Student safeguarding

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Please note: Early sign-up is essential if you would like to host juniors. DBS checks can take us to 6 weeks to be processed.

Working with you to safeguard students

St Brelade’s College has a duty of care to children and young people attending the school and aims to ensure that staff, group leaders, accommodation providers and other suppliers help to keep them safe.

Our hosts are required to undergo the following background checks which will take place after they have put through their application.

References & background checks

It is essential that we screen potential hosts on behalf of the children’s families who live overseas. You can be assured that all information will be treated in the strictest confidence. These checks consist of:

Enhanced DBS check (only required if hosting juniors) – All members of your household aged 18 years must undergo an Enhanced DBS check (Disclosure & Barring Service). If you currently hold one, we can accept this as long as we are able to view the original certificate, it is within 3 months of date and/or it is registered on the update renewal service. If not, we will carry out a check for you free of charge*. You will then be obliged to register it on the update renewal service at a cost of £13 per year in order to keep your certificate valid. In certain circumstances, we reserve the right to carry out additional check with social services.
Character references – Two personal references are required per household, if hosting under 18 years and just one reference, if hosting 18 years or above. If you are already an existing host who is reapplying to host for the coming year, you are not required to redo these. Your character referees can be close friends, neighbours, employers or professionals (not relatives) who you have known for at least 12 months, who will support your application to provide suitable accommodation and supervision to an overseas student.

* St Brelade’s College will provide a DBS free of charge as long as you host for a minimum of 4 weeks in the year with us. If you host for under this length of time you will be required to pay back the DBS fee to the school (£50).

Safeguarding course

You’ll be required to complete a free short online safeguarding course if you choose to host juniors (this takes approximately 30 minutes).

During your home visit, we will also provide you with more understanding of your role and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children, answering any questions you may have.

You’ll be required to read and follow our school safeguarding policy. This provides guidance of what to do if you have a concern about a child’s wellbeing.

I have really enjoyed hosting; the extra income is nice but it’s been lovely meeting so many different students from around the world and finding out about them and their families. I have found them all to be helpful around the house, respectful and polite.
Hosting students meant I could stay at home with my family rather than looking for evening or weekend work. I have loved to see my own children welcoming the students, making friends with them and inviting them to play football and other games. Some still keep in touch with us now.

Rachel Genee, St John

When we first started home stay we didn’t know what to expect. We took our first tentative steps with a lovely young girl from Paris. Not long after we went into lock down. This year has been totally different. We’ve had a revolving front door as it has literally been one group out and another in. We now host two or three at a time and find it really enjoyable getting to know them. It’s great to watch them interact and make friends that hopefully they will keep for a long time. We would urge anyone with the time and room to have a go.

Carol De La Cour, St Brelade

We started hosting because we had a spare room and we enjoy the company of teenagers. We love the feeling that most students will have good memories of their experience in Jersey partly because our family welcomed and cared for them.

Caroline Hathaway, St Brelade

Hello, Anna, we are back in France, with Candice we wanted to thank you for the welcome you gave us. It was the best time of my life! The meals were delicious and we will not forget our swimming at sea! We miss you – hoping to see you again someday.

A message to a host

Hosting is very rewarding and this is the fourth year we have hosted students. It’s like having a temporary expansion of our family as many of the students get involved with family life. We have had many students that we have been sad to leave us when their stay was over. What a wonderful year of hosting this has been!

Rebekah Key, St Martin

Our family has made friends for life, and we have really enjoyed meeting such lovely kids from other countries. It’s a great way to broaden your horizons from the comfort of your own home.

Charlotte Slater, St Lawrence

We’ve had three great years of hosting so far. We always look forward to welcoming students & at times it’s difficult to say goodbye as they feel like a part of our family. When students keep in touch after their stay & then ask to return to us the following year, we know we are doing something right.