Host requirements
Background checks and information required before hosting with St Brelade’s College
Before we can place students in homestay, potential hosts must provide certain information, references and checks for different household members, as well as undergo a home visit by a member of our Student Services team.
What’s required?
- Applicants are obliged to complete an application form and sign a declaration agreeing to abide by the English UK Homestay Code of Practice and confirm that no one in the household holds a criminal record which would render them unfit to host children. All household members must be declared.
- Hosts are obliged to inform the school of any new occupants, staying in the household and should notify the school of any change of circumstances. Hosts are obliged not to allow visitors staying overnight unsupervised access to students under the age of 18 years and should notify the school of details of any visitors staying in the home, confirming visitors will not have unsupervised access to students.
- All household members over 18 years are obliged to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If they do not have a valid DBS certificate, the school will carry one out (the £50 fee per check will need to be paid back if homestay providers host under 4 weeks of the year) and it is then their responsibility to register on the update renewal service at a current cost of £13 per year in order to keep the certificate current. Any Enhanced DBS checks carried out by another institution will be accepted if the workforce type is Child Workforce, it is within three months of date of issue and/or it is registered on the update renewal service. DBS checks will be rechecked annually if registered on the update renewal service or redone every three years if unregistered. Hosts should also notify the school of any changes to the status of the certificate e.g. criminal convictions or pending enquiries. There may be additional checks carried out with the local authorities in order to support homestay applications.
- Applicants are obliged to complete two Personal Reference Forms (for their household) for hosting under 18 years and one personal reference form for 18 years or over which are valid indefinitely, at the discretion of the school. References may be followed up verbally at the discretion of the school.
- Applicants will be visited and vetted prior to being accepted as a homestay. Vetting will include assessing the suitability of the host(s) to care for children under 18 years. All homestays will be revisited at least every 2 years and spot visits may be randomly carried out. Hosts will be obliged to reapply annually and details of all household members will be recorded and updated accordingly.
- Applicants will carry out the Accreditation UK Safeguarding training online, if hosting children under 18 years.
- As per St Brelade’s College booking terms, children aged 12 years or under are obliged to share their homestay with a sibling, friend or another student of the same mother-tongue in homestay in order to provide additional safeguarding measures.
Homestay Disciplinary Procedures
If hosts do not meet the criteria outlined in the English UK Homestay Code Of Practice, the St Brelade’s College homestay guidelines (found on the homestay portal) & safeguarding policy, St Brelade’s College will terminate the contract between them. Homestays which prove to be unsuitable for any reason will be removed from the register. The school would offer training & guidance in many cases where criteria is not met. In cases of suspected misconduct, a referral may be made to the Children and Families Hub and the children would be removed from the homestay, pending investigation.
