Education and Training Awards 2020

Jun20080 Best Overseas Student Guardianship Support Service - UK Students from overseas often find themselves lacking in pastoral support when moving to a new country. This support is vital for emotional stability and security and helps education to be absorbed more greatly. The Guardian Family Network (GNet) provides support to students from overseas who are full-time boarders at Independent Schools across the United Kingdom and as such, are recommended as the appointed educational guardian. Guardianship is a hugely important part of education and The Guardian Family Network are integral to this experience. Having an appointed educational guardian is a fantastic way for students living and studying overseas to receive quality care and support they might otherwise lack being so far from home. GNet acts as intermediary between parents and school efficiently dealing with any pastoral or educational issues or concern which may arise. As part of their Premium service, GNet appoints a local homestay family to provide ‘a home away from home’ for each student. The homestay family is invited to attend events on behalf of the parents, such as parents’ meetings and concerts. They are located close to the school to ensure they are on hand to provide a high level of support, in addition to ensuring a restful environment where the student can stay for occasional weekends and term-time breaks. Students are welcomed into the family and relationships can last a lifetime. Each student is matched with a homestay family based upon mutual interests. GNet have a policy of one student placement within a single family which helps the student to feel valued and an integral part of the relationship. It is usual for the student to remain with the same family for the duration of their studies in the UK with the homestay becoming their ‘British’ family. Some organisations provide ‘host families’, which are a temporary arrangement, where the student rarely stays in the same home twice. This can be disruptive, and the student may feel more like a parcel than a person. Guardianship is currently unregulated meaning any individual could set up an organisation and take in students without any checks being carried out on them. GNet is a Certified agency with the Boarding Schools Association (BSA) as well as a member of the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS), an independent organisation ensuring the safety and education of overseas students in the UK. GNet currently works with over 65 BSA member schools and is developing relationships with new schools all the time. Safeguarding is of paramount importance and GNet has completed comprehensive training with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty in Children (NSPCC) and National Online Safety (NOS), and continually ensures all training is up to date and current. GNet is able to reassure parents that their child is being kept safe and secure at all times. Running a successful guardianship organisation requires close working relationships with schools, parents, students, and homestay families. GNet visits each student annually at school to ensure they are happy and well supported both academically and pastorally. In the seven years since GNet was established, the company has built a strong, experienced team who work effectively to resolve issues and to jointly celebrate the success of all our students. GNet continue to promote the excellent relationships with their current schools to grow student numbers, as well as identifying opportunities in countries they are not currently working in. Guardianship organisations and the homestay families who choose to support them are hugely beneficial to students from overseas. There are no specific criteria to be a homestay family apart from having the time and interest in supporting and accommodating a student and ensuring they are welcomed wholeheartedly into the family home. All of their homestay families are volunteers and their only gain as reward for their commitment is a meaningful and enriching experience. The Guardian Family Network is committed to providing the highest level of guardianship support to both existing and new clients and deserves all the success that comes its way. Company: The Guardian Family Network Ltd Contact: Siobhan Skaife Contact Number: 01865 893213 Website: www.guardianfamilynetwork.com Education & Training Awards 2020