We hear from newly
appointed Senior Guardianships Manager, Cory Holden and Senior Safeguarding
Manager, Natalie Hamson, who have both recently been promoted from their preceding Guardianship Care Manager posts.
Cory started working for
Bright World almost 3 years ago, as a Guardianship Care Manager, dealing
with the day to day welfare of students on our Guardianship programme. In his
new role as Senior Guardianships Manager, Cory will look after fewer students, allowing him to oversee and guide the guardianship team as a whole.
CH: Coming out of university during
the economic crisis left me with few options and I had been working as a temp
at a local registrars firm for two years before the vacancy opened at Bright
World. Although I was aware of the international student market, guardianship
was completely new to me. I applied for the position of Guardianship Care
Manager and was accepted. The past three years working at Bright World have
been an amazing experience. I have recently been
appointed Senior Guardianships Manager at Bright World, a newly created
position, in which I will oversee the day to day management of the Guardianship
team. I will report to Fiona Walters, our Director of Guardianships, and
together we will make sure that all aspects of the Guardianship programme run
smoothly and that we maintain the high standards parents and partners
have come to expect.
1. What
is an Educational Guardian?
CH: An educational guardian is an
individual or an organisation that has been appointed to act as the UK
based representative for an international student.
2. Bright World Guardianship Care
Managers? What do they do?
CH: Once you enrol a student on the
guardianship programme at Bright World, you will be assigned with a
guardianship care manager (GCM). Your GCM will be your head office care contact
for all administrational matters. You can contact your
GCM for assistance with arrival transfers, host family selection and planning
and of course with any questions you may have.
3. As
Senior Guardianships Manager, how will you ensure that the main events i.e half
term holidays, exeat weekends and student departures, run smoothly?
CH: Together with Fiona Walters, our
Director of Guardianships, I will lead weekly review meetings with the
guardianship team to ensure that up coming events and holidays have been
prepared for correctly. Taking a step back and reducing the number of students
in my care will allow me to focus on how we, as an organisation can uphold high standards of communication and care for our students.
4. What
makes Bright World Guardianships unique?
CH: Bright World is a centrally
controlled organisation. This means that all information and communication is
fed through our head office. This allows us to keep a high level of control
over important arrangements, thus allowing us to meet the strict safeguarding and
care objectives that we set out for ourselves. As of December 2013 Bright World
became the first organisation to join the Child-Safe assured Partner Scheme. Child-Safe
is a unique organisation which aims to safeguard and prevent the abuse of
children and young people living away from home.
Natalie began working for
Bright World in 2012, as one of our Guardianship Care Managers. In her new role
as Senior Safeguarding Manager, Natalie will ensure that we are upholding and
obliging our child protection policies and safeguarding targets, whilst working
alongside Managing Director, Lana Foster to further improve our safeguarding procedures.
NH: I joined Bright World as a
Guardianship Care Manager in 2012. As a member of the Guardianship team I
received extensive and specialist Child Protection training which fuelled my want to become a bigger part of the safeguarding effort at Bright World.
1. What
is Safeguarding ?
NH: Safeguarding is the protection of
children from maltreatment and preventing the impairment of children’s
health/development. Bright World ensures that whilst studying overseas, children
continue to grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and
effective care.
2. How
will your role impact Bright World Guardianships?
NH: In my new role as Senior
Safeguarding Manager I will follow a carefully mapped out timeline to ensure
that all of our suppliers, (taxi drivers, host families and all employees) undergo
individual Criminal Record Checks and appropriate referencing. I hope that soon
we will achieve Platinum status and continue on our mission to remain as the
leading light here in the UK
for the guardianship and safeguarding of international students.
3. How
did you prepare and train for this role?
NH: I received Specialist Child
Protection Training to Level 3 in 2013. I have also received invaluable
preparation by getting to know the needs of parents and their children during
my time as a GCM.
4. What
is Bright World doing to ensure that they are safeguarding children within
their care?
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