Title: Diverse Sensory Calm Space Manager
Reports to: Accessibility Manager & Diverse Events Manager
Hours: Approximately 0-40 Hours a week available, varying hours, varying days. Usually Thursday/ Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday/ Tuesday.
Freelance arrangement – must be tax registered.
Working Relationships: Diverse Events Manager & Onsite Festival Accessibility Manager, must be happy interacting with members of the public.
Remuneration: £150- £200 A day whilst on-site depending on experience. £10.43 per hour for administration tasks). Available work from start date: April/May 2024
End date of available work: Year around but concentrated May - September UK wide
Note: Festivals may include Love Saves The Day, Bristol Pride, Glastonbury Festival, Secret Garden Party, Boardmasters and Forwards Festival with many more.
Applications close on the 11th Decmember. If you are successful, interviews will be held on the 18th December either in person or online.
About Diverse UK
Diverse UK is an independent organisation run for and by people who identify as Autistic or Neurodiverse in the Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area. We run activities for people to attend which are organised by people who identify as Autistic or Neurodiverse. The Sensory Calm Space offers appropriate sensory responses to people feeling overwhelmed in a festival or large-scale event environment. One of the most valuable ways that we recruit new supporters is through our in-house Festivals and Events Calm Space Team, who inform the public about the social activities that we work on.
The Sensory Calm Space Manager and setup assistant works side by side with the Diverse Events Manager, and Coordinators to provide logistic support to this amazing project and help maintain a high standard as a face of DiverseUK. They will be responsible for transporting and setting up the Diverse Sensory Calm Space, maintaining the kit and helping with tasks as requested by the (onsite) Accessibility Manager or Coordinator. They must have good knowledge and experience of Autism, be able to talk confidently around the topic, have good interpersonal skills, be flexible and able to work under pressure.
Essentials for this post are candidates who understand how festivals work and have a full clean driver’s license (must be willing to drive a van if needed) and are physically able to build the structure.
Key areas of Responsibility Logistics
- Overall responsibility for ensuring the safe transport and set up of kit to and from festivals/sites.
- Purchasing Kit where necessary - (under authorisation from line manager)
- Overall responsibility to ensure all kit is constructed safely in line with the festival health and safety festival guidelines.
- Keeping an inventory per event and reporting damage to equipment after each - festival so equipment can be replaced or repaired.
- Assist with sanitising surfaces and making sure the Calm Space stays clean and covid secure.
- Assist management with the set up of equipmente and updating the inventory spreadsheet where appropriate.
- Ensuring vehicle transporting equipment is registered for congestion zone/tolls as appropriate on route to festival sites.
- Ensuring the safe pack down of Calm space within the time frames of the festival organisers.
- Creating the space into a visually pleasing aesthetic, supporting the Diverse image.
- Keeping a merchandise stock inventory and any cash safe, before depositing to the manager.
- Managing a small team of neurodiverse volunteers and shift patterns across f festivals to ensure that the space is functional over opening hours.
- Compiling rotas.
- Ensuring volunteers and staff get breaks.
- Raising awareness of Diverse and what we do with festival-goers when asked.
- Ensuring that registered access customers are permitted into the space.
- Will be required to camp (with own camping gear) over camping festivals.
- To ensure the Calm Space remains a low sensory arousal and friendly environment for those who are overstimulated to decompress.
Equipment
- Overall responsibility for maintaining Calm Space and all equipment /items in it.
- Ensuring that safety is prioritised when setting up the Calm space.
Decorating the space in accordance to sensory areas such as audio/touch/light.
- Setting up audio/technical equipment within the Calm space and maintaining over the festival. (This isnt over complicated).
Festivals
- Work in a solution focussed manner to resolve any issues that arise at festivals.
- Communicate effectively when onsite with Accessibility Manager, festival and event organisers.
- Communicate team names ect to festival manager for accreditation aheadd of the show.
- Be abale to calculate meal tokens required for those on shift.
- Make sure that upon pack down we leave no trace and the site is left as it was found.
Reporting and Admin
- Communicating regularly with the Project Manager, keeping them updated on progress and plans if required.
- Maintaining audits of items and equipment
- Keep a log of all incidents and customers numbers per show
Essential Requirements
- In-depth knowledge of social barriers faced by Autism at public events and large crowded environments
- Ability to manage a team of neurodiverse volunteers
- Must want to help build a festival network for neurodiversity and actively promote inclusivity
- Ability to work under pressure and autonomously when required to
- Demonstrated good time management skills
- Must be Avon area based (or willing to travel into Avon area to collect and drop of kit)
- Clean valid driving license of at least 2 years (Ability to drive large vans on standard driving licence)
- Good communication skills with a diverse range of public members and people on the Autistic Spectrum/neurodiverse
- Happy to camp at camping festivals and enjoy being in a vibrant sometimes chaotic environment…even in the rain!
- A base knowledge of Safguarding proceedures or a willingness to learn
- Physically able to heavy lift and build the space. Weight of some equipment can be up to approx 15kg maximum
Specific Work Environment
- You will be required to travel on a regular basis between sites during the festivals/events season. (This will involve camping at when required).
- You may be required to work long days. For example 10am - 11pm, although you will have breaks and volunteers supporting.
- Some aspects of the role may be independent until volunteers arrive on site.