Volunteer Workshop Assistant

**Role**:Volunteer Workshop Assistant

**Responsible to**:Volunteer Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator

**Application deadline**:None / Ongoing

**ABOUT SPECTRUM COMMUNITY ARTS**:
Spectrum Community Arts provides performing arts workshops for people with disabilities and additional needs. We aim to;
- Use the performing arts to help develop self-esteem, self-expression and build friendships
- Give the participants a place they feel safe and a club to which they belong
- Give the parent/carers an opportunity for a short period of respite

**ROLE SUMMARY**:
We are looking for enthusiastic, reliable people to join our team as Volunteer Workshop Assistants, to support one or multiple weekly clubs. We currently have 7 weekly clubs that require ongoing support from Volunteer Workshop
Assistants. As a Volunteer Workshop Assistant, your role is to help the participants engage in the workshops and support the facilitator in the smooth running of the sessions. During each session, there will be the facilitator, workshop assistant and other Volunteer Workshop Assistants, who all work collectively as a team.

No experience is necessary to undertake this role, however we ask all volunteers to enter each session with energy, positivity and the desire to participate in the sessions.

**Weekly Workshops**

Spectrum Community Arts currently has 7 different weekly clubs which run during term-time. In this role you will be expected to commit to and attend at least one of the clubs on a regular basis. The workshop you are assigned to will depend on several factors including, personal preference, location and availability.

You will need to be able to travel to and from your chosen club.

**Details of our current workshops**:

- **SPECTRUM BEATS** - Mondays 17:30 - 18:30 - The Chiltern School, Houghton Regis - A session for 7-14-year-olds, which is all about nurturing social, emotional and cognitive development, while making music together
- **JUNIOR MOVERS** - Tuesdays 18:00 - 19:00 - Vandyke Upper School, Leighton Buzzard - Dance club, building on routines each week as well as helping to develop self-esteem, teamwork and self-expression for 8-17-year-olds.
- **ADULT MOVERS** - Tuesdays 19:00 - 20:00 - Vandyke Upper School, Leighton Buzzard - A fun dance club learning new routines and helping develop friendships, communication skills and confidence for over 18s.
- **MINI SENSORY MOVERS** - Wednesdays - 17:00 - 18:00 - Astral Park Community Centre, Leighton Buzzard - A fun club using sensory props to explore music and movement, a place for 4-8-year-olds to be themselves
- **SENSORY MOVERS** - Wednesdays - 18:15 - 19:15 - Astral Park Community Centre, Leighton Buzzard - A sensory movement to music club for or 8-17-year-olds.
- **SENSORY PERFORMERS** - Thursdays - 17:00 - 18:00 - Oxley Park Community Centre, Milton Keynes - A club for 7-17-year-olds using sensory props and activities to explore dance, drama and music
- **PERFORMING ARTS CLUB** - Thursdays - 18:00 - 19:00 - Oxley Park Community Centre, Milton Keynes - A fun club that helps 7-14-year-olds to develop their self-esteem and self-expression through dance, drama and singing

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**

A Spectrum Community Arts Workshop Assistant Volunteer will:

- Join in the workshop with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude
- Read, understand, and follow our safeguarding policy, so you know how to safeguard our participants and yourself
- Accompany participants to the toilets in pairs
- Encourage anxious or shy participants to get involved
- Support participants on a 1:1 basis where necessary
- Hand out and clear away props for the routines/exercises
- Assist with the setting up and clearing away of the sessions
- Tie shoelaces and help with coats and jumpers where necessary
- Assisting the Lead Facilitator and Workshop Assistant where this is required/requested

**KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS YOU WILL NEED**:

- Organised and reliable
- A professional, friendly and outgoing manner
- Interpersonal skills
- Works well independently and as part of a team
- Committed to our values
- Excellent time management skills
- Ability to build strong relationships with new people
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable

**Desirable, but not required**:

- Experience working with people with disabilities and additional needs
- Experience in the performing arts
- Experience working with children
- First Aid training
- Safeguarding training
- Experience with communication aids such as sign language and PECS
- Driving licence

**SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS / What the role offers Volunteers**:

- required to sign a volunteer agreement
- required to review, agree and adhere to our policies and procedures
- provided with the opportunity to develop skills, confidence and gain experience
- provided with training including annual safeguarding awareness training
- provided access to bite-size awareness sessions on topics including: Alternative Communication Styles, Autism Awareness, Sensory