Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Business

PRIVACY

Here at Surrey Au pair Agency, we are committed to protecting your privacy. We collect only the data that we require to match you with a suitable candidate or host family and we send personal information (photographies included) to the shortlisted candidates or families only. By using our site you are giving us permission to use your information in this way.

We comply with the Data Protection Act, which requires all organisations that handle personal information to comply with a number of important principles regarding privacy and disclosure namely that at all times information must be:

Fairly and lawfully processed
Processed for limited purposes
Adequate, relevant and not excessive
Accurate and up to date
Not kept for longer than is necessary
Processed in line with individuals' rights
Secure
Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection

Who we are and what we do

In these terms and conditions, we, us and our refers to Mary Gosling t/a Surrey Au-Pair Agency, Flat 1b Wood Court Guildford Surrey GU2 9RN and you and your refer to the client.
Our terms and conditions shall apply to all contracts issued between you and us from the moment we receive your signed and dated the registration form.
Our services towards you consist ln the introduction of au pair or mother's help candidates based on your requirements described in your registration form.

How we work and whom we work with

We collaborate with European partner agencies and we recruit our candidates directly as well. Our partners and we conduct interviews and check background documents and follow up references before sending a candidate's file to you.
The recruitment process can last between 2-4 weeks even longer (up to 6 weeks) lf the starting date ls any other months then September/ June/ January.
We strive to keep ln touch and offer support to both you and your chosen candidate throughout your agreement. We will contact them as soon as they've arrived to greet and welcome them and reassure them that we are a reference point for assistance during their stay.
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. Our invoices are payable within 2 days of the date of issue but must be paid prior to the arrival of your chosen au pair/mother's help. In case payment doesn't reach us within the agreed period, we reserve the right to charge a daily rate of 8% interest plus the Bank of England base rate.
In case of cancellation by, or non-arrival of the au pair, we offer you a replacement au pair/mother's help 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/mother's help.
If you cancel an engagement after it has been confirmed and before your au pair arrives, we cannot offer you a refund of the placement fee. However, we will offer a candidate matching your requirements should you decide to source them through our agency at some point in the future.
ln case you consider the au pair/mother's help to be unsuitable, you must inform us in writing within 20 days of his/her arrival. We will offer you one free replacement au pair/mother's help, to match the requirements described in your original registration form. We will not offer you a replacement au pair/mother's help if the conditions around living/working hours/personal conduct and treatment standards specified by the Home Office and BAPAA have been breached.

When you register with us you agree with our terms and conditions

lt is your responsibility to be satisfied with the suitability of an au pair/mother's help prior to agreeing to offer him/her employment. You acknowledge that we cannot be held liable for their conduct whilst in your engagement. We do not offer any warranty in respect of the suitability or conduct of an au pair we introduce 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, at least one character reference's contact info an invitation letter (contract) for the au pair/mother's help and a weekly chores schedule for the au pair/mother's help (templates can be found on this website).
You must notify the agency of any change in your circumstances or requirements as soon as possible, failing that, the agency reserves the right to remove the mother's help/au pair and not offer refunds .
Au pairs/mother helps are to live as part of the family (not as staff) and should be given the opportunity to participate in family life. They must have their own room within the family home, equipped with a bed and wardrobe and a desk for studying purposes. Their privacy cannot be breached and must be respected.
Au pairs should be paid a minimum of £100 per week for up to 30 hours work. Mother's helps wages vary between £8-£9/hour depending on their experience and working hours (up to 45/ week).
Au pairs/ mother's helps should have at least two full days off each week.
Au pairs (but not mothers helps) cannot have continuous sole charge of a child under 2 years of age.
Should the au pair/mother's help fall ill, you agree to provide them with accommodation, food and pocket money in the au-pair's case, until arrangements can be made for their care or until they are well enough to continue with their duties.
Au pairs/mother's help must be given a 2 weeks notice period. ln case you wish to terminate the contract immediately you must still provide a safe accommodation outside the family home.
Au pairs/mother help's are entitled to 28 paid days holiday per year, including public (bank) holidays. For placements of less than 12 months, this should be calculated on a pro-rata basis of 1.66 days per month. You agree to discuss and agree upon any holiday arrangements with your au pair/mother's help prior to them arriving to your home.
We cannot be held responsible or accountable for an au pair/mother help’s driving ability. It is your responsibility to organize driving lessons and insurance for them. Nor we or the au pair/mother's help can be held responsible for any costs incurred due to an accident in any circumstances.
You must register your au pair/mother's help with the Tax Office. They might not be liable to Nl or tax lf they're paid under the threshold of £166 for Nl and around £220 for tax but you must check with your local citizen advice bureau or tax office.
By registering with us you agree to keep confidential any information about the candidates we disclose to you. lf you breach this clause and a candidate receives an offer from another family you will become liable to pay the appropriate placement fee.
You agree that in case you fail to follow these terms and conditions, we reserve the right to remove an au pair/mother's help from your home / deny you a free replacement au pair/mother's help and no refunds shall be offered.
This contract between us and you shall be understood and carried out in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and any dispute pertaining to this contract between us and you shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.