Could you help young people to have the best year of their life yet?

We are looking for 2 x Senior Adventure Youth Coaches to support our team of Adventure Youth Coaches and work with our Programme Manager in the delivery of our 1-year programme. We will be running 2 separate cohorts and are seeking one Senior Adventure Youth Coach per cohort. Because this is a role that is very specific to our organisation, you will begin by shadowing the Programme Manager with a view to taking on more responsbility as the year goes on.

NB: This is a freelance role comprising of 25 days guaranteed work per year (June - June). These days comprise of:

• 6 x Adventure Residentials (2-3 days in length)

• 2 x Adventure Day Events

• 6 x School Workshops (single-day)

• 2 x Paid Training Days

The day events will be paid at a day rate of £150, which includes contribution towards travel expenses. The 3-day adventure trips will be paid at a comprehensive trip rate of £600, which also covers a pre-trip briefing, feedback writing after each trip and 2 mid-programme supervision check-ins, as well as travel expenses. Food and accommodation (with exception of lunch on Day 1 is provided).

We are looking for individuals that can commit to attending all our trips over the course of a one-year programme. They will either be Mon-Weds or Weds- Fri, during term-time. Dates are in the process of being secured but provisional ones are available upon request.

Responsibilities

You will take 30 Year 8's on a 1-year programme, which comprises of 6 x School Workshops and 6 x Adventure Residentials. As the year goes on, you will be responsible for:

Everything the Adventure Youth Coaches are also responsible for. This includes:

• Taking part in all outdoor activities with our young people whilst on residential.

• Delivering in-house adventurous activities such as low-level walks, treasure walks and outdoor cooking (in tandem with the other AYC’s).

• Being responsible for a Basecamp Huddle: this is a group of 10 students, for whom you will run 30-45 minute check-in coaching circles; offer individualised mentoring support and support pastorally as regards wearing the right layers, packing enough food, tying laces etc.

• Helping run evening activities on residential such as games, quizzes, escape rooms and challenges.

• Working long days and be able to keep energy high!

• Writing up a short paragraph of feedback on each of your Huddle members after each trip.

• Managing day-to-day unplanned situations that arise (including behaviour management strategies, emotional support, and spontaneous crises)

• Referring safeguarding issues immediately if they qualify as a ‘Cause for Concern’

In addition to this, alongside the Programme Manager, you will also be responsible for:

• Running and facilitating the School Workshops. These are 2-hour workshops, delivered to half the cohort in the morning and half the cohort in the afternoon. They will be based on a specific module.

• Taking the lead on Adventure Trips. Specifically this includes:

• Being the key point of contact for our instructor partners and making sure activities run as planned with the trip theme in mind

• Being the key point of contact for accompanying teachers, making sure they are informed of when and where they will need to provide minibus transport; liaising on disciplinary issues; passing on Safeguarding issues

• Leading the team of Adventure Youth Coaches, making sure they feel supported to support their ’Huddle’ of young people; briefing them on the plan for each day and de-briefing on success and challenges

• Acting as the ‘Host’ of each trip, delivering key messages to young people before, during and after activities, around meal times and departure times

On a not-so-quantifiable level, you'll have the pleasure of helping young people to:

• Push themselves out of their comfort zones and do things they never though themselves capable of

• Help them to identify their strengths, talents and weaknesses

• Feel more confident in their skin and know their worth

• Understand what they could be capable of becoming or achieving, with increased aspiration to do so

• See themselves as drivers of their own future

• Be more confident meeting new people, forming friendships and engaging in social situations

• Get more involved in classroom environments and have increased confidence to speak up and take the lead

• Be more determined, resilient and less likely to give up easily

We are looking for people who are based within a 1-hour drive to Leeds, where our schools are based and school workshops take place. Our adventure trips take place in the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District so applicants should be within a workable drive (2-3 hours) of these areas.

Most importantly, you'll:

• Be a highly relational person who can manage multiple partner teams

• Have experience working with vulnerable/challenging young people in a relevant context, such as school, residential or youth work setting

• Have experience line-managing/leading a small team

• Have expertise in handling spontaneous, high-stress situations calmly and professionally

• Be patient and resilient, particularly in (emotionally or physically) challenging and demanding situations

• Have strong capacity and commitment to self-reflection and continuous personal and professional development

• Possess a empathetic and compassionate approach to vulnerable young people, with a genuine passion to see them grow and thrive

• Be a strong trust builder who can get alongside young people and build rapport with them

• Positively model the kinds of behaviours we look to instill. These include a willingness to show vulnerability, empathy, a willingness to step outside the comfort zone, taking personal responsibility and resilience

• Be an optimistic life-lover who embodies the Basecamp culture of energising and inspiring

• Be able to engage in potentially vulnerable and difficult conversations with young people, either to support them or challenge them towards their personal targets

• Have sufficient outdoor experience, physical fitness and resilience to be able to deal with the social/emotional challenges of the day

• Be organised, punctual and good at managing your time

Desirable:

• Knowledge or experience of psychological/developmental research relevant to working with vulnerable young people (such as ADHD/ASD/ACES and Trauma-informed approaches)

• Clear Enhanced DBS check (please note we will be doing our own Enhanced DBS check)

• Current First Aid certificate