Guardianship

Guardianship Structure

Homestay Australia  P/L provides a Guardianship Service for International Students

With all homestay accommodation offered, a representative of Homestay Australia P/L has visited the premises, a "Work With Children Card"  or Blue Card or Police Clearance has been issued for every member of the family over 18 years and the required Insurance cover for the student has been arranged.

Relationship between Homestay Australia P/L and Schools 

1. All homestay Hosts to deal with Homestay Australia P/L directly with reference to any issue – no direct contact with schools is acceptable unless the school has made contact with the Host family first.
2. Homestay Australia P/L will invoice  Schools on a monthly basis for the accommodation fees of students.
3. All students attending a Secondary School must remain in Homestay accommodation. Students who become eighteen years must remain in Homestay to continue their studies.
4. Schools and Homestay Australia P/L must arrange Information nights for Hosts to meet with staff on a biannual basis and discuss issues pertaining to homestay and to the responsibilities of each party involved.

The Secondary Student’s responsibilities in homestay 

• Ensure the Host is aware of their health and well being
• Ensure that they are contactable  24/7 by either their school, their Guardian or their Host
• To be responsible for their personal hygiene
• To be responsible for their own study pattern
• To respect the personal space of other members of their home
• To respect the privacy of other members of their home
• To ensure that they become a part of family life and participate in the day to day activities of the family

 Example :

• By not mainly staying in their bedroom when they are home and including themselves in daily family chores.

 Example :  

• Empty the dishwasher
• Clearing up after meals
• By leaving the bathroom as they have found it 
• By minimizing time in the bathroom as a consideration for other family members
• By leaving the kitchen as they have found it
• By being home at the designated meal time

Host responsibilities for housing a Secondary School Student.

 In the homestay, the host is expected to provide the following service :

 Three meals per day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week; a single room; furnished and laundry facilities in the homestay. The homestay fee also covers charges for electricity & gas and water.

 Day to day care of the students by : 

• Providing healthy meals
• Doing their student's washing and ironing
• Ensuring that a student has acceptable hygiene habits
• Ensuring that a student is coping with living in a foreign country and that their mental well-being is being monitored.
• Ensuring that their student is completing their homework on time.
• Ensuring that their student is attending school on a required basis and has a clear understanding of the local transport systems.

Providing guidelines to their student regarding : 

• Acceptable times to be at home after school and at weekends
• Amount of time on the internet for leisure purposes
• Manners
• Liaising with the student's Guardian on a weekly basis
• Reporting to Homestay Australia P/L  behaviour by students which is unsatisfactory
• Reporting to Homestay Australia P/L  behaviour by students which is unusual
• Reporting to Homestay Australia P/L  behaviour by students which is deemed as inappropriate contact

Example. 

• Smoking in the Home
• Consumption of alcohol
• Unacceptable times home after school and at weekends
• Unacceptable amount of time on the internet for leisure purposes
• Inappropriate display of manners or respect to other members of the home
• Drug use
• Invitation of friends to the home without permission of the homestay

 Guardian's Responsibilities  

• Monitor the student's studies by weekly visits to the school and to provide a contact point for the school at all times.
• To arrange for the student's leisure and travel activities during the holiday period.
• To arrange their Banking requirements upon arrival
• To arrange purchases of large or costly items (bikes)
• To arrange purchase of School Books and School Uniforms
• If required by the students parents, to control the student's finances, i.e..: weekly pocket money
• To sign medical forms as required by the school.
• To transfer their student in the event of illness, to a Medical Centre in order to receive treatment after being advised by the Host Parent.
• To correspond with the parents of the student on a regular basis as to the welfare of their son or daughter in writing.
• To ensure the student complies with any visa requirements as required by the Australian Government.
• To notify Homestay Australia P/L  of any grievance between the student and the homestay host in order for Homestay Australia P/L to initiate Grievance Procedures. (Refer below)
• To attend parent teacher meetings as required per term.
• To change their student's homestay accommodation upon request (depending on the reasons provided and in conjunction with Homestay Australia P/L )
• To Liaise with the Host Family on a weekly basis.
• Assisting the student with the arrangement of their telephone/mobile/internet connection

Role of the School for the International Student.

The School is responsible for the overall  welfare of the student. They are required to : 

• give the department a signed statement confirming that appropriate arrangements have been made for the student’s accommodation, support and general welfare during their stay in Australia 

• notify the department in writing of any changes to the care arrangements. Additionally, students are required to obtain their education provider's approval to change these arrangements if they wish to do so after their arrival in Australia

Charges

Placement Fee : $220.00

Weekly Fee : $40.00

Homestay Australia P/L