Legal notice

This page sets out who operates ameliepfeiffer.com, the basis on which the agency works, and what is and is not promised. The terms of business for families, the terms for candidates and the privacy notice are the binding documents; this notice summarises them.

Who operates this site

ameliepfeiffer.com is operated by Amelie Pfeiffer, a private childcare placement agency based in London and run by its founder.

Amelie Pfeiffer is a new agency. Company registration and ICO registration details will be published here once complete.

No telephone number or email address is published. Every enquiry and every application is made through the forms on this site, and every reply comes from the founder.

Regulatory status

• The agency is an employment agency within the meaning of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and operates under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. It introduces candidates to families; it does not employ candidates and supply them to families.
• Candidates are never charged a fee for finding work. This is a legal requirement and the agency’s policy.
• Before an introduction, families are offered copies of the candidate’s DBS certificate and qualification certificates, as the regulations require for work with children.
• Identity, right to work, references and qualifications are checked for every candidate before any introduction, and records of those checks are kept for the periods the regulations require.
• The agency does not advertise a specific vacancy without the written authority of the family concerned.

What the agency does

• Takes a brief, searches for and vets candidates, presents a shortlist, arranges interviews, and assists with the offer and a contract template.
• Places permanent positions only: full-time, or part-time on fixed days of at least 16 hours a week.
• Checks in with the family and the candidate after the start date, and carries out a replacement search at no further charge if the position ends within 6 months, subject to the conditions in the terms of business.

What the agency does not do

• It does not employ the candidate. The family is the employer and is responsible for the employment contract, payroll, PAYE, National Insurance, pension auto-enrolment, employer’s liability insurance and the employee’s statutory rights.
• It does not guarantee that a placement will be made. A shortlist is promised within 10 working days of the brief; if none is produced within 4 weeks, the registration fee is refunded in full. The replacement guarantee is a further search, not a guaranteed outcome.
• It does not arrange babysitting, ad-hoc or temporary cover, maternity nurses, overnight care or au pairs.
• It does not run a marketplace or an app, and it does not match families and candidates automatically. Every introduction is made by the founder after an in-person interview.

Fees

Fees are published on the home page and in the terms of business for families: 15% of gross annual salary, with a minimum of £3,500 for part-time positions, payable once a placement is made; and a registration fee of £250, deducted from the placement fee. No VAT is charged. There are no other charges to families, and no charges of any kind to candidates.

Accuracy and changes

The information on this site is kept accurate and is reviewed when fees, terms or the law change. Where this site and the terms of business differ, the terms of business apply. The date at the top of each legal page records its last revision.

Complaints

A complaint about the agency can be made through the enquiry form, stating that it is a complaint, and will be acknowledged within two working days and answered within fourteen. Complaints about an employment agency may also be made to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, part of the Department for Business and Trade, through gov.uk.