Congratulations to Regent Guardians for gaining full AEGIS accreditation!
Regent Guardians is run by Helen Collier; a parent who understands the importance of nurture and care for children of all ages. She has more than 20 years’ experience in international education, having been Housemistress, Head of Boarding, Deputy Head & Assistant Principal in boarding schools in East Africa and across the UK until 2017. By 2018 Helen had branched out into Guardianship having gained a clear appreciation of the scale and type of care and support needed by international boarding students, their parents, schools and colleges.
Regent Guardians becomes our 50th accredited guardianship organisation which is a landmark moment for AEGIS.
Established in 1994, with the safeguarding of children at its heart, AEGIS provides a robust inspection process for guardianship organisations.
As there is no regulation of the guardianship sector or hosting of international students in the UK, an AEGIS accredited guardianship organisation offers peace of mind that safeguarding procedures and standards are being met. Standards ensure, for example, that:
Appropriate insurance, policies, procedures, contracts are in place
All host family members aged 16 and over, drivers, staff and contractors are DBS checked (police checked) and safer recruitment procedures have been followed
Host family homes have been visited and assessed, along with health and safety checks
Host families have received safeguarding training, as well as staff within the guardianship company
Our aim is to make sure students are safe.
AEGIS would not be where it is today without the dedication, hard work and commitment of many people involved in the charity over the years, to whom we are incredibly grateful.
The current inspection team has been very successfully led by our Head of Inspections – Jackie Scotney, for the last two and a half years. Jackie has been inspecting for ISI since 2008 and has undertaken AEGIS inspections since 2013. She has knowledge and experience of the variety of guardianship organisations and safeguarding involved. Jackie is a highly valued member of the AEGIS team, working hard behind the scenes.
With many more AEGIS inspections underway, it is clear that the need for AEGIS accreditation is recognised.