Job Description

About Strength & Learning Through Horses

Strength & Learning Through Horses (SLTH) is an award winning London based youth charity delivering equine-assisted therapy, alternative education and mental health support to over 600 young people each year. Working from our centre in Barnet, we combine evidence-based therapeutic practice with the unique relational power of horses to help young people build emotional regulation, confidence, communication skills and a sense of belonging. Where young people are unable to learn in a classroom setting we can support them to access an education via our alternative education provision.

Following 15 years of sustained growth, we have become one of the UK's largest providers of equine-assisted services. We are now entering an exciting new phase as we complete the development of a purpose-built centre, expand the number of young people we support and refine our strategy for the charity's future growth including looking at expanding our reach to other locations via a training offer.

Central to this role is the ability to work according to the organisation's core values of:

Ambition:

for young people, SLTH and ourselves as individuals.

Commitment to continuous improvement

Owning

areas for improvement

Professionalism

in all areas at all times

Curiosity without judgment;

(about human and equine behaviours)

Embrace difficulty & difference;

it's where the learning happens

Job Specification

Education Programme & Equine Specialist Lead (Sessional and programme staff)

Strength and Learning Through Horses is seeking staff with an equestrian background to join us as programme leads for our Education programmes.

This is a great opportunity to join a vastly experienced team and benefit from plenty of CPD opportunities. Full training in the Strength and Learning Through Horses methodology will be given but individuals should be organised, self-motivated and adaptable.

Please include Cover Letter explaining how you are suitable for this role

A clear up to date enhanced DBS check A minimum of 3 years' experience working with horses in a professional capacity as a trainer / instructor A strong working knowledge of horse psychology Understanding of theory and practical techniques for training horses through groundwork (including manners / respect work, loading, lunging, long lining, join up) The ability to predictably read horse body language, assess potentially risky behaviour and intervene appropriately Experience working with vulnerable young people and adults Experience of teaching / training Stable management experience including mucking out, grooming, equine first aid etc

Prepare and set up the space for sessions. This includes:

Planning activities and schedule for each session, planning a bespoke curriculum of activities and qualifications / accreditations for education programmes (AQA's, Kings' Trust, CLTH, etc) Completing qualification paperwork for education programmes (AQA's, Kings' Trust, CLTH, etc) Supporting staff and volunteers for programmes including expectations of them in terms of their role for the session in supporting students and managing safety. Inducting new volunteers before new programmes start. Checking the tie-up points and arena are ready for the session and carrying out a brief risk assessment (checking for sharp items left out, any dangerous objects / mess that could cause a hazard and in the case of more complex need groups removing any other hazards identified as a potential risk to the students by the referring organisation) Liaising with yard manager prior to the session to find out if any horse management tasks need completing before or during the session (e.g. feeding in or catching from field) and to get updates on the horses which may affect plans for your session (e.g. lameness, problems with the horse's behaviour)

Leading the session, including:

Taking overall responsibility for health and safety and keeping clients safe Acting as lead instructor to teach horse activities Liaising with support staff from the referring organisations to set expectations from them in supporting students

Post-session admin, including:

Tidying up after session including hats, boots, gloves, horses, wheelbarrows etc Lead de-briefing session with Programme Assistant and Volunteer, discussing how the session went, plans for next week and any concerns or questions they have. Keep short notes of how the session went, what activity was done and any concerns about any of the students. Notes should include a very brief summary of what was done in the session as well as any concerns regarding health and safety, safeguarding, student or staff behaviour and the wellbeing / behaviour of the horses Keep a folder with goals, liability waivers and qualification worksheets well organised in the office - all added to the CRM in a timely manner Write on whiteboard which horses were used and for what using the appropriate code If time allows, allocate some training time to Programme Assistant & Volunteer on horse activities you will be covering in sessions Report any safeguarding concerns from the session to a member of The Safeguarding team (as per policy) and log on Sessions notes and a Safeguarding Pro Forma Report any health and safety concerns or incidents from the session to Equine Management team immediately and log in the incident or accident book (accident if an actual accident occurred). Post on Programme Lead Whatsapp if the concern might impact other sessions that day (horse behaviour for example) Report any concerns about horse health to Catherine - Yard Manager Before leaving the yard, ensure all spaces are tidy and clean including the barn which should be swept, the arena cleared and poo picked and the kitchen space is tidy and all washing up is done Liaise with yard manager or evening yard staff to find out if there are any horse management tasks that need doing before leaving the yard Liaising with the referring organisation regarding student progress and any issues during the education programme copying Desrae Le Roux in.

Prepare and set up the space for sessions. This includes:

Planning activities and schedule for each session based on the aims and focus of the session which will be decided by the Mental Health professional Checking the tie-up points and arena are ready for the session and carry out a brief risk assessment (checking for sharp items left out, any dangerous objects / mess that could cause a hazard and in the case of more complex need groups removing any other hazards identified as a potential risk to the students by the referring organisation). PREPARE HORSES FOR SESSION i.e. catch horses, pick out feet, spray hooves with cider vinegar and check over, remove/add rugs.

Running the session, including:

Taking overall responsibility for health and safety and keeping clients safe Acting as lead in giving instructions to clients on the activities to be completed during sessions Working alongside Mental Health professional to give feedback and observations to the client - with a focus on horse behaviour.

Post-session admin, including:

Tidying up after session. Contribute to de-briefing session with Mental Health Professional Write on whiteboard which horses were used Report any safeguarding concerns from the session to Emma Samuel, Mental Health Lead and log on a Safeguarding Pro Forma Report any health and safety concerns or incidents from the session to Ghazanfar Ajaz immediately and log in the incident or accident book (accident if an actual accident occurred). Post on Programme Lead Whatsapp if the concern might impact other sessions that day (horse behaviour for example) Report any concerns about horse health to Yard Manger as well as the Programme Lead Whatsapp Before leaving the yard, ensure all spaces are tidy and clean including the barn which should be swept, the arena cleared and poo picked and the kitchen space is tidy and all washing up is done Liaise with Yard Manger/s to find out if there are any horse management tasks that need doing before leaving the yard.

Don't meet every single requirement?

Strength and Learning Through Horses values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, including men and people from global majority backgrounds. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every criteria in the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at SLTH and we'd welcome an explanation as to how you believe you would develop the skills required with training.

Job Type: Freelance

Benefits:

Casual dress On-site parking
Work Location: In person