Guardianship FAQs

Do I have to organise a guardian for my child whilst they are at boarding school?

All schools will ask for a guardianship arrangement, especially if students are under 18 years old. Visa nationals will have to have a suitable care arrangement to be declared as part of their application. We can supply a visa support letter to you for you once you have applied for guardianship.

How do I organise a guardian for my child?

We understand that choosing the right guardianship agency for you can be stressful, and so we want to make the process as simple as possible. Please fill in our guardianship application form and an office based guardianship manager will be in touch to let you know how to proceed.

What are the rates for guardianship packages?

Our rates vary dependent on which package you choose. Click here for a full list of guardianship packages.

Do you offer different levels of care?

We offer different packages to cater to each family’s needs for their child. For more information on the packages we provide, click here.

What does the guardian do?

The guardian has an endless list of duties – the basics of guardianship are 24-7 emergency support, organising airport transfers, arranging host family accommodation and making sure students feel well looked after. Additional duties may include helping purchase items such as school uniform or sports equipment. We have arranged birthday cakes to share with friends in boarding houses, and we have even helped move a horse from Spain to the UK for a student.

Can I meet the local guardian and homestay?

Parents and students are more than welcome to meet the local guardian and we would encourage this if you visit the UK. Visiting a host family is more challenging because the family may feel it is an inspection of their home and if they are unable to host due to other commitments, parents may feel disappointed.

Are your guardians police-checked?

All of the guardians are DBS-checked, and are personally known by the staff, giving you the knowledge that your child is in safe hands.

Can I stop the service when I reach 18 years old?

Your school will probably insist that even if you are 18, a guardian must be there to support and assist you. Please check with your school before trying to terminate the service on your 18th birthday.

What happens if my guardian is suddenly not available?

If a local guardian falls ill or is otherwise not available, they have an assigned deputy that will take over responsibility. Students are never left without support.

How do you recruit your host families?

(This is only relevant to host families relating to the guardianship scheme, and not London Homestays regular host families)

Majority of our host families join us by word of mouth – each local guardian will have a bank of host families that you are welcome to use at any time.

How do you check your host families?

(This is only relevant to host families relating to the guardianship scheme, and not London Homestays regular host families)

Each family is inspected by our local coordinator on arrival to see if the accommodation, living space and bathrooms are suitable for hosting our students. The family will fill in a police-check form known as a DBS which we send to the police who send us a full report on them. This check is done for all members of the family over 16 years old. The reports are renewed every three years. The family must also carry out a gas safety check each year and submit their certificate to us.

How do you choose a host family for each student?

(This is only relevant to host families relating to the guardianship scheme, and not London Homestays regular host families)

We ask in our application form what type of host family you like to live with and we ask that you put as much information as possible here, with children, with pets, near a gym, older or younger family. This information is given to your local guardian and when you would like to stay with a family, they will place you based on the information you have given.

Will there be other students in the host family?

(This is only relevant to host families relating to the guardianship scheme, and not London Homestays regular host families)

Possibly, up to a maximum of three.

What happens if I don’t suit my family and I would like to change?

(This is only relevant to host families relating to the guardianship scheme, and not London Homestays regular host families)

We understand that there may be rare occasions that the match is not perfect. Most issues arise from miscommunication or human chemistry not working. In these cases, the local coordinator will visit the gamily to speak with everyone and try to find a solution. If they feel there is no solution, we will change host family without question.

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