Job Role
Job Title: Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Coordinator Job Ref: WYZ14
Salary: £18,000 - £20,000
Location: Wigan Youth Zone, Parsons Walk, Wigan
Reporting to: Senior Club Manager
Job Purpose:
To develop and deliver an exciting and engaging programme of adventurous activities and outdoor education which will engage young people at Wigan Youth Zone.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Co-ordinator is responsible for the vision, co-ordination, smooth running, safety, enthusiasm and success of the Award.
Context of the post:
Wigan Youth Zone opened in Spring 2013 and is a £6m building project with state-of-the-art facilities, providing a wide range of sporting, artistic, cultural and general recreational activities and targeted services. Wigan Youth Zone provides a safe meeting place for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, where they can participate in a wide range of positive activities, all for just 50p. The two-storey building has a four-court sports hall with climbing wall, a fully-fitted fitness suite, a boxing gym, dance and performing arts studios, as well as music, media and visual arts facilities. There is also a cafe, together with recreational and social areas. Externally there are four all-weather kick-pitches. Wigan Youth Zone is open 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, providing local young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.
Job Description
Main duties and responsibilities
Young people
- Ensure the delivery of high quality programmes and identify opportunities for increased participation.
- Manage the provision of a safe and enjoyable DofE programme for participants from the Wigan Youth Zone.
- Issue badges and certificates on completion of Awards.
- Arrange suitable opportunities to celebrate young people’s DofE achievements.
- Deal with complaints and queries in an efficient manner.
DofE centres/groups
- Authorise, manage and set up sufficient DofE groups to ensure access to a DofE programme for all participants who wish to take part.
- Manage and support,part time staff and volunteers – support them in their role, ensure they have undergone appropriate training and actively manage the recruitment of new Co-ordinators when necessary.
- Ensure that all DofE groups are adhering to the correct policies and procedures.
- Support the active Wigan Youth Zone volunteer recruitment programme.
General
- To plan, coordinate and deliver a comprehensive DofE programme for young people which will enable them to build their confidence, social skills and overall wellbeing;
- To ensure that the DofEprogramme is high quality and meets the needs of the young people;
- To deliver activities on the climbing wall within the Youth Zone;
- To motivate, encourage and support young people to participate fully in DofEsessions;
- To engage, train and maintain an adequate staff of outdoor adventure coaches;
- To manage part-time workers and volunteers in sessions, coaching them to achieve their full potential within their given roles and monitoring their ability as outdoor adventure coaches;
- To maintain a comprehensive and detailed up-to-date inventory of all equipment owned and / or used by the department;
- To deal with any issues during Youth Zone outdoor adventure sessions;
- To ensure that the members maintain a high standard of behaviour and discipline during sessions;
- To ensure the participation of young people in activities and that their ideas contribute fully in the delivery and evaluation of activities;
- To promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people at all times;
- To be an active member of the team and operate in line with the values and principles of Wigan Youth Zone.
- Be a champion for the DofE within Wigan Youth Zone and actively promote the DofE within the local community.
- To be alert to issues of safeguarding, ensuring the welfare and safety of Youth Zone members is promoted and safeguarded, and to report any child protection concerns to the designated Child Protection Officers using the safeguarding policies, procedures and practice (training to be provided);
- To assist with any promotional activities and visits that take place at the Youth Zone;
- To actively promote the Youth Zone and positively contribute towards increasing Youth Zone membership;
- To adhere to Wigan Youth Zone policies at all times, with particular reference to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities.
Other duties
- To carry out any other duty with the Youth Zone provision and facility operations, and within the competencies of the post holder, as directed by your line manager or a member of the management team.
Person Specification
Essential / DesirableExperience
Extensive experience of delivering outdoor adventure activities to young people /
Experience of youth work /
Managing health and safety for high risk water based activities and for outdoor activities /
Experience of delivering accredited qualifications to young people such as the John Muir Award, BCU paddle power awards and the NICAS Award Scheme, DofE programmes /
Experience of managing a staff team, including volunteers /
Experience of putting systems in place to ensure a good safety record, for examples AALA or similar /
Experience of monitoring and evaluation processes /
Experience of engaging vulnerable, disengaged or hard to reach young people in outdoor adventure activities /
Skills and Abilities
Excellent communication skills to deliver activity programmes to a wide range of young people /
Experience of running DofE programmes. /
An ability to organise and plan effectively.
Ability to motivate and engage staff, volunteers and young people through sessional work /
Ability to engage and build positive relationships with disengaged young people /
Ability to manage and multi-task /
Good team worker and leader /
Ability to work with challenging behaviour and complex needs /
Knowledge and Understanding
Knowledge and understanding of how to develop and deliver a high quality and varied sports programme /
Sound knowledge of outdoor adventure qualifications and the quality standards expected for the successful delivery of accredited outdoor adventure activities /
Understanding of the principles of working with children and young people /
Understanding of issues affecting young people’s lives /
Knowledge of health and safety, diversity awareness and safeguarding best practice and how these relate to children and young people /
First aid knowledge /
Delivery of youth work within an equality framework /
Qualifications
AT least 4 of the following MTE SPA assessed, MTE summer mountain leader, BCU/UKCC level 2 canoe and kayak coach, GNAS archery assessed, Mountain bike trail leader /
Youth Work qualification /
Personal Qualities
Positive and enthusiastic /
Committed to ensuring high standards. /
Commitment to DofE’s guiding principles. /
Punctual and reliable /
Commitment to personal and professional development /
A flexible attitude to work and a willingness to perform a variety of duties to ensure an efficient and effective service /
Willing and able to work in the evenings, at weekends and in a residential setting /
Additional information
Normal working hours will be 37.5 hours a week (exclusive of breaks), which will be worked flexibly. This will involve working unsocial hours in the evenings (up to 10.00 pm) and at weekends during Youth Zone sessions or at events, and also working during the day.
The right candidate will be mentored via the youth zones outdoor adventure advisor for the first 6 months, giving all the support required to fulfil the role by an experienced practitioner.
In accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, this position requires an enhanced DBS check.
Remuneration package
Salary:£18,000 - £20,000 per annum
Holidays:25 days plus 8 bank holidays
Pension:Eligible, after six months’ service, to join the OnSide Group Personal Pension Scheme; 3% of salary is contributed by Wigan Youth Zone, if the employee contributes 3% or more.
Application information
To apply, complete the application form and return it to uoting the job reference number in the subject field. For any queries please ring 01942 612061
Page 1 of 4January 2017