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WE ARE HIRING A NEW EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANT

As part of our Employment Team, you’ll be engaging with young people and organisations around Greater Manchester to support participants on to our variety of creative programmes and workshops. Our ideal candidate will have experience working with young people in an outreach or community environment, with a commitment to the work of Reform Radio. However, we are open to considering applications from people with a range of relevant experiences.

We’re committed to supporting young people from underrepresented and underserved groups within the creative industries, and therefore encourage applications from individuals from these groups. 

If you’d like to chat about this opportunity, please contact Lewys, Head of Programmes, on lewys@reformradio.co.uk or on 0161 806 0879. The job description and person spec are also available as an audio file, and we’re happy to accept applications in written format, audio or video.

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

The role of the Employment Assistant will be to;

  • Support participants engaged with Reform Radio, through key activities which include: action planning; IAG/coaching; barrier removal; referring and signposting to support & training organisations; transition and exit support for each participant on their caseload. 
  • Support participants towards education, training and employment that’s right for them. 
  • Support participants in signposting them towards mental health and wellbeing support, boosting their confidence, resilience and motivation.
  • Provide support to all participants on a one-to-one basis and in group settings dependent on the needs identified by the diagnostic assessment. 
  • Support CV writing, cover letters and job applications to a high-quality standard  
  • Coach and prepare participants for job interviews and assessments 
  • Use digital systems to complete, maintain and review participants’ Action Plans, record all activity and  share information appropriately.
  • Deliver services across Greater Manchester to meet  the needs of the Young Person.
  • Ensure that the Health and Safety needs of individuals and groups are appropriately met.
  • To complete all necessary paperwork, and follow all systems relating to the Employment Assistant role on time and to a high standard. 
  • To follow all safeguarding procedures. 
  • To attend all training as requested by Reform Radio. 
  • To correctly log, systemise and organise support given to Young People
  • To comply with our policies. 
  • To be flexible to working evening and weekends.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential skills, knowledge and qualities required:

  • Excellent email and telecommunication skills
  • Assertive communication skills
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Experience of work within community settings 
  • Experience of working with young people
  • Confidence in public speaking
  • Experience of supporting young people in a pastoral or careers setting
  • Experience of mentoring
  • Knowledge of safeguarding policies and legislation
  • A good knowledge of Greater Manchester’s support organisations, employers and opportunity providers
  • Good use of any of the following Excel, Google Drive or CRM systems (or other data management systems)

Desirable skills, knowledge and qualities required:

  • Experience working towards monthly individual and team targets and goals
  • High level of attention to detail
  • Full UK Drivers License

JOB DETAILS:

Hours: 30hrs/week – This role is generally Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, but some weekend and evening work is required. 

Salary: £11.00 per hour 

Annual Leave: 21 days + your birthday 

Pension: Nest Pension scheme 

Location: This role is mainly office based, with some place based work and some flexibility to work from home when required.

Office Address: Bonded Warehouse, Byrom St, Manchester.

WE’RE ASKING APPLICANTS TO SEND:

  • A CV (max 2 pages)

AND EITHER:

  • a cover letter (max 2 pages)
  • Or a video/audio file (max 2 minutes/200 words per question) telling us about:
    • Why you want the role
    • What skills and experience do you think you  will bring to this role
    • Why you think you’re a good fit for this role
    • One person who you’ve made an impact on in your career so far

Please send your application to lewys@reformradio.co.uk before 9AM on Monday 9th January.

If you have any other access needs/requirements or if you are facing barriers in applying that we can help remove then please get in touch.

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Reform’s Xmas Programming

The holiday season is in full swing and to celebrate Christmas and the fast approaching 2k23, our hosts Yelena Lashimba and Dan Owens-Cooper (who also happens to be our lovely Well-being Manager) have prepared something special for you.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? … well, not exactly. For many, the holiday season can present challenges to emotional well-being – a fact that is often drowned out by seasonal greetings, festive tunes, and incorrect assumptions that ’tis the season to be jolly (…regardless of how we might actually feel!). On Xmas Eve at 2PM Dan is bringing you ‘A ‘Mental’ Year’ , a show offering an important professional take on mental health and the holiday period, season survival tips, and a helpful reminder of how we covered mental health at Reform Radio in 2022.

Xmas Day will see the special edition of Reform’s first ever daily morning show The Get Up, hosted by yours truly Yelena Lashimba. In the final Get Up of 2022, Yelena will be going through Reform’s highlights of the year, plus playing some of her all time favourite tunes. A perfect soundtrack to opening your presents whilst munching on those Brussels sprouts.

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Behind The Scenes: Podcasting Course (Funded By MAES)

The last Podcasting Course of 2022 has just wrapped up and what an amazing 2 weeks it has been. For those not familiar with this programme, it’s a 2-week course in which participants learn the ins and outs of podcasting, focusing on audio, scriptwriting and recording, ultimately working towards creating their own live radio show. We caught up with 2 participants Dani and Astrid to chat about their journey at Reform and their future plans!

ASTRID

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Dani: Informative, efficient, and quiet.

Astrid: Dedicated, adaptable, friendly.

Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What are your interests? What are your hobbies?

Dani: I am a multi hobbyist myself. I like to learn new things whenever I can. Keeps my brain active. I am fascinated with audio, character design, mixology, writing, video production, especially films and everything about fashion.

Astrid: I just graduated in English Literature from University of Manchester. I’m interested in Film, TV and want to break into this industry. Ideally, I’d eventually write but I am happy to do research now and learn behind the scenes. Maybe even factual shows. So yeah, this is part of the reason I started this course. 

When and how did you realise that you want to be in media?

Dani: I started wanting to make media back in year one. Year two, when my school sort of introduced me to the idea of acting and stage performing, it hooked me immediately. It was then that I spent the rest of my life working either in some form or another with media creation. Growing up alongside YouTube from a young age, that sort of opened the doors for the whole idea of media creation and it all just branched out into many media formats. It’s interesting to me, specifically voice sightings really interest me. I want to get back on the camera whenever I can, live broadcast, stage shows etc.

DANI

How did you hear about Reform & the Podcasting Course? What prompted you to get involved? 

Dani: I heard about Reform through my work coach at a Job Centre and they all said: “Hey, we saw you were a creative mind. And there’s this radio taster session happening in September. Would you like us to sign you up for it?” And it’s during this, I heard about Podcasting Course and thought, yes, this is more me and aligns better with my interests.

Astrid: I actually found out about this course through a Facebook runners group CV page. Upon reviewing other people’s CVs and seeing their experience etc, I noticed Reform listed as a creative course. Once I looked into it, I was like, this is perfect for me to get started. Not only can I learn creative skills, but also for free as well. I was excited to get started.

What were you working on in particular for these past 2 weeks?

Dani: We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for our live radio show. My segment focuses on the culture and history of drinks, mixology. I think it’s important to respect this.

Astrid: My project is a bit of a weird one! I decided I would do a word a day but change it, so I would do a dialect a day. I wanted it to be fun, light hearted and not too serious. And yeah, looking at how people know about it, relate to it or feel about it.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed?

Dani: I came in and expected to be a lot more quiet than I’ve been because normally in a lot of temporary education settings, there’s very little for someone like myself to really be outspoken. But since the course, I have made a couple mates and we’re going for a drink tomorrow after the course. I have gelled well with the participants and everyone else and this is rare for me. Socialising can be hard for me, but in a weird cosmic twist it has really worked out!

Astrid: To start with, we didn’t get into the content making part as we were learning theory, which now, makes so much sense because everything has fell into place. It’s nice to have someone over my shoulder as I create because the pointers are helpful. I’ve enjoyed being creative in Reform. It feels like a very safe environment. I’ve struggled with anxiety around my own creativity. I am working my way through this though and finding ways to feel comfortable and confident in my own work.

What is one thing you have learnt from the course that you will take home with you?  

Dani: I can’t expect to be so quiet all the time. It’s important to vibe with what is in the room, and most of the time, it will vibe back.

Astrid: I have learnt how easy it can be to make your own podcast. And software required to do this, is free! And has reminded me how possible things are even on a smaller scale. Like, I can make a podcast with just an iPhone and my own laptop.

What are your goals after the project?

Dani: Find a job. Mostly to keep up studies in different fields, keep in contact with people on this course and make a podcast, maybe even just for myself.

Astrid: Leave my waitressing job and get working creatively. I want to sit down, when I have time, and write either a film or play, I’m unsure what it will be yet, but it’s been a goal for a long time so I will begin that soon.

You can listen to the full project show below!

If you would like to get involved or find out more about any of our projects, please drop us an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk

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Upcoming Residents’ Events (December)

Every month we spotlight our lovely residents’ events. Here are a few ways to get into the festive spirits in Manchester this December.

GOOD CUSTARD X RAMONA TAKEOVER

Good Custard are back this month, taking over Ramona with all resident line up. The entry is free, however the spaces are limited, so come down early, to make sure you don’t miss out.

NOT BAD FOR A GIRL

On Saturday 3rd of December catch our residents Not Bad For A Girl at Old Abbey Taphouse w/ Syntax, Kisa + more…

ANDREA TROUT

Sundays just got much better… On the 18th of December Band On The Wall welcomes our resident Andrea Trout for Soulful Sundays session alongside Ruby Swallow.

BUILDING:BRIDGES

Real cowboys never run…..
…..they just ride away….

Buckle up buckaroos, looks like we got ourselves a hoedown. The notorious Semi Peppered & Building:Bridges Outlaw Federation is pardnerin’ up with one of the baddest bronco posses, She Will Provide. Together, this hair-triggered triarchy is running the hardest barn dance this wild wild North West desert ever did see. 🤠

First up on the rodeo roster is no stranger to knee-high boots and a buccaneering attitude, it’s Ambient Babestation Meltdown. The London-based DJ and producer has spent the last few years cooking up gunslingin’ EBM, techno & electroclash topped with trademark sultry spoken word, culminating this year in her debut release on Optimo – a 4 tracker tighter than Yosemite Sam’s keks. 💥

Up next is absolutely NO yeller belly, up on that there saddle is Mama Char. One of the quickest draws in the county! She’ll be bringing the percussive pressure to our saloon stick up, guaranteed to get your booties square dancing til the devil bitin’ your ass. 👹

Together, we’ll be kicking down the barn doors of Lurid Ultra Hybrid – a lawless landscape in the Islington Mill desert, where cowboys, townsfolk, bandits and do-gooders forget the day’s toils, swig moonshine and make merry ‘til high noon

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Raise The Bar: MOWAVEY

Raised in Mancunian streets of Newton Heath, MOWAVEY graces Reform’s airwaves with a slick freestyle on the latest instalment of The Daisy Adams Show.

MOWAVEY is a versatile artist; both a vocalist and rapper. His art reflects on his diverse upbringing and channels his musical narratives through his Nigerian & German background. His track ‘Gyal‘ featured on BBC Radio last year and has proven itself to be a nightlife favourite.

His freestyle performance showcases a natural rhythmic ability that is paced, flows well and takes the listener alongside on his sonic journey. Check out the video below to catch the magic for yourself.

Listen back to the full show to find out more about MOWAVEY and all that went down with Daisy in the studio.

Watch the full performance below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vuv_6V2-6E&ab_channel=ReformRadio

Listen back to the show here.