Arts & Crafts Practitioner
THE BALSAM CENTRE
Wincanton
Full-time
Listed today
THE GROWING SPACE (WINCANTON) LTD Job Description – Arts & Crafts Practitioner The Growing Space is a Social & Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) charity based in Wincanton, Somerset. We provide nature-based activities and services that help people overcome wide-ranging disadvantages and health inequalities. We work in close partnership with The Balsam Centre and serve a wide rural area. This is a new post, created as the result of a pilot project. The charity’s trustees are committed to broadening the use of our outdoor spaces and natural resources to engage a wider range of community members. This is an exciting opportunity to join our charity as it grows, and we aim for the post to continue after the funded period (2 years) ends. The Balsam Centre is a thriving Healthy Living Centre employing a diverse range of highly skilled practitioners supported by volunteers. The two charities work very cooperatively, sharing skills, advice and guidance. We are seeking someone with creative and artistic flair, as well as excellent knowledge of ecology. A time-served practitioner who will use their skills and knowledge to engage people and groups in creating, arranging, or crafting items that incorporate natural materials, organic forms, and nature- inspired textures to foster a therapeutic connection with the natural world – biophilic arts and crafts. The Post Job Title: Based: Salary: Pension: Term: Arts & Crafts Practitioner The Growing Space, The Balsam Centre, Wincanton. £7914.00 (£32,160 Full Time Equivalent) Should the Employee wish to arrange a Private Pension or opt into our NEST scheme, the company will contribute up to 3% of gross salary. 2 years (then permanent subject to fundraising) Conditions of Employment Hours: Annual Leave: Notice required: Expenses: Probationary Period Primary Tasks 7.5 hours per week initially (increasing to 15 hours as soon as funding allows), plus one Monday per Month. 10 Days (30 days plus Bank Holidays Full Time equivalent) 28 days. Essential car user allowance paid at 45p p/m from base. 12 weeks. • • • • • Further develop our recently piloted programme of nature-based creative activity sessions, providing a range of motivating, inspiring, recovery-based, arts and crafts opportunities which will support participant’s mental and physical health and reduce their social isolation. Use the naturally occurring materials and resources of the charity’s outdoor spaces as the basis for all creative activities, employing these to meet individual participant’s needs. Ensure that activity sessions primarily take place outside and rise to the challenge of ensuring the programme can function year-round in any weather conditions. Contribute to our research into the effectiveness of linking art and craft activities with the ‘Five Pathways to Nature Connection’. Facilitate 2 X 2 hour sessions weekly. Facilitate a monthly fire side craft session on a local nature reserve as part of our Step Into Nature programme. (Monday) The Growing Space (Wincanton) Ltd. Company Reg. No: 4297947 Registered Charity No: 1090917 • • • Provide participants with opportunities for informal mutual support, and for identifying any personal goals and aspirations they have, with activities tailored to meet their needs. Contribute to evaluating the programme’s effectiveness in progressing participants towards their goals. Work collaboratively with the STH Manager and Balsam Centre Practitioners to ensure the programme meets the funding criteria, and dovetails effectively with other services and projects. Styles, Techniques & Media We know that participants are better engaged, motivated, and inspired when a practitioner is following their passion. So, we’d like you to use and adapt your specialism to benefit participants for at least some of the programme. This could be watercolour, sculpture, photography – anything in fact. There are willow weaving and floral craft elements to the programme, including winter displays. We’ve been growing cut flowers for flower arranging, drying, and pressing workshops for many years, as well as producing festive displays. We’d like these to remain part of the programme. Data Protection Act 2018. All employees who are involved in the processing and handling of digital data and information have an obligation to comply with the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018, and subsequent GDPR regulations. Policies. All policies, including the Health and Safety Policy, Equal Opportunities Policy, Vulnerable Adult and Child Safeguarding Policies, Disability Discrimination Act and Contract of Employment are to be taken as part of this Job Description. Safer Recruitment Process The post involves elements of repeated and sustained contact with vulnerable adults and children. The postholder will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check. Person Specification. Essential • Excellent foundation and proven track-record in visual arts and crafts. • Excellent knowledge of the properties and qualities of living (or harvested) materials, their growth habits and lifecycles, and how these qualities can be utilised in art and craft. • A keen interest in nature, environment and habitats, and their cultural and social associations. • Empathy, compassion and respect. • A passion for working outdoors in all weathers. Desirable • Good knowledge of ethical guidelines, information sharing, and professional boundaries. • Ability to adapt art-based interventions to meet the needs of people experiencing mental ill-health, health inequalities or economic disadvantage, or the desire to quickly climb a steep learning curve. • Good knowledge of Humanistic and Person-centred approaches. • Good knowledge of disabilities and disadvantages and their impact on individuals. • Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and ability to identify and respond to potential risks. • • Horticultural knowledge, or a desire to learn. (deadheading, effective cutting / pruning etc) IT skills. For more information and to discuss the position further please email nick@thegrowingspace.org.uk and have a look at our website www.thegrowingspace.org.uk The Growing Space (Wincanton) Ltd. Company Reg. No: 4297947 Registered Charity No: 1090917