Terms and Conditions for Hosting (Parents and Carers) These terms and conditions are applicable to all pupils in the School, plus their families. |
Cheadle Hulme School has for many years facilitated trips which have a hosting aspect to them. As well as having long-standing exchanges, the School will also consider new opportunities to form relationships with other partner schools. The School values the relationships made on these trips and the huge benefits they give to students and staff, culturally, socially and linguistically. The School hopes that these visits will continue to flourish and be successful for many years to come. Cheadle Hulme School host families have always provided excellent care to children staying with them and the School has never had any cause for concern about their suitability to act as hosts. As laid out in the safeguarding requirements imposed on all schools in the UK by the Government, Cheadle Hulme School is now only permitted to organise such hosting arrangements if they introduce a safeguarding check on Cheadle Hulme School families who would like to host a child. Therefore Cheadle Hulme School will organise Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks (safeguarding) on any adult living in the household (aged 18 years of age or older) where the visiting student will be staying during the visit. This will enable us to comply with the current regulations and enable such valuable educational experiences to continue. The process should be very straightforward and carried out by the School at the earliest possible stage in the trip preparation, as DBS certificates can take several months to process. Cheadle Hulme School families who would like to host a child will be asked to tick a box when providing consent for the trip in order to permit the DBS check to be undertaken. Up to two DBS checks required for hosting will be included in the cost of the trip (an additional minimal cost per person would be applicable for anybody residing in the household aged 18 or over. This will be funded by the host family). In order for the School to process the DBS certificates, potential hosts will be required to: provide personal details (such as address history) to Stockport Council’s online portal, provide the School with three pieces of ID in person, and, bring their DBS certificate into School once they have received it. However, while Cheadle Hulme School is required to undertake such formal checks, no comparable checks are available in our host countries. Overseas exchange schools are aware of UK requirements and while there is no formal check, foreign host parents are asked to sign a declaration that they have no convictions relating to the Safeguarding of children. In addition, the foreign schools countersign a declaration that they are not aware of any convictions of the hosts involved. However, it is important to note that these declarations will not include formal checks through the authorities as happens in the UK. Finally a checklist will be provided and completed by the host family from the foreign school to ensure that best practice is followed and that the CHS safeguarding requirements are fulfilled in relation to sleeping, bathing and living arrangements. The School recognises that some families may wish to discuss these requirements in more detail and they should contact the School’s HR team at humanresources@chschool.co.uk. Further information on the DBS process will be sent to families once it has been confirmed they will be hosting a student from overseas. The School values such trips greatly and, through implementing the requirement for DBS checks, hopes to allow the trips to continue. Other UK schools, choosing to continue such exchanges, will be required to adopt a similar process. |
SLT member responsible: | Deputy Head (Co-Curricular) |
Date of approval: | September 2023 |
Primary policy: | |
Other related policies and procedures: | |
To view previous versions of this document please email enquiries@chschool.co.uk | |