Pastoral Care Staff

The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity providing adventure-based, outdoor learning for young people from six centres across the UK

We are seeking Pastoral Care staff for our busy residential centre based at Aberdovey, Mid-Wales, on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. 

The Trust run adventurous and challenging outdoor programmes focused on learning through frontier adventure. These programmes equip young people with valuable skills for education, work and life, and increase their knowledge and understanding of the natural environment.

During the summer months, The Trust runs courses for Individuals at its residential centres. During the young people's recreational time, we use a team of Pastoral Care staff to support them during the evenings, mornings, and some overnights. The Pastoral Care staff also provide a range of activities in the evening to support the programme. These could be indoors or outdoors.

Job description

The purpose of this job is to ensure that the young people on our courses are safe, feel cared for, and have fun. Everything we do should be focused on young people and how we support their experience at Outward Bound.

We want our staff to ‘walk towards young people, and not expect them to walk towards us’.

**Responsibilities**:

- Provide proactive pastoral support for young people on our courses.
- Be responsible for the immediate safety and security of the centre and its visitors during the period of duty.
- Provide a range of suitable evening activities that add to the course and help to maintain pastoral care of the young people.
- Provide overnight pastoral care, depending on your shift, you might be housed in the same building as the young people.
- Be a point of contact for anyone on site who requires any form of assistance during the duty period.
- Be a point of contact for anyone attempting to contact the centre by telephone outside normal working hours, which includes staff working off site, parents and sponsors of young people, members of the public, etc.
- Alert senior staff, as appropriate, to any occurrence that is beyond the ability, level of training or experience to manage.
- Inform a member of the logistics team and other appropriate staff about any notable occurrences at the end of the period of duty.
- See and be seen around the centre whilst on duty and present a professional image at all times, supporting the reputation of The Trust.
- Maintain safety standards, operating within The Outward Bound Trust policy, guidelines and rules for Risk Management.
- Work in such a way as to support The Trust’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Other
- The applicant must have the ability and skills to build positive rapport with the young people. Further to this, the applicant must make the young people feel supported and cared for whilst they are under their supervision.
- There will be opportunities for the post holder, when off duty, to gain experience of seeing some Outward Bound courses in action. So, this role could suit someone who had a genuine interest in learning about the personal development aspect of the Trust’s courses and who is keen on outdoor activities. Primarily we are seeking someone who will be able to fulfil all aspects of the Pastoral Care role as described above.
- The role involves working shift patterns and is based on an average of 40 hours per week. Some weeks will involve working more than 40 hours and other weeks less. The ability to work well at all times of the day and night is essential.
- All shifts will be during the ‘Non-Instructional Time’, which will be either the mornings or evenings. This might be evening work, evening into morning work, or a combination of the two. You may also be required to work through the night, all of the options will be contracted with your line manager.

Person specification

Essential
- Working or volunteering with young people from diverse backgrounds
- Personal experience of outdoor adventure and instigating own personal development.
- Be supportive and sensitive to the needs of young people
- Ability to relate to and communicate with all types of people and address any issues in a professional & empathic manner
- Ability to work adeptly during different shift patterns, including nights
- Experience of working unsupervised
- Ability to work with guidance from more experienced staff as part of a team
- Good organisational skills
- Confident and act with authority
- Welcoming, helpful and friendly
- Reliable
- Ability to work in a busy environment
- Be physically fit (the Aberdovey Centre is set on a hillside and the role will involve walking and working around all of the site)

Desirable
- Minibus licence
- (D1 category on driving licence)
- Valid First Aid certificate (training will be given if necessary)
- Working in a residential centre.
- Working in an outdoor education setting with young people.
- Being accountable for the well-being of a group of young people.

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