DEi recruit and on-board homestay providers procedure

Audience

Department of Education International (DEi) staff, school staff, students, homestay providers, international partners, parents/legal custodians of students and their agents.

Purpose

To ensure DEi and schools engage suitable homestay providers for their students where homestay accommodation is of high quality and provides a safe, caring and supportive environment.

Overview

This procedure outlines the roles and responsibilities of DEi, schools and homestay provider applicants, and the steps they follow in relation to recruitment, assessment, approval and engagement of homestay providers. This procedure applies to homestay provider applicants recruited by DEi, a school and referred by students.

DEi engages homestay providers for the International Student Programs (ISP), Study Tours and Global Programs. For ISP, students may nominate DEi to provide accommodation and welfare for the duration of their program. The Department of Home Affairs is notified of this arrangement as part of the student’s visa application process.

DEi and schools are required to recruit homestay families from their local area/community to meet the homestay requirements of various DEi programs.

DEi and schools ensure:

• all adults involved in providing accommodation and welfare to students have working with children authority (blue card)
• the accommodation provided is appropriate to the students’ age and needs.

New homestay providers can be recruited by a school from within the school/locFal community. Families may approach the school to become a homestay provider. For some Global Programs, the participating Queensland student’s family becomes the homestay provider under a reciprocal arrangement.

Generally, homestay providers for Queensland state schools will be volunteers for the purposes of the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld).

This procedure should be read in conjunction with the Working with children authority procedure, Conducting home visits procedure, DEi student homestay placement procedure and the DEi homestay provider management procedure.

Responsibilities

DEi staff

• refer potential homestay providers to their nearest Education Queensland International school/s
• provide advice and support to school principals and school staff to implement this procedure
• Global Programs:
  • for one-way inbound programs:
    • delegate management of the recruiting and on-boarding (orientation and training) of suitable homestay providers
    • manage risks with home visits
    • approve homestay providers
    • maintain accurate and up-to-date blue card, student and homestay records, for example, homestay database.
  • for reciprocal programs:
    • manage the approval and selection of homestay providers as part of a student application and matching process
    • manage risks in consultation with schools and international partners
    • maintain accurate and up-to-date records, for example, master planner database which includes host family records.

School staff

• manage the recruiting and on-boarding of suitable homestay providers
• identify and evaluate risks associated with home visits and do not conduct, or cease a home visit at any time, if there are concerns for personal health and safety
• maintain accurate and up-to-date blue card, student and homestay records, for example, homestay database and OneSchool.

Homestay provider

• meet with school staff, allow the premises to be inspected and comply with requirements in accordance with the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld) and the Working with children authority procedure.
• participate in on-boarding activities
• adhere to terms and conditions of the homestay arrangement.

School principal (or delegate)

• oversee the implementation of this procedure in the school
• approve homestay providers in compliance with requirements in accordance with the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld) and the Working with children authority procedure.

Process

Image 1 Recruit and on-board homestay providers process

1. Recruit

School staff

• recruit homestay providers when the school identifies a need for homestay providers, for example:
  • advertise in local newspapers and school newsletters
  • promote on the school’s social media page
  • host recruitment sessions
• ensure potential homestay providers are aware of the requirements for all homestay providers to provide high-quality homestay accommodation and a safe, caring and supportive home environment, as outlined in the relevant DEi programs application form and associated terms and conditions
  • refer to the Information Sheet for Homestay Providers and the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld) (DoE employees only) or information about blue card requirements
• refer to the Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy developed and implemented under section 171 of the Working With Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld)
• provide an application form to potential homestay providers once initial contact has been made
• for ISP, provide the ISP homestay provider application form (DoE employees only) and ISP terms and conditions for homestay providers
  • for Study Tours, provide the Study Tour host family documentation (DoE employees only).

DEi staff

• for some Global Programs, including one-way inbound programs, recruitment is delegated to school staff
• for other Global Programs, including reciprocal programs, request homestay provider information during the student application process, for example, the Switzerland-Germany Global Student Program application form.

Homestay provider

• for ISP and Study Tours, complete and submit application as per the instructions on the application form.

2. Assess

DEi staff and School staff

• receive and assess completed application forms, ensuring all sections have been completed, including signed and dated by applicants
• ensure blue card/exemption card requirements will be met:
  • if a homestay provider applicant or adult resident of their home already has a blue card or exemption card, follow the Working with children authority procedure to verify, validate and link the card
  • if a homestay provider applicant or adult resident of the home (including 17-year-olds who will turn 18 in the next two months) does not already hold a current blue card or exemption card direct them to apply for and obtain a blue card (or exemption card) through Blue Card Services online, prior to engaging in work with the department
• assess the information provided against the criteria on the application form to confirm applicant meets all requirements to be a suitable candidate to provide homestay services
  • if assessed as unsuitable, advise the applicant that the assessment process will not continue and provide reasons, if required
• schedule initial meeting at the prospective homestay provider’s residence (excludes Global Programs as an information session is held for participants) with the prospective homestay provider:
  • invite all adult residents
  • confirm meeting details and advise the documentation required for the meeting, if required
• evaluate risks associated with conducting a home visit as identified in the homestay application; noting the nature and purpose of homestay home visits is non-threatening and generally considered low risk for school staff and DEi staff
• seek endorsement from your line manager to conduct the home visit
• ensure that another staff member is aware of the time and location of your visit and your contact details
• conduct initial meeting with homestay provider to contribute to the assessment and determination as to the suitability of the applicant and the residence (for Global Programs, this may involve a phone call, face-to-face information session or webinar)
• inspect premises, that is, their place of residence (for Global Programs, DEi staff request photographs of premises)
• for ISP, complete the ISP initial homestay approval checklist (DoE employees only)
• for Study Tours, complete the checklist on the Study Tours homestay provider profile (document A) (DoE employees only)
• for Global Programs, undertake matching process in collaboration with international partners
• request further information/follow-up on items not completed in the relevant homestay approval checklist
• update the Homestay database, for example the homestay register, during the assess step (master planner for Global Programs during the matching step) or wait until the homestay provider is approved.

Homestay provider

• participate in activities as part of the assessment process, including home visits and obtaining a blue card/exemption card.

3. Approve

DEi staff and School staff

• await notification from the applicant regarding the outcome of their blue card/exemption card application, where the applicant doesn’t already have a valid blue card/exemption card; once blue card/exemption card is issued to the homestay provider, follow the Working with children authority procedure to verify, validate and link the card, prior to them engaging in work with the department
• consider all relevant information, including the assessment against the criteria on the application form, and make a recommendation to the school principal or delegate to approve or not approve the homestay provider application
• for reciprocal Global Programs, consider all relevant information in the matching process and make a recommendation to DEi staff and the international partner to formalise the matching homestay arrangement.

School principal (or delegate)

• request further information from the homestay provider applicant, if required
  • for ISP, option to use the ISP homestay provider requesting further information letter template (DoE employees only)
• approve application, on behalf of DEi, if satisfied that all adults who reside in the home have current blue cards/exemption cards and the applicant has demonstrated that they:
  • are able to provide a safe, caring and supportive home environment
  • are able to comply with, and assist DEi to comply with, relevant legislation (for example, Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld))
  • are able and willing to comply with the relevant terms and conditions for homestay providers
  • are able and willing to comply with the Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy
• have knowledge of and willingness to comply with relevant DEi procedures and the Department of Education’s (DoE) Student protection procedure
• decide not to approve an application if not satisfied that the applicant has met the criteria 
• advise staff of decision.

DEi staff

• for reciprocal Global Programs, receive acceptance of confirmed homestay arrangement from international partner and notify school staff of the confirmed arrangement.

DEi staff and School staff

• notify homestay provider of the decision
• for ISP:
  • option to use theISP homestay provider application acceptance letter template (DoE employees only), include Supplier master data maintenance form (DoE employees only) to enable payments via OneSchool
  • option to use the ISP homestay provider application not accepted letter template (DoE employees only)
  • obtain school principal’s signature on relevant letter and email to homestay provider applicant
• if approved, submit the Link a person to your organisation for Queensland State School employees or volunteers form to Blue Card Services for your school
• update blue card, student and homestay records, for example, homestay database, master planner, OneSchool and international student management system.

4. On-board

Staff

• deliver orientation and training to approved homestay providers prior to the student placement including:
  • information in the ISP homestay handbook (DoE employees only)
  • opportunities to meet other homestay families involved in the school’s homestay program
  • DEi’s role and responsibilities
  • school staff contact details (for ISP, communication specifications are outlined in Schedule 1 of the ISP terms and conditions for homestay providers)
  • information available on the EQI website
  • DEi incident management procedure
  • homestay payments, if applicable
• assist homestay providers to understand their role and responsibilities and answer any queries
• for some Global Programs, DEi staff deliver an information session for participants and hosting families prior to the student placement.

Homestay provider

• participate in orientation and training activities as part of the on-boarding process
• seek clarity regarding the homestay provider role and responsibilities to ensure adherence to the terms and conditions of the homestay arrangement, for example, for ISP the ISP terms and conditions for homestay providers.

Definitions

Legislation

• Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cwlth)
• National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018
• Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld)

Delegations/Authorisations

• Nil

Other resources

• Blue card services
• Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy
• Conducting home visits procedure
• Customer complaints management policy
• Education providers approving welfare arrangements
• EQI - ISP Team Site (DoE employees only)
• ISP standard terms and conditions
• Student protection procedure
• EQI Study Tours Accredited Officers (DoE employees only)
• Supplier master data maintenance form (DoE employees only)
• Supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing procedure
• Working with children authority procedure - Blue Cards
• Working with children authority guidelines

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

2.1 Recruit, assess, approve and on-board homestay providers

3.0 DEi recruit and on-board homestay providers procedure