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 Working Holiday programs in the United Kingdom South African's are sought after by British families to work in their homes as Mother's helps. Male applicants however, should know that most British families will only accept a male applicant in an aupair position and not in any other position unless you have both qualifications and awesome references. A word of caution; The UK program is a tough program. UK families are not like American or Dutch families. They are much more demanding, want their "Pound's Worth" so to speak and of course pay very well for it. You should not expect to be made part of the family. You will be treated very well, will have a nice room etc but should not expect to be part of the family. Most families tend to be rather distant and reserved. They are not looking for an additional child or another "daughter" in the home. You can expect to work hard, you must make friends as quickly as possible and to be very independant within yourself. You are expected to be responsible and a self starter with good initiative. Most families will possibly give the Mother's Help some kind of a routine schedule and then expect them to get on with it. If you can't do that you will not cope. You need to be very emotionally mature. If you do not believe you will cope rather go as an aupair, earn less money but work less hours with a lesser level of responsibility. Physical age has nothing to do with it but mental age and emotional maturity counts for a lot. WHAT EXACTLY IS A 'MOTHER'S HELP?' You are an extra pair of hands helping to run the home. Your host family expects you to be able to work on your own without supervision, to be comfortable taking sole charge of their school going children and providing safe, loving, reliable child care assistance for between 40 and 50 hours per week. You may be responsible for feeding the children, taking them to school and fetching them, supervising homework and taking them to extra mural activities such as horse riding, swimming lessons, art, karate, ballet; arranging play dates with friends and taking them on suitable outings. You will be responsible for all laundry, meal preparation for the children and keeping the home clean and tidy. In addition you may have to fill the car with petrol, do the weekly shopping, take clothes to the dry cleaners, in fact anything that will help the mother manage her home whilst she is at work. THE PLACEMENT PROCEDURE You need to complete our detailed application forms which you can download directly from the top of this page. Once we have received your application, we submit it to host families. We provide you with information about host families that are interested in you and they will call you for an interview. Often you will choose a family based on mutual expectations and interests, or they may just sound right. Once the match is agreed, JCR will put in place a contract and assist you with your visa and flight. The working holiday visa is a two year visa and you are expected to use your earnings to explore and travel for at least 50% of the time you are in the UK. Accordingly, we will require you to sign a contract with the host family for 6 to 12 months. WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A MOTHER'S HELP POSITION and JCR When you become a Mother's Help you will:
Here is one of our positions: FAMILY WHITE - LIVE-IN MOTHERS HELP/HOUSEKEEPER - Good salary UKP 275 per week. 2 boys aged 2 1/2 and 7 months. Older boy goes to nursery in the mornings and from September he will be at nursery until 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ideally the family would like somebody who is happy to do the cleaning as well as help with the children. They need help from 7am with breakfast and dressing etc. Help needed getting him ready in the morning and then going to the park etc in the afternoons when he gets home from school. Driving useful but not essential. The baby is at home all day but mum often takes him with her in the mornings and this is when light housework will be done every day. also family laundry and ironing and some errands etc. The baby sleeps between 12.30 and 2.30pm and both kids eat tea at 5ish and are bathed and in bed by 7pm. Family go to Ireland a lot during the year and it would be lovely to have someone who is able to travel with them on those trips. 2 free days per week Wednesday and Sunday, with one full free weekend per month. 2 nights baby-sitting to include one weekend night except for on the free weekend. The family have a four bedroom house near to a park in Fulham and the mother's help room would be at the very top with it's own bathroom and TV etc. Strict non-smokers, Catholic faith (not religious) no pets. They say they are a very nice normal family and think whoever came to help them would be happy. Lovely job ACCEPTANCE BY JCR FOR THE MOTHER'S HELP PROGRAM To apply you must
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