Job summary
In this role, you will coordinate the production of events. You will lead the design of specific events and be part of the team at several events, engaging with, supporting, and welcoming families. Tasks include team prep meetings, shopping for resources, risk assessment, creating Eventbrite and webpages, inviting families, prepping, hosting the event, and follow-up feedback. Events take place at our hospices and in the community across our catchment.
The Events Assistant is part of our Psychosocial Services and will hear about current families in need, including end-of-life children who may require a wish organized (such as their room decorated in a special theme or a trip out to a favorite magical place). The Events Assistant will help consider which events may be helpful to referred families.
The ambition of our strategy is to ensure every family affected by a life-limiting condition or the sudden death of a child has access to the specialist care that they need. This includes providing opportunities for children and family members to meet others who have experienced this. Our events program is key to this success.
Main duties of the job
This role requires experience working with children and families and the passion to add sparkle to the lives of those we support. We are looking for someone who enjoys the buzz of a party and can help create joyful memories for our families. The individual in this role needs to be organized, able to multi-task (planning multiple events at once), and good at working in a fast-paced environment. You should be sensitive to the needs of families, comfortable supporting them during incredibly challenging times, and willing to listen and care.
Once or twice a month, the Events Assistant is asked to lead an event on a Saturday or Sunday.
Please see the attached job description for more information about this opportunity at Shooting Star Children's Hospices.
About us
We have an exciting opportunity for an Events Assistant to join our Family Support Team at Shooting Star Children's Hospices.
Shooting Star Children's Hospices provides specialist care and support to families who have a baby, child, or young person with a life-limiting condition or whose child has died. Rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, we support families across Surrey, north-west London, and south-west London from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional, and medical care.
Our Care Events team provides an extensive program of groups and events for the 750+ life-limited children, their families, and bereaved families. There are themed family events, social groups for siblings of different ages, pamper days for mums, counselling groups, memorial days, and many festive events such as ice skating at Hampton Court. There are 3-4 events each week, making many opportunities for families to make memories together.
Job responsibilities
Introduction to Team Family Support
Family Support Team: Our Family Support Team offers emotional, practical, and spiritual support to families navigating the challenges of caring for a seriously ill child. This team includes counsellors, social workers, and volunteers who provide specialist interventions, guidance, companionship, and resources to help families cope with the emotional and practical aspects of their journey.
Job Profile
a) Main purpose of job in delivering our strategy
The Care Events team provides a comprehensive program of exciting groups and events for the 750+ life-limited children, their families, and bereaved families. This includes interactive, themed family events, social groups for siblings of different ages, pamper days for mums, counselling groups, memorial days, and many festive events such as ice skating evenings. The main purpose of this role is to coordinate the production of the events led by various members of the team, to lead the design of some events, and to be part of the team at several events, engaging with, supporting, and welcoming families. Production tasks include team prep meetings, shopping for resources, risk assessment, creating Eventbrite and webpages, inviting families, prepping, hosting, and follow-up feedback. Events take place at our hospices and across our catchment. Care Events sits within the Psychosocial Services, where the Events Assistant will hear about current families in need, including end-of-life children who may require a wish organized (such as their room decorated in a special theme or a trip out to a favorite place). From multi-disciplinary discussions about families, the Events Assistant helps consider which events might support a family's need or emotional well-being.
Our strategy aims to ensure every family affected by a life-limiting condition or the sudden death of a child has access to the specialist care that they need. This includes providing opportunities for children and family members to meet others who have experienced this. The Events program is key to this success.
b) Main duties and key responsibilities
Planning the Annual Event Programme
Working with the Events Manager and Psychosocial Leads to design the Annual Event Programme, considering successes, areas for improvement, and new opportunities.
Ensuring a varied programme that engages both life-limited children and their families, and those who are bereaved.
Ensuring events for families from diverse backgrounds, celebrating various festivals, and considering different ways to engage families.
Ensuring events are accessible to families, with opportunities local to them.
Supporting bereaved families with safe firsts, for example, attending a grotto for the first time at the hospice, after one of their children has died.
Event Production
Facilitating Look and Feel meetings with those leading events.
Event research regarding venues, providers, and engaging opportunities.
Researching and purchasing materials for events.
Coordinating with the admin/facilities team to arrange catering and equipment/spaces.
Creating Outlook appointments for events, with key event information.
Calling venues and service providers to book and confirm details.
Making Eventbrite pages and proofreading text created by others.
Updating social media with posts around events and important information.
Sending monthly texts via Firetext, notifying families of events.
Identifying key families to invite/remind.
Ensuring RSVPs are processed and recorded.
Ensuring media consent is in place for families.
Ensuring staffing is in place.
Seeking approval for risk assessments.
Managing waiting lists of popular events.
Working with the PR & Comms team to publicize low take-up events.
Setting up text notifications to remind families of events.
Organizing and assisting with food prep/collection for events.
Event Team
Event set-up/facilitation/take down.
Welcoming families and helping them to feel settled.
Supporting children, young people (and adults) to engage with activities, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Listening to and talking to families as they engage with activities.
Facilitating family members to build their support network by getting to know other SSCH families (for example, dads meeting other dads, siblings meeting other siblings).
To supervise activities to ensure safety.
To adapt and flex within event plans to ensure a high-quality experience and responsiveness to needs.
Collecting feedback, using interactive and creative methods for children and young people.
Post-Event Production
Recording attendance on Excel.
Inputting notes concerning attendance and children and families onto the Care Database.
Sending families professional photos taken of them at events as precious keepsakes.
Post-event admin and thank you cards etc.
Collating feedback and sharing this data with relevant staff members, volunteers, and leads.
Wishes
Identifying opportunities where children may benefit from wishes.
Being allocated referrals for wishes at MDT meetings.
Talking to family members about their wish.
Researching potential items to decorate bedrooms, visits, or trips out.
Liaising with relevant staff members.
Facilitating wishes events/setting up decorations.
Collecting feedback sensitively from staff members, and where appropriate, families.
Continuing to revise and improve our wishes process/planning/facilitation.
Volunteer Coordination
Informal interviews with potential volunteers.
Booking volunteers for events.
Help directing donations.
Help support wider team events.
Assisting with producing wishes for end-of-life children and families.
Coordinating Materials
Coordinating storage and organizing toy donations.
Storing and organizing event items for future use enabling creative recycling of resources.
Multi-disciplinary Contribution
Attending multi-disciplinary meetings where families' needs and referrals are discussed by professionals.
Contributing to discussions, identifying where events may support the needs of families.
Providing a focus on well-being opportunities at events.
Attending in-house team meetings to understand need and promote events.
To consider development and improvement of the events programme through reflection on emerging needs from families.
Creating presentations for the wider team, sharing learning, training, and event data.
c) Other Requirements
These requirements will be applicable to some posts.
The postholder must be able and willing to travel to and work in both hospices.
The postholder will need to travel extensively throughout the SSCH geographical area in other parts of Surrey, North-West London, and South-West London.
Events take place during evenings and weekends. This is likely 1-2 each month. Hours of work and days of work can be swapped on weeks where this takes place.
The postholder will be required to apply for an Enhanced DBS check.
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