Live-in Mum’s Helper

Loving Mum / CEO / loud-laugherer / Activist / Communicator / Mudlarker (with below average cooking and football skills) seeks caring Mum’s Helper / relaxed / humorous / Child Whisperer (no yellers!) / energetic person to support Tarn, Mack and Charlie in a live-in au pair style arrangement. 

Our 3 bed flat is near the River Thames in sought after Surrey Quays, SE8, London. Rent (small double bedroom), food and bills are covered (equates to £1000pm) plus a generous monthly allowance of £400pcm (*£850pcm for September and October only due to additional duties, see below)

Tarn is the CEO of Home for Good, a Christian UK Charity seeking to find a home for every child who needs one, waiting in the care system. Tarn has cared for homeless teenagers, been a registered foster carer and now is a trio together with her two adopted sons, now 10 and 11. 

Mack and Charlie have additional needs. They are both neurodiverse with ADHD and FAS. Mack has moderate learnings disabilities. This role will be an opportunity to not only learn more about children and the care system but also SEN. Tarn, with decades of experience will be intentional about coaching and equipping the person joining us with a myriad of skills and knowledge.

We are a 100% committed to Jesus family.  Tarn’s home welcomes all, particularly Mack and Charlie’s friends and due to being child-focused it’s a no-smoking / no alcohol / no drugs kinda place. We are committed to our local church and are highly intentional about living life with our community of friends, we call them our family-of-choice.

Tarn runs a busy schedule with work as do the boys with activities and we need someone who is highly responsible, punctual and flexible. Primary day to day duties are the school run both sides of the day, home administration such as overseeing utilities, light housework to keep the flat and laundry ticking over and childminding after school until early evening. (A tidy person who loves organising would be preferable as opposed to a ‘floor is the wardrobe’ type vibe).

Due to Tarn’s role, as well as her serving other charities on their Boards and regularly speaking at festivals and conferences, this role will also accompanying Tarn with the boys (they love going places with her) to festivals and conferences during holidays and some weekends (costs covered). 

It is anticipated that when the boys are in school, the role would require @2 hours early AM school runs, @1 hour during the day for housekeeping duties, @3 hours 3-6pm school runs, activity shuttling, child minding. Then we’d all eat together an evening meal @6pm. Tarn will nearly always do evening and bedtime routine, so most nights would be free. A maximum of four nights a month childminding would be required. 

Rest for the person in this role is important. Therefore 2 days every week will be free, particularly if you’re accompanying Tarn to a weekend commitment (2 weekdays would therefore be expected for you to take off) and Tarn would pick up the responsibilities for logistics and school runs etc those days. If no weekend support is needed then, the full weekend must be taken off to chill and recoup. Tarn will ensure she provides the Mum’s Helper a cooked breakfast and fresh coffee on a Saturday when she can Note: hard as I try I can’t make hollandaise sauce, so it’ll be eggs and bacon with ketchup – boys favorite!

An anomaly for the months of September and October 2023 is that Mack will be home based, with a tutor coming in for a few hours a day with some day activities at the local farm or sailing centre. We’re awaiting a specialist school placement, hopefully starting beginning November. Therefore this role will need to support Tarn in caring for Mack during daytime, so she can work, Mon-Fri along with getting him to the other provisions being sought too. For this added responsibility the monthly allowance for September and October only will be £850 per month.   

Minimum 1 year commitment for the right person. For an exceptional person and with Tarn’s commitment to community living, if this became your ‘family’, then stay for as long as the Lord leads us both. 

Holidays (6 weeks per year) when we do.

Please email: [email protected]