Post: Summer play scheme officer
Department: Learning
Contract: 38 days
Responsible to: Mabintu Mustapha, New Audiences Team, Community Learning Programme Developer
Period: 22 June -18 September  2009
Freelancer budget: Between £80-£85 per day

The New Audiences Team at the Natural History Museum works to engage, enthuse and build relationships with local and community groups to encourage their visits to the museum and increase interest in the natural world. For more information visit www.nhm.ac.uk/education/community-groups/index.html. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic, child focused facilitator to deliver the Summer Play Scheme programme. The principle aim of this programme is to offer a free day at the Museum for play schemes and young carer groups (aged 7-12) from disadvantaged areas in London. Participants take part in fun, interactive and educational activities such as quizzes and games, specimen handling in the Investigate centre and gallery visits. Groups also visit the summer blockbuster tropical butterfly house Butterfly Jungle. 

The 2009 Summer Play Scheme visits will run during the summer holidays from 27 July to 28 August and visits will last approximately half a day. Recruitment of groups for these visits will start in June 2009.  The post starts on June 22 when groups will be contacted. You will receive all relevant training and ongoing support from the New Audiences Team, who will also deliver some of the programme. 

This post is subject to a CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check, the museum will arrange this free of charge.  

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate will work closely with the Community Learning Programme Developer to deliver the following:

*	Recruit agreed number of participants  - contacts will be provided
*	Maintain and build new relationships with community groups on behalf of the Museum
*	Coordinate visits internally and externally e.g. organising and tailoring day plans, liaising with other teams, booking car park spaces etc
*	Manage situations with sensitivity i.e. considering the diverse needs and interest of the individuals in the community groups
*	Meet and greet groups in a friendly and approachable manner on the phone and face to face 
*	Work closely with other members of the New Audiences team and summer interns to facilitate visits, educational activities and undertake any follow up activities as necessary
*	Facilitate your agreed quota of visits and educational activities
*	Use museum systems and protocols
*	Follow financial procedures and bring the programme in on budget and on time
*	Collect, collate, organise and store all relevant and agreed data in accordance with the data protection act - primarily via Microsoft word, excel and outlook and basic imaging software
*	Keep notes and responses generated from the activities 
*	Undertake agreed evaluation techniques and measure the success of the programme
*	Write an evaluation report and communicate the results in a clear manner
*	Suggest improvements for future Summer Play Schemes programmes
*	Follow appropriate health and safety policies and procedures, maintain and update risk assessments where applicable
*	Involve a range of permanent staff throughout the course of the project ensuring all community group relationships are built with permanent staff to ensure sustainability at the end of this contract

Person Specification

Experience of working with children from a diverse range of backgrounds and needs	Application letter and interview
Knowledge of the needs of a range of communities; demonstrable broad cultural awareness.	Application letter and interview
Proven core community engagement skills 
*	Flexible working and planning
*	Friendly, outgoing and engaging personality
*	Relationship building
*	Partnership working	Application letter and interview
Clear written and verbal communication skills	Application letter and interview
Ability to work closely in a team and liaise with a number of stakeholders; gets things done efficiently in a complex organisation.	Interview
Excellent interpersonal skills	Application letter and interview
A demonstrable passion for the natural world	Interview
Understanding of the differences between formal and informal learning facilitation	Interview
Project planning skills including planning for continuation of the relationships beyond the life of this programme.	Interview
Ability to deliver to schedule and on budget	Interview
Personal organisational skills	Application letter
Fully proficient in Microsoft word, excel, out look (email)	Application letter
Experience of using cultural heritage organisations such as museums or other public resources to benefit local communities.	Application letter and interview
Appreciation of the potential and value of natural history collections and how they can be utilised to engage and benefit local communities	Interview
Understanding of child protection issues, ability to follow health & Safety legislation and generate risk assessments
	Application letter and interview


Project schedule
22 June to 18 September 2009.
Anticipated working pattern: 2 days per week in June, July and September, and 5 days per week in August.

Location:
London based. 

How to apply:

*	Please send an application letter outlining what experience you have that enables you to meet the key tasks and responsibilities by 27 May 5pm.

*	Your application letter should show how you meet all the person specifications indicated as 'application letter' in the table and highlight any relevant experience you have for this project.  Please address each specification point by point 

*	Your application letter should also include your proposed day rates. We have a freelancer budget of between £80 to £85 per day and will base our selection on suitability, experience and cost effectiveness.

*	Please send your application letter and day rate quote to: [log in to unmask], Mabintu Mustapha, New Audiences Programme Developer, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD.

Interviews

We will contact successful applicants by 2 June and interviews will take place on 9 and 11 June. Please assume that your application has been unsuccessful if you don't hear from us after the 12 of June.