Homestay Provider Training

Welcome Onboard

We are so glad to welcome you as a homestay provider at John Paul College. Our Homestay program gives international students a warm, safe home away from home — and you play a significant part in their journey with us. Thank you, in advance, for the care you will provide.

This short training course walks you through everything you need to know to host confidently and safely. Work through it at your own pace, one topic at a time. At the end, you'll be asked to acknowledge that you've read and understood it — your informal commitment that you're ready to care for a student under 18.

Your role at a glance

Your Core Responsibilities

Homestay Providers must be of good character and provide accommodation that is age- and culturally-suitable for international students. When you join the program, you agree to the following.

• Acknowledge and abide by the Homestay Program Terms & Conditions.
• Allow the College to verify the suitability of your residence at least twice a year.
• Take on the role of carer for students under 18 years of age.
• Encourage the use of English in the home.
• Provide a safe, welcoming environment for emotional, social, physical and educational wellbeing.
• Show genuine interest in — and respect for — your student's culture and customs.
• Include students in family life, activities and events where suitable, and help them adapt.
• Provide three nutritious meals a day, seven days a week, plus snacks — meeting dietary and medical needs.
• Give an in-home orientation covering facilities, security and emergency numbers.
• Provide transport to and from the College and co-curricular activities (any public-transport cost is met by you).
• Support school attendance and the completion of homework where required.
• Attend interviews with the Accommodation Officer and staff at enrolment, parent meetings and as required.
• Contact the College about any welfare, academic progress or attendance issue.
• Contact the College first if a student is unwell or is to be absent.
• Reinforce the expectations and ethos of John Paul College.

Supervision

Careful, consistent supervision keeps students safe. As a provider you are required to:

• Ensure students are appropriately supervised and monitored outside College hours, in line with the Duty of Care Declaration.
• Never allow students to be unsupervised overnight, or out late in the evening, without giving the College prior notice.
• Only permit overnight stays or non-routine travel/activities once you have written notice from the College.
• Never leave international students to supervise younger students.

Provider Conduct

Your conduct — and that of your whole household — sets the tone for a student's safety and comfort. Providers are required to:

• Ensure student safety is paramount at all times.
• Keep household behaviour age- and culturally-appropriate.
• Ensure adult behaviour would be deemed appropriate if viewed by an external third party.
• Never allow a student to be alone with another person in a bedroom or bathroom with the door closed. (Short-Term students may share a twin room with other age-appropriate students.)
• Never address behaviour in a way that harms a student emotionally, and never use physical punishment.
• Respect a student's right to privacy.
• Protect a student's personal and sensitive data; use it only for Homestay Program compliance.
• Never share photos or media of students without their express consent, or where a third party would deem it inappropriate.
• Ensure students do not have access to alcohol or tobacco.

Residence Standards

A homestay home should be safe, clean, tidy and welcoming — age- and culturally-suitable for students under 18. Every long-term student needs their own private space, plus fair access to the shared home.

A private room, including

• A bed with linen, and towels
• Storage for clothes, personal items and study materials
• A desk, chair and lighting for study (a separate quiet room is fine)
• Good lighting and ventilation
• Reasonable access to heating and cooling

Access to the home

• A bathroom, with reasonable time for showers
• Use of communal living areas
• Individual keys (and door codes, if any)
• Laundry of clothes and linen as part of the household wash
• Reasonable access to household internet
• Safe access to household appliances

Key Staff & Contact Information

Save these numbers in your phone today. You are never on your own — the Homestay team is here, and there is an after-hours hotline for anything urgent. In a life-threatening emergency, always call 000 first.

Not sure who to call? When in doubt, ring the After-Hours Emergency Hotline or email the Homestay Office — we would always rather hear from you.

National Child Safe Standards

Child safety is everyone's business. JPC follows the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations — and as a homestay provider, you are part of that safety net. These are the ten principles the College embeds in everything it does.

Harm & Grooming

Knowing what harm and grooming look like helps you protect your student and act early.

Student Protection at JPC

Safeguarding our students is a shared responsibility. Please read the Student Protection — Parents & Students Guidelines, and know exactly what to do if you have a concern.

The JPC College Values

Every member of the John Paul College community lives by four shared values — MICE: Mutual Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence. Your student knows these from school, and they carry into your home too.

The MICE Values in the Homestay

Students are expected to show these values in the homestay, just as they do at school. In everyday life, that might look like this:

Emergency Protocols

Know these protocols before you need them. When something urgent happens, act quickly and involve the College.

Reporting Absence & Medical Care

Two of your most common day-to-day responsibilities: letting the school know when your student is away, and helping them access health care.

Homestay Rules & Curfews

Clear, consistent boundaries help students feel secure. Students shouldn't go out socially on weeknights — that time is for study and co-curricular activities. On weekends, if you don't already have a curfew, the College recommends:

Extended Day Program (EDP)

The EDP is an integral part of our welfare support for long-term homestay students — with transport, dinner and tutoring built in.

Cultural Awareness & Culture Shock

JPC students come from all over the world — China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Russia among them — each with their own language, culture and traditions.

Handbooks & Resources

The documents and links referenced throughout this training — bookmark the ones you'll use most.