister and part of the family!
LIFE SKILLS – from navigating local transport to time management & cooking! And maybe a new language too! You will become more independent, self-confident & open minded
CAREER – Au pair experience will look great on your CV whatever you chose for your future!
What Support Is Available For Me?
Our support starts the moment you decide to apply to be an au pair, and we receive your application.
We are therefore used to helping young adults embark on their often first adventure abroad!
In the first instance, we can answer any questions you may have regarding the au pairing and application process, including visa arrangements.
What Happens After Your Arrival?
After your arrival we will make sure you are settling in well, give you a phone call and invite you to our Au Pair meetups and trips away (Do check our instagram and blog to see what we get up to!)
We have lots of experience to share and are available for advice and assistance throughout your stay.
You also get access to our private Facebook Smartaupairs Group where you can make new friends very easily – we also share all our events information here.
We also provide you with an extensive au pair in Britain guide ahead of your arrival which will help you prepare for your au pair time. We cover all important topics from childcare, settling in to finding friends!
How Does The Search Process Work?
I am very happy with my family because they already treat me like a member of the family. It was very important for me to find a family like this and Smartaupairs was really helpful with this. My main duty is to bring the children to school and collect them. Furthermore I have to spend time with children when they are at home, we normally play games or go to the playground during this time. This doesn't feel like work for me and I enjoy spending time with them. My family does also make sure that I can join them when they are doing family activities. But I also get my time off which I can spend the way I like to. Michaela, German Au Pair
When we receive your full application/documents, we invite you to book a Skype interview with our team. It is really important for us to get to know our au pair candidates from the start.
It is important to be realistic and think about the bigger picture, setting your search requirements too tight may mean that the options we can offer for you are also more limited. Also think, how strong is your own application, if you have very limited experience/avaiability or language skills - you may need to be more open in your search.
After the interview, we will begin to introduce host family profiles to you. All families have to provide an introduction letter, photos and references. We will e-mail you with potential family information, and only after you confirm your interest for any particular role, do we then present your details to the potential host family. This way, you are in control in who you speak with!
Interviews with host families are generally carried over via Skype, so be sure to have your Skype account ready.
The search and interview process will continue until a family makes an offer to you. The family is likely to ask to speak to you a couple of times.
When you verbally accept an offer, the host family will prepare an invitation letter for you to outline their expectations and the specific details including dates, hours, pocket money, etc.
Once all paperwork is completed you may book your travel to the UK.
Finally, your host family will meet you at the airport and your au pair adventure begins!
What If I Am Unhappy?
I am in England since the end of August and I really love England! But I had to change the host family and it was not so easy to deal with that kind of experience.
Nevertheless, I had great support from the smartaupairs team and they took my problem serious. They sent me new family applications very soon and I found the perfect family for me! My new family is very nice and I have a very good relationship with my host mum and a good one with the kids :) It is amazing how quick you improve your English skills while being abroad. I am really looking forward to the next months! Saskia, Au Pair from Germany
Even with the best preparation and planning, sometimes there are problems. Our team is here to help you in case things do not go to plan..
It is absolutely vital for you to communicate with our team openly about any worries you might have, this way - we can best help you and work out a good solution :) We completely understand that bringing up concerns with your host family can be daunting - however we also know that open and good communication is often the key to resolving issues! In most cases, when we help au pairs to address any worries with their host families, the most common response from the host family is "I wish she/he had told me sooner".
We will always first try to see what can be done to improve and fix the situation, however if this is not possible - we offer a replacement option, which means that we would help you to move to a new host family.
We do also provide a 247 emergency line and you will be able to reach Tuuli (our manager) on her mobile out of office hours.