Combined Au Pair-Groom Profile 
 
Applicant Profile - General Questions

Your Family Name:
Your First name:
Your postal Address:

Age:		
Sex:
Marital status (married/Single):
Nationality:
Height(if riding):
Weight(if riding):

Home phone Number:
Mobile phone number:
Your email address:

Do you have an internet profile which you would allow the family to view on
Facebook/Utube/Bebo etc(This can be arranged later on.....):

When can you start/come to Ireland:
How long can you stay:

What % horse care and child care would you prefer: 
( you can give more than one option..)
Horses/children   	75%/25%
Horses/children 	50%/50%
Horses/children 	25%/75%
Horses		100%
Children		100%
Other

Drivers Licence:
Do you have a full drivers licence:
Is this for an automatic car only or stick shift also:
Would you be prepared to drive in Ireland as part of your duties:
Have you ever had car insurance in your own name at home:
How often do you drive in your home country - Daily, Weekly, Monthly:

Do you Smoke:
Yes(how many)/No:
Would you be prepared NOT to smoke near children or in the family home
if asked not to (Called a Restricted Smoker):

Are you a Vegetarian:
If yes, would you be prepared to cook food with meat in it for the children:
Would you be prepared to cook your  own food if asked:

What are you doing at the moment:

Parents/Next of Kin contact details/Family members
We need a contact name and address for your next of kin in case of emergency or if you should have an accident:
Name & relationship to you:
Address:
Day time telephone number:
Night time telephone number:
Email address:
Fathers profession:
Mothers profession:
Brothers/sisters & ages:

English Language Skills
If English is not your native language, describe your English language skills:
1-2 (Basic) 
3-4 (Fair) 
5-6 (intermediate) 
7-8 (Good) 
9-10 (Excellent)

Do you want to attend English classes when you are here:
If Yes, is this ESSENTIAL or just DESIRABLE:
Do you want to attend an approved English language school and sit offical English Language Exams:                   

Internet Access
Do you need internet access in the home or would you be happy to use the local internet café:
Do you have a lap top you can bring with you:

Health and Security Questions**:
As you will be living in the family home, there are some questions which we must ask you for security and health and safety reasons:

Have you ever been an au pair before and if yes, please give details:
Have you ever worked abroad before and if yes, please give details:
Have you ever had a police record:
Have you ever had problems with illegal drugs:
Have you ever had an Alcohol related problem:
Do you have any allergies:
Do you have any mental health problems which your host family should know about for your own safety:
Do you take any medication for your continued good health which your host family should know about for your safety (Diabetes, Asthma, Depression/Epilepsy etc):
Do you have any chronic physical ailment which your host family should know about for your safety (bad back etc):
(answering yes to any of the above does not stop you from getting a job through 
this agency…..they are asked for safety reasons only.)

Please  answer these CHILDCARE questions Part 1:

Have you ever taken a first aid course:

Have you taken care of children in the following circumstances:
During the day on your own:		 
Fed them without help:			
Put them to bed without help: 		
Baby-sit at night alone: 			
Baby-sit overnight alone:
Changed a nappy/Diaper:
Given a child/baby a bath:			

Childcare
You will be required to ‘care’ for the children and are you agreeable to this e.g. 
Keeping children occupied 
reading with them:
playing games with them:
bring walking:
bring to sporting events (swimming etc):  

What age children are you happiest with:
Age of Child				Yes		Maybe		Prefer not
Babies up to 1 year		
Toddlers up to 2 years		
Children 2-5 years: 			
Children 5-10 years			
Children over 10 years		
If you restrict your choice to only one or two age groups, you very much restrict the amount of families available to you and therefore au pair opportunities.  We will send you information on families who have children of all ages if we think a particular family might also suit your profile in other ways.

Would you be prepared to accept a child with special needs:/Learning difficulty- 
(Down syndrome, Autism, hyperactivity,):  

Would you be prepared to accept a single parent family 
Mother only:                                           
Father only: 

House Hold Duties 
As part of an au pair duties you will be expected to do some light housework, are you agreeable to this:
(this does not mean all of the housework, just some of it) 
Tidying children’s play area:   	 
Tidying children’s bedroom 
Tidying the children’s  bathroom:  
Tidying the kitchen after family use:	
helping to prepare and tidy up after meals:  
Filling and emptying dishwasher: 
Making children’s beds: 

LAUNDRY:
You may be required to do some laundry for yourself and sometimes for the children,
this usually means putting the clothes into the washing machine and taking them out again and putting them on the clothes line or in the dryer:
Do you think you could do this: 
Have you ever done laundry before:  
Do you know how to operate a washing machine:	
A drying machine:  
Would you prefer not to do laundry at all:

IRONING:
Would you be prepared to do some Ironing:  
Children Only:   
Whole family: 
Prefer not to do ironing:

COOKING
Can you cook:       		
A little:                 
Good at Cooking:
Not good at Cooking:

YOU AS A PERSON, YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES
Do you have a particular sport or hobby that you are particularly passionate about - please explain(Tennis, Swimming, Judo, Sailing,Gymnastics etc):

Can you swim  
Ride a bike:    
Play tennis:     
Horseback ride:
Do you like animals:   
If asked, would you be happy to feed/exercise the pets in the host family  
 
Do you play a musical instrument:
If yes, would you bring it with you:  

Location of Host Family
Where would you like your host family to live: 
(Please indicate in order of your choice 1st,2nd,3rd,4th. 5th)
In a large city:  
In a large town: 
In a smaller town: 
In the country (perhaps on a farm):  
I would consider any area in Ireland:
Please note that we cannot always guarantee you a family in the area of your choice but will send you information on several families who might suit your requirements and you can make a decision on that basis.

REFERENCES FOR CHILD CARE.
If you worked with children in the past, please give the name of a person who would give you a reference.  It could be the parents of children you cared for or It could also be a character reference from a teacher, or someone you babysat for etc…
Name of Employer or Person supplying Reference:
Postal Address:
Contact Telephone Numbers:
email address:
How long did you work for this family:
What age were their children:
What were your duties:

IMPORTANT - DEAR FAMILY LETTER...

Please write a  ‘Dear Family’ letter all about yourself, where you come from - your town, your hobbies and sports etc, your family and pets if you have any etc  - give a 'picture' of  yourself for the Irish family to see.....Explain why you would like to be an au pair and any experience you have had with children in the past – this can be the children of friends or relatives  - just to show that you are interested in children and that you would like to work with them – this is all about childcare, you can write it here or on a separate page:

Dear Family, 

(END OF CHILD CARE QUESTIONS.)

Horse Care Questions for Au Pair-Grooms:  PART 11

Please answer all questions: 
Is there any type of horses/ponies you don’t want to work with:

Would you work with hunting horses (winter only)***:

Do you want a job where riding is involved/ or        
would you work with horses where riding is NOT part of the job:

***HUNTING IN IRELAND EXPLAINED: – this does not mean that you have to  go hunting yourself – just care for these horses,
There are two types of hunting in Ireland - fox hunting and Drag hunting.  An animal is not always killed but it does sometimes occur - you would not be asked to hunt yourself but most families in Ireland do hunt as it teaches young horses to be brave in jumping natural fences in the open countryside within a group of others - if you have a problem with this question, please contact our office.  If you say no to working with hunters in the winter in Ireland, then you cut out about 60% of jobs during the winter time... Drag hunting does not involve the hunting of live foxes...

Please indicate which type of animals you would prefer to work with -  Answer YES OR NO  (Horses can also means Ponies is some  cases)
Pleasure horses:
Hunters:
Show jumpers:
Showing horses:
Dressage:
Polo:
‘Flat’ racehorses:
’Jumping  racehorses’:
Young Horses(un broken/not yet ridden):
Mares & Foals:
Stud Farm:
Other.

Are you willing and able to do the following as part of your job:
“unaided” means without help or supervision – you might not be asked to do all of the following – we just need to know what you can and cannot do for your own safety:
Catch a Horse in a field and bring it to the stable unaided:
Feed and water the horse in the stable unaided:
Clean out and bed down a stable (Muck Out) unaided:
Clean and groom the horse properly unaided:.
Pick up and clean out the feet of the horse unaided:
‘Tack Up’ (put the riding equipment on the horse) unaided:
Clean and care for the tack and other equipment of the horse:

Do you know how to ‘Plait’(braid) a mane:                       
Do you know how to ‘Plait’(Braid) a Tail:
Put on leg protection on a horse(brushing boots/bandages):
Have you ever ‘clipped’ a horse or helped to do so:
Have you ever loaded or unloaded a horse into a trailer or lorry:
Do you think you would recognise a sick animal in your care:
(You don’t need to be able to do all of the above, but is is nice to know how much you can do….)

If you want a job where riding is involved, please answer:
How good are your riding skills:   
Excellent
Good
Average
None:

What kind of riding experience have you had in the past

Riding school only:
Riding at home or on horses owned by friends:
Pleasure riding in forests, beaches, fields, private lands:
Jumping in a sand arena/Indoor Arena/Riding school:
Dressage/Basic Dressage/Dressage Competitions:
Riding Young newly ridden horses:
Riding race horses:
Vaulting or other etc...please explain:

Do you have or have you had horses at home in the past:

Do you have any horse care or riding qualifications from you own country:
If yes, please describe (Galop system in France etc):

Do you think you could teach riding to beginners or children or take the children of the host family riding at their home:

Are you confident and capable of taking a horse or pony and riding it:-
In an Indoor School:
In an Outdoor School:
In a Field:
On the road:
Are you capable of riding a horse in an open field at a canter/gallop:
If your riding skills are Excellent or Good, are you capable of riding a young or nervous or strong animal:

Working alone or with other:
Would you like to work in a stable alone and are you motivated and confident enough to do so Or would you prefer to work in a stable where there are other stable staff as well as yourself:

Do you understand that working with horses can be a physically demanding and dirty job which has to be done in all weathers and conditions and are you willing to go ahead on this basis:

Most of our horse owning families do not live in cities but perhaps in the suburbs or in the countryside, are you happy enough to take a job with a family who does not live in the city??:

Please Give a detailed description of your experience with horses  to date;  It is important that you are as truthful and honest as you can be when supplying this information so that you are placed in a job that is appropriate to your experience and capabilities. (80-100 words if possible) starting 
“Dear Employer/Family”
explaining who you are and why you want this kind of a job…..this is all about your experience with horses/ponies in the past…..

REFERENCES – Horse work.
If you worked with horses in the past, please give the name of a person who would give you a reference.  
Reference – Please supply details of a previous horse job employer/Teacher:
Name of Employer or Person supplying Reference:
Postal Address:
Contact Telephone Numbers:
Fax and/or email address:
How Long did you work there/receive tuition there:
What were your duties:

If you have supplied a character reference as an au pair applicant this is fine but we do also need a reference from someone who knows your horse care skills and your riding ability etc.
END.

ALL APPLICANTS PLEASE READ AND SIGN;
Declaration, Please read and sign or type your name;
This is to confirm that the information I have provide in this questionnaire is a true and accurate description of myself and my situation at the moment and that I have given truthful answers to all of the questions to the best of my ability.  
I understand that Aupairs4ireland is an introductory agency only between au pair applicants and host families. 
I agree to work for the hours for the pocket money stated in the Host family information provided to me through Aupairs4ireland and I understand the term "Au Pair" and all that it means.   I agree to give 5 days notice to my host family or to Aupairs4ireland of my intention to leave should that be at any time before the end of my stated departure date.

Name:
Signature:						
Date:
END..
  
**This agency does not discrimination in any way with regards to age, religion,
race, creed or nationality and we only ask these questions for information purposes only
as some families are deeply religious and would like to make an informed decision
on their new au pair according to their own particular requirements...)
 We will offer you families  of every kind and it is up to the au pair applicant  to choose which 
family would best suit their needs.

IMPORTANT...........What happens now:
We will match your requirements to the information stored in our files and will see what jobs we have available to suit you - we then forward your information to the family/employer we think suitable and send you the employers profile.  
The information on the family or employer will tell you all about the position, the working conditions, hours per day, days per week, accommodation and living conditions and wages etc etc....so please read everything on the Host Family forms carefully...

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE FAMILY DIRECTLY UNTIL YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO US ABOUT THEM.....this is most important...they might not have your file and we ask that all correspondance is done through this office at all times.....

Never pass on details on any of our families to anyone else as it is private for your information only. The same goes for your information, it will not be passed on to anyone other than a family of your choice and is not for general release or posted on our website for all to see...
When a suitable match has been found, you might be in direct contact with the family by email and by telephone and if all goes well and an agreement is reached between yourself and the family, you can go ahead and make travel arrangements to start the job.
 
Please note that we cannot always find you "the perfect family" who will suit your requirements in every way, the number and ages of their children, the kind of horses they have, the location of their home .we will send you information on families who might cover some of the criteria you require and you can make an informed decision on this basis when you read their file.....

How to contact us
The telephone in this office is open between 10 am and 20.00 hours and if you get an answering machine, 
PLEASE LEAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE WITH YOUR NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER...and we  will get back to you.

Terms and conditions of Contract are available from this office.  
Once a job has been found for you, you will receive a 'contract' in writing outlining the basic details of the job being offered, working days per week and  hours per day and accommodation details as well as wages  etc.

Tel:  	international 0044 2844 61 51 06
Tel: 	irish republic 048 44 61 51 06
e:  	horsejobs@btinternet.com
e:  	aupairs4ireland@btinternet.com

We are an introductory agency and as such cannot guarantee that the information supplied by the employer is a true and accurate description of all aspects of the job in question - just as we cannot guarantee that the information you have supplied is a true and accurate description of your experiences to date ...we must take it on trust in both cases.
Many of our employers have been with this agency for several years and references can be supplied from previous employees regarding the working conditions and are available on request.

CHECK LIST

Make sure you have filled  in all the questions.

Please also supply:

1	Passport size photo and other photos of you with horses or horses AND children
2	Written references from previous employers or teacher with an English translation
3	Medical certificate if you are coming for more than 3 months**
4	Police certificate if you are to work with small children.
5	Copy of drivers license if you are going to drive as part of your duties

Make sure that your passport is up to date.

If you have recently been a student, please bring your student card as you can get discount on rail and buses in Ireland as a student.

Please register for a European Union Health Insurance Card (E1-11)which is available to all members of the E.U. – you can get this from your department of social security or ask at your doctor's surgery...This is very important as it covers you for any medical hospital expenses which might arise out of an accident or illness while you are abroad.

Travel Insurance. It is always advisable to get travel insurance which will cover your baggage and belongings some medical expenses – talk to your travel agency.

Private Medical Insurance – if you have private medical insurance at home, please tell your insurance company that you are going abroad and you can perhaps have it transferred to cover you while you and some of your belongings are away from home. 

Riding and Work Clothes..the weather is Ireland is usually mild but it rains....A LOT.... and it can be damp and misty.  Make sure that you have old comfortable clothes in which to work - boots, hats, gloves, raincoat, trousers etc. Riding will be available in some jobs and it is up to you to determine what riding clothes you might need - definitely a riding hat and safe boots - a back protector if you have one.....

Electricity Adaptor - Purchase an Electrical adaptor as the Electricity current in the British Isles/Ireland is 240 and not the same as mainland Europe and you will need a travel adaptor for all your electrical goods – Ipod, Laptop, hairdryer etc. you can buy at any airport but check to see if your Host family has one for you.

Mobile phones ..It is advisable that you purchase an Irish Sim card so that you have an Irish Mobile phone number which will be much cheaper for you to make local calls while you are here as well as calls to home.  A sim card costs Euro 10+ from Irish mobile telephone companies beginning with  083,085,086,087, 089  which ever you prefer. Some families provide mobile phones for their aupairs. 
You can purchase a SIM card at any local shop.

We are here to HELP YOU so please contact this office if you have any questions or queries..
it is better if you contact us by email rather than telephone but you can 'phone if you like.
Our offices are in Northern Ireland and therefore UK telephone.  If you get through to our answering service, please leave a
CLEAR MESSAGE, with your name, and telephone number and we will get back to you.