Join our team! OUTDOOR COACH, TSOC

Outdoor Coach – The Seeds of Change

Due to continued expansion, we are currently looking for a positive, enthusiastic and energetic individual to join our coaching team at our site in mid Bedfordshire as an Outdoor Therapeutic Coach .

The role involves delivering our programmes by supporting and developing vulnerable or challenging, disengaged young people using horses, small animals and the natural world. The role is based at our centre in Bedfordshire (MK45) but you may also be may required travel to our other centre in Northamptonshire (NN6)

We can be flexible with the number of weeks of work for the right candidate and these range from 38 weeks per year to a 52 week per year contract depending on the experience of the candidates to meet the needs of the business.

Role

To support the Seeds of Change clients to overcome their barriers to progressing to the next stage of their life, using the TSOC approach while delivering authentic, learner led innovative coaching to meet and exceed individuals’ objectives.

To be an inspiring, innovative and engaging coach, able to support the therapeutic development of young people, whilst also encouraging stretch and gentle challenge to achieve personal or academic goals.

Safeguarding is one of our key priorities and potential applicants should be fully aware of and compliant with Keeping Children Safe in Education legislation. It is our aim to provide an environment where young people feel safe and supported and can achieve their full potential.

You will be required to occasionally travel to different sites and therefore it is essential to possess a car and a full driving license.

Core Behaviours

We are looking for someone who embodies our core values. This person will be able to demonstrate that they are a team player who is non- judgemental, accepting, empathetic, inspiring, authentic, flexible, resilient, accountable and can use their initiative. Working as part of an established team who put the needs of young people at the forefront of everything.

High levels of personal resilience, innovation and the ability to remain positive are important qualities to have. Our work is in high demand and there are many more young people with SEMH issues to require our help. Our priority is to supporting them and therefore commitment to the role and the team is essential.

Knowledge and Skills

The successful candidate to possess a good sound working knowledge of working outdoors and preferable with small animals and horses.

Previous experience working within the education sector is an advantage and in particular an understanding of school commissioning and the requirements of the curriculum.

Working within disengaged young people who have SEMH issues or exhibit challenging behaviour is also an advantage.

  • Maths and English GCSE or equivalent.
  • Previous experience of handling or working with horses, small animals or outdoors
  • Counselling, youthwork or teaching qualification.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Highly organised and able to work under pressure.
  • Responds to change in a positive and proactive way.
  • Relates to people of all ages and levels and can communicate authentically.
  • Commercial business awareness.
  • Respects confidentiality and working within boundaries.
  • Works in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
  • Good IT skills are required and as the role develops more emphasis will be on the ability to use technology. Therefore, knowledge or experience of face-to-face media (video, online workshops, facetime, and other interactive platforms) would be an advantage.

Previous experience of any of the following would also be an advantage:

  • coaching in a practical and/or classroom setting.
  • assessing accredited qualifications.
  • working with children with additional learning or behavioural needs.
  • working with vulnerable, challenging, or disengaged children.
  • supporting young people with mental health.

Remuneration

For full details about the role, please visit the job advertisement here

The Seeds of Change are a progressive, forward thinking organisation who are an equal opportunities employer. Salary is negotiable, depending on experience. Applicants who have Specialist mental health or educational experience may be considered at a higher hourly rate.

Closing date 30th November 2022

For more information and to apply for this role, click here.

If you require more information about the roles or our organisation, please feel free to get in touch.

Avian Flu Update – TSOC Centres

With the national increase in the number of incidents of avian flu and the close controls being placed upon anyone keeping birds, we feel it is important to share the procedure that we will have in place across our centres at this time.

We only have a small number of birds on site at each centre, but students will not have access to them during this time.

They are housed in an out of bounds area where entry and exit is only permitted by authorised personnel and there are bio security controls in place for those individuals.

We have robust procedures in place on our risk assessment for contact with any animals or in the barn or field areas and these will be reinforced to all individuals on site.If you have any concerns or further queries, then please feel free to contact us.

If you would like to speak to us about anything related to our courses and sessions, please CONTACT US

TSOC Closed Monday, 19th September

The Seeds of Change will be closed on Monday, 19th September

On Monday 19 September 2022 – the day of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral – the nation comes together to reflect on her long, happy and glorious reign.

As a mark of respect, The Seeds of Change will be observe the Bank Holiday and will close for the day.  Our sessions will resume as normal on Tuesday, 20th September.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to His Majesty The King, The Royal Family and all those whose lives she touched.

If you would like to speak to us about anything related to our courses and sessions, please CONTACT US

Starting the new academic together

Team time for The Seeds of Change

We kicked off the new academic year with one of our team training days, where we gather everyone in the company from all 4 sites including the office and we cover everything from Safeguarding to more practical hands on activities in the learning barn.

The challenges young people face have never been greater and with things about to get a whole lot more challenging for families living in poverty, we will be introducing hot lunches, budgeting and ways to save money, food and nutrition to support healthy minds and bodies and lots of activities around the environment this year.

Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see how we are embedding all of these skills into our programmes and making them transferable to everyday life!

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about our sessions and courses, please do get in touch CONTACT US

TSOC Summer Newsletter – OUT NOW!

Our Summer Newsletter is out, packed with news and information about life at The Seeds of Change.

Download the newsletter here

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about our sessions and courses, please do get in touch CONTACT US

TSOC Learners achieve amazing C&G results – 2022

the-seeds-of-change-equine-personal-development-scaled

The results are in and our learners have smashed their City & Guilds accreditations this year.

At our Northamptonshire site, 100% of learners who started on a City & Guilds course at the beginning of the academic year have passed and achieved their qualification! A fantastic achievement for these young people, many of whom are not currently attending school. Other learners who joined us late on in the year have also achieved many credits towards their qualification which they will be able to complete in the next academic year. Congratulations!

In Bedfordshire, we have had similar success. Well done everyone!

At The Seeds of Change we offer a range of City and Guilds courses which enable learners to gain a qualification which is internationally recognised by academic institutions and employers. Learners who have completed C&Gs accreditations with us in the past have been accepted into higher education establishments and apprenticeship schemes and, in some cases, given them the drive, confidence and inspiration to set up their own businesses.  We also offer courses for younger learners which combine learning with therapeutic activities.

Find out more about our courses here

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Kirsty’s Story

Kirsty*, 17, joined The Seeds of Change in September 2021 following many years out of education. She suffered from severe anxiety which was so debilitating it prevented her from interacting and communicating with anyone other than her mother. She spent much of her time in her bedroom, and rarely left the house.  As a result, she had no friends and her development of social skills had been impeded drastically. Additionally, Kirsty had been diagnosed with autism and found many sensory experiences overwhelming and scary, from touching certain textures to creating eye contact with someone.

Understandably, her mother was extremely concerned for her mental health and wellbeing and were desperate to find someone to help her to engage with the world once again. They discovered The Seeds of Change and felt it may be a great match for Kirsty as animals were the one thing that made her smile.

Following a site visit by her mother where she took photos to show Kirsty, and then a visit by a TSOC coach to meet Kirsty at home, her first session was arranged.

Initially, Kirsty stayed in her car throughout the length of her session but, gradually, due to the support from her coach and the draw of the horses and smaller animals, she began to venture out and engage with activities on site.  Her relationship with her coach and the animals blossomed and they were able to increase Kirsty’s sessions to three half days a week – huge progress for someone who had not left her bedroom throughout the whole of the six months prior to joining TSOC. Her confidence soared and she was happy for her coach to arrange a work experience placement for her in the new year. She was also beginning to open up about her feelings to her mother.

“I have just spoke to Kirsty and she is so happy again and had a wonderful day. Thank you for you continued support, I am so proud of Kirsty for being able to tell me what is causing her anxiety. It’s a massive achievement for her. Thank you again.” Kirsty’s Mother, Autumn 2021

Come February and shortly before her work experience was due to begin, she fell ill with Covid which, unexpectedly, had huge repercussions for her. Kirsty developed a debilitating auto-immune disease from Covid and was hospitalised for eight weeks.  The disease affected her nervous system which in turn made her virtually paralyzed.  Her quality of life was dramatically impinged just as it was starting to improve.

Throughout her time in hospital, her motivation was extremely low and she went back into herself.  Her mother was very worried about her decreasing mental health.  Kirsty’s coach proposed reaching out to her in hospital through remote sessions, allowing her to stay in touch on a regular basis and get updates on the animals she cared about so much, particularly Bob the horse and the guinea pigs.  Her mother said that this alone gave Kirsty the strength to get through this difficult period.

“While she has been in hospital The Seeds of Change has been a lifeline for her – when there wasn’t any hope that was the one thing that kept her going” – Kirsty’s Mother, Spring 2022.

When she finally arrived home, the family was given little support and Kirsty had no access to a wheelchair so was effectively a prisoner in her own home. Her mother was desperate to find a way to get her sessions up and running again in some guise to give Kirsty some hope, positivity and focus to aid her recovery.    With The Seeds of Change’s help, a wheelchair was sourced and risk assessments completed to ensure that Kirsty would be able to access the animals on site safely.

Her only focus now is getting back to The Seeds of Change to her coach and Bob.

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*name changed for anonymity

The Seeds of Change Wellbeing Days – Easter 2022

Over the Easter break, The Seeds of Change took time out from working with young people to focus on adults and their wellbeing.

Our Wellbeing Day invited a group of adults to our beautiful rural site nestled in the Northamptonshire countryside to focus on how to make time for self care and why it is so imporant, particularly as most of us have neglected many of our habits and strategies over the past two years.

Using a combination of equine facilitated learning, cognative behavioural therapy and our own unique TSOC approach, the delegates took part in a series of activities and sessions in the fresh spring air, which encouraged self-reflection and provided an opportunity to rebalance, refocus and re-energise the mind, body and soul.

Feedback from the day was incredibly positive:

” It has really made me reflect on how I prioritise time.”

“Everyone in our workplace should do this course, I can see how it owuld help us to work better as a team.”

“I have felt the pressure lift during our day and feel i am going away with some tools that can really helo me to feel less stressed”

If you are interested in learning more about our bespoke offering and how it can help you, your families or your employees, then please get in touch.

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TSOC Covid Procedure February 2022

In line with the announced plans by the government to suspend covid testing and self isolation from Thursday 24th February, The Seeds of Change will no longer require students attending our provision to test or notify us if there is covid in the home.

We would respectfully ask that students who are showing signs of covid do not attend and instead commissioners request a virtual session, but this is not mandatory.

If you require more information about our Covid Procedure and Policy, or anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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TSOC Open Day 2021

On Tuesday, 9th November we opened our stable doors to the public for our much anticipated Open Day.

Teachers, parents, carers, academics and mental health professionals from across the region descended on The Seeds of Change’s outdoor learning centre in Walgrave, Northamptonshire for an insightful day of live Equine Facilitated Learning demonstrations, talks from our staff and fantastic external organisations such as RISE and Great Young Minds, an opportunity to explore our unique, rural setting and therapeutic learning zones, as well as meet the co-coaches, our horses! We were also supported by our friends at Wild for Life who demonstrated their nature-led well-being activities.

Thank you to everyone who attended, we hope that you found it useful to discover more about the diverse and complex conditions that we can work with and the amazing support that horses can provide.

If you require more information about our services and how you can access them or commission us to work with you, please do get in touch.

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