Note to Homestay Hosts from Peter Brown (COVID-19 – Coronavirus)For years, we have worked hard to source quality students for our hosts. Those who love hosting international students, who love sharing cultures, who need income support, who need the company and someone to interact with, to build relationship and friendships that last a lifetime.
Hosts International and our wonderful team are committed to student accommodation. If you have any students in need of accommodation, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time needed as we are here to help and have many committed homestays available. Our office emails, phone lines and emergency lines are live and running 24/7 for you.
We are confident that student numbers will increase again in the near future and we look forward to hearing from you. We remain very optimistic.
Hosts International are carrying out risk assessments for all parties to ensure safety is paramount, from students to homestays, for everyone’s sake. There is a policy in place and a safe environment policy with schools as well. No one wishes to spread the virus or carry unnecessary risk. We continue to place students on a one to one individual basis.
Prevention
Hosts International will continue to follow UK and Ireland’s government advice and guidelines as strictly as possible and urge our staff, partners, and host families to also follow the same to protect ourselves, take care of each other and come together in community spirit to protect the most vulnerable.
We are here to support our clients, partners, staff, students and our hosts. We can be reached 24/7 out office lines, emergency out of hours line and email.
We would like to also encourage positive thinking and reading only reliable sources. The best sources of references are:
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid- 19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
- https://citizensinformation.ie/en/health/covid19_overview.html
Cancellation Procedures
At Hosts International, we have always believed our values translate into our services offered and therefore keeping that very thought in mind, we would like to reassure our partners and students that we will take a flexible long-term sustainable approach to help you progress with ease with our services maintaining our long term relationship through these tough times ahead of us.
We ask all our partners, students and homestays to be flexible and understanding at this time, as we understand that many students who already cancelled their stays in past couple of days, are all keeping their bookings now on hold and are certain to rebook again once the situation allows them safer travel.
Thank you SO much for being such an important part of our family. Hosts International remains open, key valued staff are working remotely, serving our students, our school partners, overseas agents and each other. We are in this together and we will get through this together and in the meantime, please stay safe and take great care of yourselves.
Peter Brown