Au pair agency fees, terms and conditions for families

At ABC Au Pairs we do not charge a fee to register with us. We charge a fee for the introduction of the au pair to you. We will invoice you once you have offered the role to one of our candidates and they have accepted. For full terms and conditions please click here.

Our Fee Structure

Summer holidays au pair (6-9 weeks) £145.00

Au pair for 6 -12 month duration £390.00

(A 30% discretionary discount on the full fee will be given if an au pair placement is known to be for 5 months or less)

What happens if things don’t work out?

At the start of the process, our families are given a selection of au pair candidate files to choose from. From here they decide who they wish to interview and once the interview process is complete and an offer is made, the family feel confident that they have found the right candidate. For this reason most au pair placements are successful ones.

If, exceptionally, your au pair leaves after the 28 day free replacement period but has completed less than 50% of the originally agreed placement period set out in the letter of invitation, we will provide you with a new au pair - to take you to the end of the originally agreed placement period - for an administration fee of £80.00. If you want your new aupair to take you past the originally agreed placement period end date, the full fee will be due, minus a discretionary 30% discount. If your au pair has completed more than 50% of the originally agreed placement period, the full fee will be due. We do not offer refunds at any point.

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ABC Au Pairs Terms and Conditions

  1. In these terms and conditions, we, us and our means Lucy Meek t/a ABC Au-Pairs, PO Box 4870 Worthing, West Sussex BN11 9UN and you and your means the client.
  2. These terms and conditions shall apply to any contract between you and us and such contract shall come into force upon you completing and submitting the registration form.
  3. We act as an agent for the purpose of effecting introductions between you and au pairs and the fees to the agency are for the introduction only.
  4. Upon receipt of your registration form, we will use all reasonable endeavours to introduce an au pair to you that matches the requirements described in the registration form.
  5. Our European agents are responsible for providing us with full details of the au pair candidates. We strive to ensure that each candidate has sufficient background checks but you acknowledge that we cannot be held liable for their conduct whilst in your engagement.
  6. It is your responsibility to be satisfied as to the suitability of an au pair before agreeing to offer him/her employment. We do not offer any warranty in respect of the suitability of an au pair we introduce to you.
  7. If you offer the role to one of the candidates that we have introduced to you, you agree to provide us with proof of your identification, such as a passport, and proof of your address, such as a recent utility bill, together with an invitation letter for the au pair setting out the terms of his/her role and a timetable setting out the weekly schedule for the au pair.
  8. If you offer the role to one of the candidates that we have introduced to you and the candidate accepts, you agree to pay us the appropriate, non refundable placement fee. The placement fee for placements of up to three months is £120, and placements of up to 12 months is £360.
  9. Our invoices are payable on the date of issue. All fees must be paid within 3 days of issue or prior to the arrival of the au pair, whichever is soonest. We reserve the right to charge interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate on any unpaid invoices. You agree that you shall be responsible for any loss or costs we incur in recovering unpaid sums from you under this contract.
  10. In the event of cancellation by, or non-arrival of the au pair, we will make it a priority to find you a replacement au pair to match the requirements described in your original registration form. We cannot offer you a refund if, for whatever reason, you decide you no longer require us to find you an au pair.
  11. If you cancel an engagement after it has been confirmed and before your au pair arrives, there will be no refund of the placement fee. However, we will, in most circumstances, hold a credit on file for the placement fee for any time in the future when you may require an au pair provided that all the conditions and terms of an au pair placement have been followed.
  12. If you reject an au pair that we have introduced to you and the same au pair is subsequently engaged by you, the placement fee will become payable in accordance with this contract.
  13. You agree to inform us immediately if we introduce an au pair to you that has already been introduced to you by a third party. If you do not inform us, and you offer the au pair the role, we will presume the offer is a consequence of our introduction and the placement fee will be payable in accordance with this contract. You also agree not to offer the role to an au pair who has been introduced to you by a third party if we have already introduced the same au pair to you; in such circumstances, the placement fee will be payable in accordance with this contract.
  14. You agree that you will notify us of any change in your circumstances or change in your requirements. If the aforesaid changes will affect the au pair, then you should also notify the au pair.
  15. If we introduce an au pair to you and, after his/her arrival, you consider the au pair to be unsuitable, we will, at our discretion and your request, introduce one free replacement au pair, again to match the requirements described in your original registration form. In order to qualify for a free replacement au pair, you will need to inform us in writing about the situation within 28 days of the au pair’s arrival in your home. We will endeavour to find you a new au pair and will offer you up to 4 possible candidates over a period of up to 6 weeks. We can only offer you a replacement au pair providing the conditions specified by the Home Office regarding hours of work, treatments etc. have been followed and the au pair has been treated fairly and not been expected to perform duties which are unacceptable. To see a list of acceptable au pair duties, please click here. Free replacements must be taken up within 14 days of the offer otherwise we will terminate the contract. We will not offer you a replacement au pair if you are in breach of these terms and conditions. If we are unable to introduce a replacement au pair which you deem to be suitable, we will terminate the contract. We will not at any point offer you a refund of the placement fee.
  16. If your au pair who we have introduced to you leaves after the 28 day replacement period but has completed less than 50% of the originally agreed placement duration, we will endeavour to find you a replacement for a fee of £80.00. While we will try to find someone for the remainder of the originally agreed placement duration, we cannot guarantee this so you should be prepared to accept someone for a lesser period. This fee is due strictly on day of issue.
  17. You agree that any terms of engagement between you and an au pair will be subject to a minimum two weeks’ notice period by either party, provided that in the event of serious misconduct by either party, the other party shall be entitled to terminate the engagement immediately, however should the misconduct be on the part of the au pair, you will be responsible for providing appropriate accommodation for a period of four days from the date of termination.
  18. With the exception of personal injury or death, we exclude any liability for loss or damage caused to you which arises from this contract.
  19. You should allow your au pair to take 28 days holiday per year, including public (bank) holidays, allowing the au pair to go home to visit their family if they wish. For placements of less than 12 months, this should be calculated on a pro-rata basis of 1.66 days per month. You should agree with your au pair as to when holidays should be taken and whether you need their holiday to coincide with yours and whether you wish them to accompany you on holiday. You should continue to pay them pocket money during their holidays.
  20. If you require your au pair to drive, we will endeavour to find such an candidate and will ensure they have a current driving licence for their country. We cannot be held responsible or accountable for an au pair’s driving ability. We advise you to organise professional lessons for the aupair before they are allowed to drive independently in this country. It is your responsibility to ensure you take out fully comprehensive insurance for an au pair as neither us or the au pair can be held responsible for any costs incurred due to an accident in any circumstances.
  21. Au pairs should be paid a minimum of £75 per week for up to 25 hours work. More pocket money for more hours up to a maximum of 35 hours per week. More hours can be asked of your au pair during school holidays but only if your au pair is in agreement.
  22. Au Pairs should have at least two full (24 hour) days off each week.
  23. If the au pair is ill, you will continue to provide them with accommodation, food and pocket money until such time as other arrangements can be made for their care or until they are well enough to continue with their duties.
  24. Au pairs should be allowed to live as part of the family (not as hired help) and should be given the opportunity to participate in family life. They must have their own room within the residence, such room to have adequate heating and studying facilities as well as a bed and wardrobe.
  25. Au Pairs must not have continuous sole charge of a child under 2 years of age. If your child is under 2 years of age, you agree that you take full responsibility if you do ask your au pair to care for him/her.
  26. The Current tax thresholds say: You must register and pay NI on behalf of your employee if you pay them £149 or more per week. You must also register if your au pair has another job, even if you pay them below the threshold. If you pay between £109 and £148 and your au pair does not have another job you should still register as an employer although no Tax and NI will be due. www.nannytax.co.uk and www.way2paye.co.uk can assist in all tax and NI matters.
  27. You are aware that in order to fulfil our obligations as an au pair Agency it is necessary to work with agencies in Europe and for them to see and be privy to the information offered on our registration form. This of course contains full personal details of a family.
  28. You are responsible for ensuring that your home contents insurance policy includes cover for employers and public liability insurance for domestic workers, including au pairs.
  29. We shall treat all information supplied by you as confidential. We shall not disclose such information to any third party without your prior permission, except where required by law or where action might be necessary to protect you or someone else. We shall treat all personal data in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
  30. You agree to keep confidential any information we disclose pursuant to this contract. If you disclose any such information which results in the engagement of an au pair by a third party, you will be responsible for the placement fee that would otherwise have been paid by the third party and these terms and conditions shall apply accordingly.
  31. By accepting these terms and conditions you agree that they shall continue to apply to any transaction or contract made after their acceptance and the initial registration.
  32. If you are in breach of these terms and conditions or you fail to follow the guidelines provided, we reserve the right to remove an au pair from your home and you will not be able to take advantage of an free replacement offers and we reserve the right to terminate the contract. No refunds will be due.
  33. The contract between us and you shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and any dispute arising in connection with the contract shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.

To download our Fees, Terms and Conditions:
http://www.abc-aupairs.co.uk/abcaupairs/assets/media/abc_au_pairs_terms_and_fees.pdf

Read more information on finding an au pair or becoming an au pair.