Rekindle Youth - Term Time
Mentor / Facilitator
Our project is growing and we would like to invite applications from existing Craftspeople & Landworkers, to join our existing Rekindle Youth Team and share their practical skills with young people.
Rekindle Youth
Rekindle Youth is an amazing and exciting project administered by The Rewild Project (rewilding people, not just landscapes) with funding in place to co-develop a qualification in Heritage Crafts and Land Based Skills (CALS) over the 22-23 academic year.
We currently work with 2 groups of young people aged 12-16 on Mondays & Thursdays who are not thriving in the current education system, to reignite their passion for life and expand opportunities for their future.
The Job Role & Responsibilities:
1. Primary Responsibility: To work as part of a team delivering a programme of engaging and dynamic training sessions for young people in heritage crafts skills and land-based skills. To help the young people reignite a passion for life and their future through exposure to a range of heritage craft, land-based skills and variety of alternative individuals and environments. To develop a range of useful skills; meeting and learning from some inspiring local craftspeople. Connecting with the local community to create edible landscapes. Developing positive day to day relationships with school staff. Prioritising the welfare of the young people attending. Nurture the healthy development of the young people’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills, in an age-appropriate way. Contribute to the creation of a harmonious environment where young people feel safe, happy and can learn and take part effectively.
2. Holiday Clubs: Delivering Rekindle holiday scheme during School Holidays.
3. Aims & Ethos: Linking and promoting the aims of The Rewild Project with the programme and promoting among local partnerships. Linking and promoting other parts of The Rewild Project to young people, schools and families.
4. Well-being & Connection to Nature: To build resilience, a connection to nature and to themselves – a complete Rewilding experience.
5. Training Qualifications: To develop and deliver qualifications in Craft and Land Skills (CALS) accredited with OCN – Open College Network. The Land Skills part of the CALS qualification will skill the young people up with training and delivery in: Consulting (ways and methods), Co Designing (learning to read landscape / apply design principles, create a design with the locals), Implementation of Community Design, Maintence of the land / project and Harvesting to make use of the produce. Assisting young people in creating portfolio’s of their work.
6. Special Education Needs: To be aware of any special educational needs and disabilities a young person may have and, where relevant, to familiarise oneself with learning plans, in collaboration with other workers.
7. Locally sourced nutritious food: To contribute to the planning of the food for each day, supporting young people with preparing food. The meal is usually vegetable soup or vegetable dhal & rice. Where possible we aim to produce food which is locally and ethically sourced, organic and does not contain any allergens. When possible we use food grown on our allotment.
8. Policies and Procedures, Regulations and Rules: To be familiar with and follow the Rekindle policies and procedures, including the Health and Safety policies, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies.
9. Preparation, Planning and Record-Keeping: To contribute to planning sessions which link in with the crafts and skills already provided within the project and linking earth-based celebrations. Contribute to risk assessments and to maintaining a daily register, and other relevant paperwork, ensuring this is stored in line with data protection protocols.
10. Site Care: Ensuring the setting is well cared for during the sessions by contributing to the education of the young people around caring for their environment, as well as modelling care and nurture of the environment.
11. Team work: To work effectively as part of the Rekindle team and the overall organisation, in line with sociocratic processes - training provided. 1 day per week team building day to be spent working on the land at an established Rewild Growing Project within Forest of Dean (Rewild Permaculture Allotment / Berry Hill Community Orchard / Angus Buchanan). Ongoing staff training / team building across The Rewild Project. Occasional evening and weekend sessions will be required.
12. Sharing Skills: To contribute to the team and planning your creative ideas for crafts, land skills and relevant activities.
13. Attendance at Full Moon Crew meetings & Team Circle Meetings: It is essential to be present at the Full Moon Rewild Crew Meetings & project specific sociocratic circle meetings relevant to the holiday club delivery. Specific Holiday Club Sociocratic meetings will be more frequent in the lead up to, and just after the holiday times, and may be able to be attended via phone or zoom with good clear signal to enable effective planning and support.
14. Confidentiality and Discretion: At all times to respect professional confidentiality with regard to information about children, their families and other crew (team) members. Crew must at all times comply with our Confidentiality and Data Protection Policies and Code of Conduct.
15. Sociocratic Circle Groups: To be willing to join and contribute to other Rewild Project Circle Groups as appropriate to their skill, interest, and ability.
Term time team members will work with groups of students over half an academic year, from local secondary schools and pupil referral units based at one of our off-grid outdoor & woodland locations. See our Rekindle Youth page for more information and a sample day.
Job Role: Youth Worker
Circle (Team): Education/ Rekindle
Main site: Kensley Sheds, Speech House Road, Coleford, GL16 7EL
Pay: £15 per hour / Can be salaried or hourly contract / bank work.
Hours 8:30am – 4:30pm on delivery days - currently Mondays & Thursdays - Plus, whole team meetings 2 hours per month. This role may be combined with another role within The Rewild Project.
Closing Date for Initial Expression of Interest Form: Midnight Sunday 27th November.
Closing Date for Full Application Pack: 9am Wednesday 30th November
Interview: Sunday 4th December 10am-3pm.
Interview Process: Our interview process is unlike most others - it is not a competitive process, more of a getting to know each other. On the interview day you will have the opportunity to share skills and experience with other candidates as well as learning more about working at The Rewild Project and the range of opportunities available.
Person specification
You will already be well on your path of personal rewilding and aligned with our aims and ethos. You will have a good range of life experience overcoming challenges to be an authentic living mentor and guide to these young people, helping them in reconnecting to nature and to themselves.
You will have a good understanding of the ancestral skills movement and be adept in delivering a range of outdoor skills and heritage handicrafts as well as knowledge of Special Education Needs and experience of working with a range of behavioural needs successfully without using punishment / reward systems of behaviourism.
You will have the ability to really ‘see’ the young people, seek to understand them, and work creatively to nurture the healthy development of their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive capacities, understanding their strengths and weaknesses and presenting the curriculum accordingly.
Below are essential and desirable skills, abilities, experience, knowledge and special requirements for the post.
Education and Qualifications - Essential
Good standard of education (GCSE, NVQ level 3 or equivalent)
Level 3 Diploma in Youth Work Practice or equivalent.
The post holder will be expected to gain the following if they are not already held, and the probationary period will not be considered complete until that point:
Outdoor First Aid (includes Paediatric).
Food Hygiene Level 2
Safeguarding Children Level 1 & 2
Live Enhanced DBS Disclosure
Education and Qualifications - Desirable
Qualification in an alternative pedagogy.
BA (hons) Professional Youth Worker or equivalent.
Specialist training in a heritage craft or land-based skill.
Level 3 Forest School Lead.
Special Educational Needs Awareness training.
Personal Qualities
Person centred, highly skilled communicator, able to develop strong relationships with young people, colleagues, schools and other organisations.
Enjoy being outdoors & integrating with the natural world and passionate about sharing this with young people.
Dynamic, innovative and energetic, yet a calming and grounding presence. Patient and tolerant.
Unflappable. Pro-active. Self-disciplined. Versatile. Able to turn your hand to a range of practical skills, embodied and/or spiritual practices.
Empathic and understanding, understanding the needs of children and team members.
Be good at listening to and socialising with children.
Demonstrate professionalism in approach to managing all issues.
Open minded to new ideas and new ways of working.
Further Skills & Qualities
A creative individual, with skills in the arts and ability to lead a group and teach a skill.
Understanding of the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of young people.
Ability to hold space for a group of young people.
Self-motivated - Ability to work under own initiative, but also work collaboratively as part of a team.
Ability to balance health and safety issues with the educational opportunities in risky activities.
Have a reasonable level of physical fitness.
Ability to manage self and work calmly under pressure.
A personal self-development practice / Rewilding practice is essential to work within The Rewild Project.
Commitments
The postholder will need to be committed to:
CompletingThe Rewild Project Training programmes prior to taking on the main duties of the post.
Attending further training where relevant.
Team-work, including good personal relationships, good communication, fun and good humour.
Respecting each young person and family with regard to protected characteristics.
Uphold the Aims and Ethos of The Rewild Project.
Commitment to collaborative working, asking for and accepting help/support with a conflict resolution process if / when a conflict arises that cannot be resolved within the team.
Skills and Experience - Essential
2 years experience in youth work.
Experience of leading sessions with young people aged 13-16 in an alternative setting, engaging children with a range of outdoor activities and crafts.
Understanding / experience of an alternative education pedagogy such as Steiner / Montessori / Forest School / Reggio Amelia.
Experience of teaching traditional handicraft skills and/or land-based skills to young people.
Experience working with a range of people, especially those with challenging circumstances, ACES and SEN.
Basic understanding of permaculture approaches.
Working collaboratively as part of a team ideally in non-hierarchical ways of working.
Experienced and comfortable in a range of outdoor / off-grid environments throughout the seasons.
Basic competency in, or knowledge of ancestral skills.
An understanding of Non-Violent Communication (NVC) / or other similar modality.
Skills and Experience - Desirable
Specialist training in a heritage craft or land-based skill.
Experience working in schools / other OFSTED registered settings.
Advanced experience in Authentic relating / communication or Non-Violent Communication.
Experience working / engaging with those with Special Educational Needs.
Understanding of Heritage Craft Skills, Edible Forest Skills and Off-grid outdoor living & ancestral skills movement.
Experience living or working in cooperative or non-hierarchical work settings, alternative settings, using Sociocracy /S3 (method of organisational structure) or consensus decision making.
What can we do for you…
A generous holiday entitlement. As well as bank holidays, you'll get 25 days paid holiday (pro rata if part-time). This increases by one day per year to 30 days when you have been employed for 5 years.
An excellent pension scheme once 3 month probation period has been completed.
Free places on Rewild Project courses and events where available.
Low-cost school holiday childcare.
Job share and reduced working hours where appropriate.
Learning and development programme
Financial assistance with a course of study (where appropriate to the job)
Employee counselling service is being developed.