WE'RE RECRUITING

Duties and responsibilities

• Creating a trust and connection based safe space. Supporting children in developing emotional literacy, co-regulation and building consent based relationships.
• Creating an inspiring and stimulating learning environment.
• Ensuring that the site and resources are kept clean, organised and maintained.
• Supporting children in pursuing individual and group interests; organising relevant activitites, guests and trips to support these interests.
• Observing and reflecting on children’s self-directed free play and social interactions and supporting their social, emotional and intellectual needs, interests and self-directed learning.
• Working alongside the children to be a keeper of the culture of the setting, including facilitating and striving to continually improve the democratic and sociocratic mechanisms of the children’s morning meeting..
• Supporting children in resolution of conflicts.
• Establishing and maintaining close contact with families to best support the children in the space.
• Acting as safeguarding deputy and working together with the safeguarding lead. Maintaining confidentiality of student and family data, as well as being vigilant for the protection of student privacy in less formal ways.
• Working with the adventure playground workers, local residents and partners to build connections and embed the project in the local community.
• You will attend the weekly team meeting and be offered an optional termly supervision session with a Self Directed learning specialist to support your work.
• There maybe training and continued professional development opportunities 

Preferred Requirements

• Up to date Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Levels 1 and 2 child protection training (Gamechangers can support in obtaining these qualifications).
• Paediatric First Aid course (ideally with outdoor specialism).
• Right to work in the UK prior to employment.

You will be... (essential qualities and skills)

• Respectful of young people as full individuals with inherent dignity and inalienable rights  which entitles them to receive special care, protection and assistance until they can fully assume their responsibilities as independent members of the community.
• Authentic, adaptable, creative, resourceful, with high levels of initiative and integrity.
• Excited and passionate about working in a self directed, democratic community.
• Experienced working with children and facilitating their self directed learning.
• Comfortable with being outdoors for a large proportion of the day in all weathers.
• Able to support children to express their emotional and learning needs through active and empathetic listening; as well as balancing support with a respect for the 'flow' state: not interrupting or directing attention.
• Able to plan and lead activities and support enquiry into a wide range of subjects and able to recognise when this is appropriate.
• Able to inspire children and be capable of supporting the development of an emergent curriculum according to children’s needs, interest and aims.
• Able to empower children to problem solve and resolve conflicts themselves in ways that are meaningful to the community (not using forced apologies) and using emotional coaching as needed.
• Willing to work towards an unconditional approach (no punishment or reward, including praise and comparisons, yes to affirmation, information, connection, boundaries, gratitude and guidance).
• A strong communicator and able to express thoughts in oral and written form in a respectful way and to tailor communication to different age groups, developmental levels and backgrounds.
• An ability to recognise power dynamics and be able to model and support the children with decolonised ways of being
• Skilled in time management and organisation, with high levels of initiative and ability to prioritise, including to decline requests from children when appropriate.
• Able to work as a core member of a team, where joint reflections, collaboration and creativity are practised and the team is a place to complement each other, learn, grow and have fun.
• Self-aware, with deep knowledge of your own qualities, triggers and needs, and able to acknowledge those of others.  Ready to acknowledge potential blind spots. 
• Interested in personal growth including a commitment to ongoing learning about unconscious bias and anti racism.  Enjoy reflection, critical thinking and expanding self awareness. You'll be happy to ask questions, undertake research and learn new things as well as be able to learn from children.
• Confidence to suggest ideas when you see possibilities for improvement of the project.

It would be great if you had... (desirable qualities and skills)

• An interest in and understanding of child developmental psychology, polyvagal theory and understanding of the nervous system responses and neurodiversity.
• Experience in self directed learning in a democratic education setting.
• Training and knowledge of non violent communication or other forms of horizontal communication and non-judgemental 'clean' language.
• Experience of working with children with disabilities or complex needs.
• Started the ‘deschooling’ process of releasing your own attachments and preferences about learning
• Crafts, technical, or other knowledge and skills that can be shared with the children.
• Forest school/bushcraft skills.
• Knowledge and use of risk assessments, ability to share administrative tasks

This is a self employed position paid at a rate of £18.50 per hour (£11,544 per annum).  You will need to invoice Gamechangers monthly and remain responsible for your own taxes.  You will have an annual contract. This is a part-time job which consists of 78 days of facilitation. The facilitation days run from 9 am to 4.30 pm, with 5.5 hours face to face with the children and 2 hours for preparation, set up and team debriefing. In addition there will be a one hour weekly team meeting and an optional termly support meeting with an SDE specialist. 

Gamechangers follows a term pattern with 3 terms (6 half terms) of 12, 11 and 10 weeks aligned to Tower Hamlets school timetable. You are only required to work two days a week during term time. Annual leave to be arranged outside the 78 term days. You may be offered additional training at the London Living Wage rate.  You will need to be available for a paid trial before your start date.

How to apply

Please send a CV and a cover letter to info@gamechangerslondon.org

Deadline

11 May 2022