Wider Achievement & Lifelong Learning Development Officer (Outdoor Learning, Schools and Comm Services) - Bangholm Outdoor Centre
Job Description
Wider Achievement & Lifelong Learning Development Officer (Outdoor Learning, Schools and Comm Services)
Bangholm Outdoor Centre
Salary: £40,501 - £47,639 (pro-rata for part-time)
Hours: up to 36 per week, 52 weeks
The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to safe, impactful outdoor learning and adventure education (OL&AE). The OL&AE Team operates 3 outdoor centres and has wide ranging responsibilities across safety and quality from onsite activity to residential provision.
We are delighted to announce an opportunity to work within a successful team and build on recent achievements and practice.
The successful applicant (1FTE) will fulfil the technical and training role alongside another staff member (0.4 FTE). The combined solution will provide the necessary breadth and depth of competency to support and develop safe, impactful OL&AE. The two staff will bring energy, creativity, and a passion for OL&AE; using these to grow the role aligned to OL&AE strategic priorities. We are committed to developing staff potential and aspirations aligned to our strategic priorities via career-long professional learning and new opportunities.
The successful applicant’s responsibilities and working will be allocated across 3 core areas and aligned to postholder competency.
Core Area 1: Adventurous activity via Bangholm Outdoor Centre (OC) – supervise, develop and contribute to delivery of Bangholm OC’s adventurous activity provision, including review, development and application of processes and procedures.
- Approximately 40% of allocated time / generally indoors with some outdoor delivery – adventurous activity and training.
Core Area 2: Council’s Excursions Policy – support, apply and contribute to the delivery of CEC’s Excursions Policy, including development of resources, reviewing and responding to requests and submissions and providing training and advice.
- Approximately 40% of allocated time / generally indoors with some outdoors – monitoring visits.
Core Area 3: Adventurous activity across the OL&AE Team - support adventurous activity delivery across the OL&AE Team through delivery of training, including NGB awards, representing OL&AE team with partners & relevant groups, and contributing to strategy development.
- Approximately 20% of allocated time / indoors – admin and theory plus some delivery outdoors.
We are seeking a proven competency in a range of land and water based qualifications, including paddlesports, biking and walking. Further details are via the Person Specification, including higher level technical qualifications to support technical adviser and training responsibilities. Please note: the attached Job Description is a generic Wider Achievement and Lifelong Learning Development Officer resource.
The postholder will be required to regularly visit locations across the City and beyond, including the Council's Benmore and Lagganlia Outdoor Centres. The role is predominantly indoor based. There is some working outdoors throughout the year in different environmental conditions, sometimes in remote and potentially hazardous locations. Suitable and sufficient PPE, induction and support are provided. The allocated work office is Bangholm Outdoor Centre, Edinburgh. The postholder will be required to work occasional weekends and evenings.
We hope you are excited by the opportunity to make a significant contribution to OL&AE in Edinburgh and beyond. Please ensure any application, including a personal statement, is relevant and specific to this advert and attached information. Generic applications will be rejected. Interviews are expected to take place in June. For further information which may support your application and any questions, please contact [email protected] (Bangholm Outdoor Centre).
This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.
We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Find out more about our commitment to equalities https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/work-us/inclusive-edinburgh/4
As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council
Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.
Happy to talk flexible working.
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To find out more about the essential and desirable requirements for the role click apply
View Wider Achievement Development Officer job description
To find out more about the essential and desirable requirements for the role click apply
Experience:
Essential:
- At least two years actively / recently working in Outdoor Learning and Adventure Education (OL&AE), including:
- working with children and young people;
- creating and delivering safe, impactful adventure activity programmes - throughout the year in different environmental conditions;
- creating and applying adventurous activity safety management systems;
- facilitating Adventure Activities Licence Scheme inspections (AALS);
- reviewing (making judgements) and advising on safety management systems for internal provision;
- supporting OL&AE instructors (induction, training &/or deployment); and
- working to a budget.
Desirable:
- School curriculum development via OL&AE activity.
- Delivery of NGB courses (training and assessment).
- NGB Course Director.
- Reviewing (making judgements) and advising on safety management systems for external providers.
- Supporting, coordinating and / or managing an offsite visit approval framework in accordance with employer guidance and across many units e.g. local authority or multi-academy trusts.
- Recent technical adviser duties (adventurous activity).
Recruitment, selection, induction & coordination of instructors.
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential:
- Ability to create and review safety management documentation, including standard operating procedures and risk assessments (internal provision).
- Ability to apply offsite visits employer guidance to delivery, advice and development of resources.
- Ability to act as a technical adviser (related to personal competencies).
- Computer literate with a working knowledge of appropriate software applications, including Microsoft 365 Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook.
- Ability to work with other postholders and wider Council staff under guidance from the Bangholm OC Operations Managers and OL&AE Manager.
- Ability to work with external providers and partners.
- Ability to use initiative and develop the role to meet future needs and opportunities.
- Ability to develop knowledge, skills and understanding via career-long professional learning; aligned to OL&AE Team strategic priorities.
Desirable:
- Proven ability to review safety management documentation, including standard operating procedures and risk assessments (external providers – range of formats).
- Proven ability to review and update offsite visits employer guidance and associated resources.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- A minimum of 1 high level National Governing Body (NGB) awards. For example, but not limited to:
- Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award (MCI), or higher.
- British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Coach Award (Advanced Water) Kayak or Canoe, or higher.
- The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sailing Senior Instructor.
- Cycling Scotland Tutor and / or Mountain Bike Tutor status in British Cycling or Cycling UK.
- British Association of Snowsport (BASI) Instructor Level 3 or Snowsport Scotland equivalent.
- A broad range of NGB qualifications to direct deliver OL&AE programmes (minimum of 3 NGB awards). For example, but not limited to:
- Mountain Training (MT) Mountain Leader.
- MT Winter Mountain Leader.
- MT Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI).
- British Canoeing Award Body (BCAB) Moderate Water Leader Canoe or Kayak.
- BCAB Coach.
- British Cycling Mountain Bike Leader Level 2 or equivalent.
- The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Instructor.
- Archery GB Instructor.
- Competence of leading common adventurous activities such as gorge walking, bushcraft, ropes courses, orienteering, and raft building.
- Willingness to undertake ongoing career-long professional learning for personal development and supporting OL&AE Team needs and strategic development priorities.
- Current first aid certificate.
Desirable:
- 2 or more high level National Governing Body (NGB) awards. For example, but not limited to:
- Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award (MCI), or higher.
- British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Coach Award (Advanced Water) Kayak or Canoe, or higher.
- The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sailing Senior Instructor.
- Cycling Scotland Tutor and / or Mountain Bike Tutor status in British Cycling or Cycling UK.
- British Association of Snowsport (BASI) Instructor Level 3 or Snowsport Scotland equivalent.
- Wider range of NGB qualifications (more than 3) across ‘land’ and ‘water’.
- Active NGB Course Director. For example, but not limited to:
- Mountain Training Course Director.
- BCAB Course Director.
- RYA Trainer / Sail or Power.
- Driving licence.
THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL
About Us:
Are you keen to shape the future of Scotland’s capital city? The City of Edinburgh Council is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to work with us and deliver key services across our capital city. We’re the second largest local authority in Scotland with a workforce of over 19,000 who all play a crucial role in maintaining and supporting vital services to over 500,000 residents. We offer an incredible variety of career opportunities across a broad range of sectors. Join us and you’ll find a role where you can make a difference and grow your career.
Our Culture:
Our Behaviours, respect, integrity, and flexibility guide everything that we do, and we strive to make sure all colleagues feel valued and have a sense of belonging in the workplace. We want to make sure that we bring people into our roles who demonstrate Our Behaviours and are dedicated and committed to our purpose of serving our community. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service to meet citizens needs and make the city a better place.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours – The City of Edinburgh Council.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
We recognise the benefits that diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds bring to our organisation, and we’re committed to employing a workforce that represents the population of the city we serve. We particularly encourage applicants from under-represented groups including women, LGBT+ people, racially minoritised groups, people with disabilities and people who are neurodivergent.
As part of our commitment to inclusive recruitment, we're delighted to announce that we have extended our guaranteed interview scheme to include all applicants who are or have been care experienced, and who meet the essential criteria for the post. This extends our current arrangements of being a Disability Confident Employer, that guarantee an interview to applicants who meet the criteria for the post and who declare a disability.
Happy to talk flexible working.
Colleague Support and Wellbeing
As outlined in our People Strategy 2024-27, we aim to nurture a healthy workforce where we can all thrive. We offer regular events, initiatives and learning opportunities covering a range of different health and wellbeing topics.
We’re committed to supporting employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. There are several policies in place to support this ranging from flexible work options to career breaks. Our full suite of employment policies can be found here.
We have a range of support options available including access to counselling, a mental health support service, an occupational health service, speak up supporters and a colleague listening service.
Reasonable Adjustments:
We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience at work for all our colleagues and we’ll work hard to ensure that we meet the changing needs of colleagues throughout their time with us. We’re also geared up to support all candidates who may require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. Candidates invited for interview, should let the hiring manager know what they need, and they will do everything they can to accommodate your request.