What is guardianship?
Gabbitas guardianship offers parents different levels of service according to their needs. Some families require a guardian who will take an active role in school life and will be available for parents' meetings, concerts, sports fixtures, airport runs etc. Other parents may only require a guardian on an occasional basis, particularly if they are frequently in the UK themselves. Being a guardian need not therefore be a full-time commitment. You can choose a level of guardianship appropriate to the time you have available.
How do I become a guardian?
Once you have registered your interest we will ask you to complete a form to tell us more about yourself, your family and your home. We also ask for details of two independent referees whom we can contact for a character reference.
If we do not have a student in need of a guardian in your area straight away, there is nothing more to do at this stage. We will contact you as and when the need arises. This may take some time, so do not worry if you do not hear from us for a while.
When we have a student who might be suitable, we will contact you and arrange for a member of our team to visit you at home so that we can get to know more about you and the type of accommodation you could offer our student.
We then ask you to complete a form which enables us to carry out a Criminal Records Background (CRB) check on each member of the household who is over 18. You will need to include a passport or picture driving licence as proof of identity and two utility bills to prove residence.
Assuming all is in order, we tell the student something about you and arrange a "taster" weekend so that you and the student can get to know each other. Afterwards we talk to you, the student and his or her parents to see how it went. If everyone is happy we will then confirm the arrangement.
Gabbitas Guardianship looks after children of many different nationalities. If you are wondering what it’s like to be a guardian, here are a few thoughts from some of our families:
“I have gained an insight into a very different culture, tolerance and understanding of these differences, plus a lot of friends amongst the students, other guardians and Gabbitas staff. Also a lot of appreciation from the students and from their families.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience as our children have flown the nest and we have plenty of space. We are hoping to take another student in September."
“Meibi will be leaving us in the summer. We will miss her, she adds interest and colour to our lives!’
