1. Arrangement of suitable accommodation to meet the student’s requirement.
2. Meeting the student at the airport and taking to the accommodation by car. This incurs a charge depending on the distance of the accommodation from the airport and will be met by the student.
3. Providing information on the provision of a mobile phone and connection to allow long distance calls back home to China. The cost of the mobile phone service is met by the student.
4. Managing the first term payment of fees at the educational establishment.
5. Ensuring registration with doctor, dentist and police, as necessary. Advising on everyday issues such as the living environment, travel, shopping, the weather, where to get help.
6. Setting up a bank account and providing advice on budgeting of personal finances.
7. Contacting the student at least once a week to ensure he/she settles well into the new environment.
8. Providing invitation letters for the parents, if required, to accompany the student to the UK and assisting the parents to apply to the Embassy / Consulate for a suitable visa.
Ongoing Guardianship Service includes the above 8 items mentioned in Settling in Package. In addition, it also includes the following:
9. Providing a ‘Care Service’ where the student can discuss any problem/difficulty in confidence and assisting them to resolve the issue.
10. Offering an invitation to join other Chinese students from time to time at various sporting events, concerts, meals and trips to places of interest in the UK.
11. Liaison with the School / College / University to learn of progress and discussing this with the tutors and parents, as appropriate.
12. Arranging to receive and translate reports from the institution each term so that parents can be informed, both formally and informally, how their child is progressing. We also send a suitable letter to the student to encourage them to improve in areas that have been identified as requiring attention.
13. Arrange the purchase of tickets throughout the year when travelling back to China and ensure appropriate personnel are available for airport transfers.
14. Arrange suitable student holiday accommodation, paying due regard to safety and hygiene.
15. When the student is off sick or has special difficulties, we will look after them on behalf of their parents and ensure the parents are informed of their situation.
OPDS also offers a more comprehensive form of financial assistance. We are able to provide a personal bank account for the student's sole use. Students are allocated a sum of money, which is specified by the parents, and transferred into their account every month. In exceptional circumstances additional sums can be transferred on request from the parents. A detailed record of all the student's expenditure is maintained and made available to the parents at the end of each term.