Lady’s Maid & Valet
Lady’s Maid – traditionally a personal servant responsible for the Lady of the household. Duties include: care of the wardrobe and a Lady’s private rooms, care, cleaning, pressing and mending of a Lady’s clothes, preparation of clothes for packing.
Valet is a manservant to the gentleman of the house. Duties would include care of the wardrobe and gentleman’s rooms; care, cleaning, pressing and mending of gentleman’s clothes; also preparation and packing of clothes for travelling. A Valet will typically travel with the employer.
Our lady’s maids can care for your wardrobe, ensure all items sent out for specialist cleaning or alterations come back and that the work is carried out to a high standard. They can catalogue your wardrobe for you to ensure you can keep track of all of the items you have and to be able to quickly find and rotate your clothing.
Most lady’s maids will travel with their employers and will have unpacked the clothing and have everything ready for use shortly after arriving at your destination.
There has always been a tradition with this role for the lady’s maid to be mindful and informed about etiquette, local cultures and formalities to ensure that you can relax in the knowledge that you are always appropriately turned out.
Premium responsibilities for both Lady’s Maid or Valet are full care of the wardrobe.
- Scheduling appointments, travel arrangements, and social obligations for the Lady or Gentleman of the Estate
- Maintaining clothing care and organization, managing laundry, packing & unpacking
- Personal shopping, managing itineraries and providing feedback regarding attire
- Sending and accepting valuable packages and personal items
- Light housekeeping of changing room and personal bathroom
- Experience of or a qualification in fashion.
- Knowledge of fine fabrics
- A knowledge of specialist cleaning and care of all fabrics, pelts and leather.
- Ability to hand wash delicate items like silk and cashmere.
- Sewing skills for repairs and alterations
- A good knowledge of high end retailers and the ability to source them on the move when travelling with your work.
- Familiarity with varied calendar systems
- Organisational and time management skills
- Today this role is still sought after. The role can encompass so much more, for example, a lady’s maid can take care of the male and female wardrobes of the house. They can also offer a personal shopping and styling service as they often have their training in high-end fashion and design. This would be a lady’s maid/wardrobe and personal grooming assistant.
- This wardrobe care can also be in conjunction with some spa or beauty treatments, many of our clients are now realising the benefits of having their lady’s maids train to do manicures, pedicures, facials or massages.
- Starting salaries are from £30 000 per year. Full-time annual salary depends on candidate’s credentials, experience, and duties, as well as previous salaries had.
- Salary guide is based on a 5 or 5 and half day work week, 8-12hrs a day, and is presented to you as a guide. Final salary always varies depending on the overall package offered.
Butlers are a specialised type of household staff responsible for efficiently running a formal household and meeting the employer’s personal needs.
House or Estate Managers coordinate the smooth operation of your household, anticipating and managing daily family challenges.
A good housekeeper provides the client with a wide variety of professional domestic services and takes on the responsibilities of cleaning, laundry, cooking and running errands. Each household is unique therefore the duties and responsibilities are usually discussed at interview stage.
A Live-In Housekeeper gives a wide range of support and care to your family. It gives you the flexibility to call on them for additional hours if you need extra support. Live-In Housekeeper is a favourable option for many clients.
A Housekeeper Nanny is required when duties involve the household and not just the children. The duties are wide ranging, depending on the needs of the family.
For clients with large homes, estates or gardens, a domestic couple may be the most suitable choice.
Hiring a houseman is fantastic solution for many households, a houseman ensures the general upkeep of a home, offers versatility and added security for the household.
A private personal chef can be an excellent option for a household that require a high standard of cooking while also tailoring the meals to specific personal preferences.
In home Elderly Carers and Companions help makes aging at home possible, by running routine errands, doing light housekeeping and providing a helping hand with the everyday tasks that often become more difficult for the elderly.
An estate manager is required when there are large, multi-property estates owned by a family. An estate manager’s focus is largely on a bigger picture, making sure that each home runs consistently and efficiently.
A Lady’s Maid is hired to serve as a lady-in-waiting to her female employer. This means she serves as a personal maid to the lady of the house. The valet is a manservant to the gentleman of the house.
How We Work
Once you’ve decided what type of services you’re looking for, you need to register with Forbes Private Staff by filling out our client registration form. This will ask you to list your candidate preferences and unique requirements, as well as you will be able to read our Term of Business and familiarise yourself with our fees. Once registration is received, your information will be carefully reviewed by a member of our staff who will then contact you directly to discuss all your specific requirements in a greater detail, to note down all the final information we need to start your perfect candidate search.
The Steps We Follow
- Understanding Your Needs
- The Matchmaking Process
- Interview
- Contract
- Follow Up and Ongoing Support
Placement Fees
At Forbes Private Staff it is crucial that the candidate you choose is the right match for your family, and to ensure this we provide 12 weeks of free replacement and ongoing after-placement support.
UK Placements
- Client registration Fee – FREE
- Permanent Full-Time Placement in Childcare (52 weeks + ) - 15% of the Annual Salary
- Permanent Full-Time Placement in Private Household (52 weeks +) – 15% of the Annual Salary
- Full-time Governess or Tutor Placements – 17% of the Annual Salary
- Full-Time Dual Residency Placements - required to work in the UK and Overseas - 18% of the Annual Salary
- Part-Time Governess or Tutor Placements – 19% of the Annual Salary
- After School Childcare Placements – 18% of the Annual Salary
- Part-Time Placements in Childcare and Private Households – 18% of the Annual Salary
- Maternity Nurses - £170 per week, min 2 weeks.
- Temporary Placements – £100 per day or £450 per week.
- Trials - £450 per week, up to 4 consecutive weeks; or fixed daily fee of £90.
Overseas Placements
- Client Registration Fee - FREE for Permanent Placements
- Client Registration Fee - £100 for Temporary or Holiday Placements
- All Permanent Placements – 20% of the Annual Salary
- Maternity Nurses - £230 per week, min 2 weeks
- Temporary Placements – £100 per day or £500 per week.
- Trials - £500 per week, up to 4 consecutive weeks.
To our loyal returning clients and our current client referrals, we offer a 10% discount on your placement fees.
Our Registration is FREE of charge to all our candidates.
For more information, please contact us or register online, and we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you might have.
What our clients say about us?
‘Impeccable staff, trustworthy and punctual. A great company to deal with who consistently deliver. Highly recommended.’
‘I’d like to say how pleased I and my wife have been with the service we received from you and from our housekeeper who has been reliable and efficient throughout the several years she’s been with us. All the best for the future.’
‘You were more than helpful at arranging the service I wanted and it was executed perfectly. I will most definitely be using your services again. Thank you.’
