We don’t automatically undertake a DBS for every candidate that registers with us as sometimes candidates may find their own jobs and only stay on our books for a short while. However if a client employs someone who we introduce and who does not have a current DBS but is required to have one for the position, then we are happy to do this for you.

We are able to supply staff across the whole of the UK, including Scotland and Ireland. We also cover International positions.

No, we provide a free service for candidates who are looking for work and we only invoice clients if they employ a candidate who we have introduced to them.

Unfortunately we do not provide staff for short term assignments, however we do accept some contracts for a minimum of three months upwards.

We absolutely love hearing from candidates with good, relevant experience in private households. Unfortunately without previous experience it is unlikely we will be able to help you but we are always happy to advise. Chauffeurs must have previous experience of working as a private chauffeur and not purely in chauffeur hire services or taxi driving.

A vacancy could be filled within a matter of days or it could take longer. The timescale depends on which candidates are registered at the time of you giving us your vacancy, and whether they match your requirements. Out team will never just send a CV for the sake of it or to ‘make up the numbers’.

We are happy to organise short trials wherever possible, however you need to bear in mind that it might not always be possible if a candidate is in a full time job. In order to address the fact that very occasionally things may not always go to plan, we offer a rebate/replacement period for your peace of mind.

A chauffeur needs to have a thorough understanding of chauffeur etiquette. This includes knowing how to correctly present themselves, being service focused, knowing when to make conversation and knowing when to remain silent. A good chauffeur will plan any travel journey in advance, making themselves aware of any diversions and road works and plan alternative routes in the event of a hold up. A chauffeur should check the car is stocked with water, newspapers and anything else the employer favours. They will also take responsibility for servicing, routine maintenance, MOT’s and any associated paperwork. Chauffeurs need to have a good knowledge of a wide range of high class luxury vehicles.

There are many interchangeable duties that can apply to both individual positions particularly if a household only employs one or the other, then the duties may overlap. However if a household employs both a butler and a house manager, the two positions are very distinct. Under these circumstances a butler would normally focus on such things as managing the wine cellar, acting as a valet, looking after guests, serving drinks, providing silver service at formal tables and often travelling with the principal. A house manager would purely concern themselves with the organization and running of the household itself, this would include overseeing the housekeeping, handling repairs and maintenance in the house and ensuring things run smoothly.

Completing cookery school generally has little influence on how competent is a chef. Although a formal qualification can be an advantage, as most chefs will confirm, their real skills and capabilities were learned in working kitchens. A passion for food along with the desire to continually learn new techniques, ingredients and cuisines are key requirements. Simply having formal qualifications is not necessarily a guarantee that a chef has this yearning to expand and build on his/her underlying skills. A good chef will have taken advantage of as many varied experiences as possible and proactively seek a deeper understanding and working knowledge of all aspects of cookery.

The things to look for when hiring a gardener will depend on your outside space. Do you have mainly formal gardens or is the majority of the garden laid to lawn? Do you want the gardener to look after paddocks or woodlands? And do you have glasshouses and vegetable gardens? What your garden consists of will determine the level of experience that you need in your gardener. You may also wish to consider whether you need someone with environmental qualifications if this is important to you. If your garden is mainly lawn with simple borders, a good maintenance gardener should suffice. However if you are looking for a more creative gardener and someone used to complex formal gardens then you should be looking for horticultural qualifications. You may wish to check what type of equipment they have used in the past [ride-on mowers, chainsaws etc.] and their understanding of health and safety legislation especially around the use of chemicals.

Both positions share skills such as organizational ability, being proactive as well as reactive and remaining calm under pressure. However a company PA would almost exclusively be involved with the business side of things and their activities would focus around the organization and managing of the employer’s business diary, meetings and events. Whereas, a household PA is responsible for the employer’s personal activities: this would include managing a social diary [usually in conjunction with the business PA], personal shopping, some travel arrangements, handling bills and household administration and often overseeing the initial stages of household staff recruitment including first stage interviews.

In a nutshell, convenience, cost effectiveness and efficiency. An experienced domestic couple will be able to cover all areas of the house and grounds as a team, they will be used to working together to ensure that the house and grounds run smoothly. They will not be in competition with each other and will communicate well and are generally willing to assist in each other’s areas to ensure that all jobs are completed. For example the ‘outside’ person will be able to cover heavy cleaning duties such as moving cumbersome pieces of furniture or cleaning chandeliers, they may also be able to help serve at table, if this is required. By the same token, the ‘inside’ person will often be able to support in some outside tasks such as light gardening or keeping pathways swept.

Probably not, an estate manager is a highly specialized position that has its own responsibilities focusing on the estate and grounds and an experienced estate manager will not normally have experience of overseeing the day to day running of the inside workings of a household. An estate manager will concentrate on such things as overseeing the gardening team, responsibility for outside contractors and ensuring maintenance contracts are in place. In short their responsibilities are to keep the estate and its facilities running efficiently. An estate manager will not have any understanding of housekeeping procedures.

It may not be immediately obvious but there are marked differences between the two. Private housekeepers are usually expected to ‘keep house’ which involves a lot more than just being a great cleaner. They will take into account the entire household and will know to undertake things such as checking the fridge contents for expiry dates, checking larder stocks for items that need replenishing and making sure that there are adequate supplies of all items.  They will usually know how to set a formal table and how to spot any potential maintenance issues. The key difference is that they will almost certainly have better laundry skills and be confident in caring for delicate fabrics and designer clothing. Housekeepers with a hotel background are usually very good at cleaning quickly and efficiently but are used to working in a structured environment based around cleaning only and they can find it hard to adjust to the varying demands within a private household.

The demands on a modern butler should not be underestimated. Although responsibilities will vary within individual households, there are a number of defining qualities that will not vary. Being able to emulate the swan, calm and serene on the surface, paddling furiously below, is one quality! A butler will need infinite amounts of patience and a cool head, whilst efficiently multi-tasking behind the scenes. A good butler will be able to effectively manage people and have excellent communication skills at all levels, they will need an adaptable nature. Discretion and the ability to operate in an unobtrusive manner are also important as is attention to detail across all areas of the household.

An executive housekeeper may often be required to direct and control the housekeeping operation, on occasion they also may have some or all of the responsibility for other departments within the household such as the catering and be expected to coordinate between the departments. A housekeeper is generally a completely hands-on position with no supervisory expectations. An executive housekeeper could be asked to devise and implement procedures, to undertake household administration and manage some budgets. Along with these additional responsibilities, an executive housekeeper would be expected to lead from the front and to undertake hands on duties as well.

Every family will have their own ideas about discipline in relation to their children, including who should be doing it. It becomes more complicated when you involve a third party such as the nanny who may witness bad behavior in the parents’ absence. Some behavior will warrant addressing immediately and it is difficult to reprimand a small child hours after the event has occurred. It is essential to discuss this early on in the relationship to ensure the nanny’s approach to discipline aligns with the parents’. Getting this right at the start reduces the possibility of conflicting messages and subsequent confusion for the children further down the line.

We often hear the terms cook and chef used synonymously and clients will ask us for a chef when they probably just need a cook and vice versa. How do we distinguish? Generally we will do this by checking the level of cooking required: if a client is looking for someone to produce what is termed as ‘family style’ food, and by that we mean simple, relatively unfussy food, then we would recommend that they probably just need a good, solid home cook. If, however, they are looking for someone to cook for formal dinners and someone with extensive knowledge of a wide variety of cuisines and dietary requirements, then we would recommend that they consider a chef who would have a more specialist knowledge of presentation, menu planning and recipe creation.

Domestic workers are workers who perform work in or for a private household or households. They will provide indirect and direct care services and are vital members of the care economy.

Staff agencies do not deal directly with people whereas line agencies will deal directly with people and provide service to the community.

Agencies allow you to work within different environments potentially for numerous companies that will help you build upon your skills and improve your resume.

Unless your contract says otherwise, you or the hiring organisation can end your assignment with the agency without any notice period.