Contract: Environmental trainer/auditor for schools

Closing date: 10am on Tuesday 4 January 2022

We are looking for a talented trainer / auditor that will help school children undertake environmental audits of their schools. This will involve advising the children on the topics and providing training and support to help them carry-out the review/audit. Following the audits you will also provide advice and support to school children and teachers to help them implement some or all of the recommendations.

Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) is seeking to appoint a small number of environmental trainers/auditors to support the delivery of our Greener Schools project.

We will accept applications from both individuals and organisations. The successful applicants will work as contractors over an 8 month period. (Jan 2022 – Aug 2022)

CAfS strives to be diverse and inclusive in all aspects of our work. We value different perspectives and backgrounds on the team and amongst contractors. The wellbeing of our staff is important and we are a flexible employer.

ABOUT CAFS:  

Our vision is a zero-carbon Cumbria and we strive to bring about a better way of life, in balance with our environment.   

Our mission is to empower and enable people, communities and businesses to live and work more sustainably by sharing our knowledge, practice, skills, networks and practical experience. We manage and deliver events, advice, training and practical projects across the county as well as providing specialist consultancy services to enable individuals, communities, businesses and local authorities to drive a shift towards a zero-carbon Cumbria.   

Formed in 1998, CAfS is an award-winning charity with a team of 27 skilled staff, working with specialist contractors and volunteers to deliver a range of transformational low-carbon projects each year. CAfS is the leading organisation in Cumbria driving action on climate change and often serves as the first point of contact on sustainability. We co-chair the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership of more than 85 organisations working to reduce our county’s emissions.   

BACKGROUND TO THE GREENER SCHOOLS PROJECT:  

The Greener Schools project will work with 16 primary and secondary schools, mainly in West Cumbria, providing school children with the skills and confidence to respond positively to the climate emergency, improve their environmental footprint and that of the school. 

The project is funded by: 

• The Walney Extension Community Fund 
• Cumbria Community Foundation through the Transforming West Cumbria programme, funded by Sellafield Ltd, and  

• #iwill, Fairfield Wind Farm Fund, Tallentire Wind Farm Fund, Winscales Wind Farm Fund through Cumbria Community Foundation. 

The project will involve working with schools to identify their individual needs through an environmental audit/review, advising on solutions, and supporting new initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. Students will be trained in the skills needed to carry out a school environmental audit, will co-conduct the audit and report the results to the school. They will also be involved in deciding which actions should be taken and help to deliver these actions with teachers and others.  

The target age group for this project is 10-14 (Years 6-9) but some flex on this is possible. 

As well as reducing carbon emissions, the project will also improve the knowledge and confidence of young people about climate change and carbon resource efficiency and support the development of their research, analytical and other skills. It will introduce them to new career opportunities. 

OVERVIEW OF DELIVERY 

Our Youth Projects Coordinator will have overall responsibility for generating demand and for allocating the work to the environmental trainers/auditors. 

The environmental trainer/auditors will then help school children undertake environmental reviews/audits of their schools. This will involve advising the children on the topics which could be covered and providing training and support to help them carry-out the review/audit. It will also involve providing training and support to help the school children and the staff take forward some or all of the recommendations.  

SERVICES TO BE DELIVERED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINERS / AUDITORS 

• Deliver advice, training and support to school children to enable them to undertake an environmental review/audit of their school. This will involve:  

• Advising them on the topics which could be covered. 
• Responding to their requests for information or advice about the various topics. 
• Providing guidance and associated training on the process for undertaking an environmental review/audit using other training materials which will be made available by CAfS. 
• Providing on-site support to the school to undertake the review/audit using audit checklists which will be made available by CAfS. 

• Helping the school children to collate the findings and recommendations arising from the review/audit. 

• Provide advice and support to school children and teachers to help them implement some or all of the recommendations arising from the review/audit. This could involve: 

• Helping to set up new systems and frameworks to improve student involvement.  
• Advising on energy, water, waste, food, packaging, transport, nature or other environmental actions/projects which could be taken forward by the school. 
• Providing training on particular environmental topics. 

• Supporting young people to undertake assemblies or involve wider community. 

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 

The environmental trainers/auditors are required to have the following skills, knowledge and experience  

• Experience of undertaking environmental reviews/audits and knowledge of the topics which could be covered as part of environmental review/audit of a school, including an up-to-date knowledge of the low-carbon solutions which would be appropriate in such situations.  

• Experience of working with young people and/or with schools. 
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate and develop effective working relations with children, young people, teachers and relevant stakeholders. 
• Strong IT skills with the ability to use a comprehensive range of software (Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and MS Teams).  
• Understanding of and commitment to CAfS’ aims, values and objectives.  

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

The environmental trainers/auditors will also be required to:

• Respond rapidly and reliably to email communication from the Youth Projects Coordinator at CAfS about the availability to deliver the support and commit to deliver it once assigned.
• Complete a feedback report after each review/audit and any follow-up projects using a template provided by CAfS.
• Attend training provided by CAfS relating to the delivery of these services.

• Contribute to the development, ongoing review and improvement of the review/audit checklists and any associated training materials.
• Use the CAfS email address provided for all correspondence relating to the project.
• Help build a strong, credible reputation for the support provided and for CAfS.
• Adhere to relevant CAfS policies and procedures, including GDPR and safeguarding1.
• Have a satisfactory DBS check before delivering the service.
• Hold public liability (£5m) and professional indemnity (£1m) insurance by the time any delivery takes place.
• Have a driving licence and access to car, or other means to travel independently around the county.

Further information

• CAfS will provide example checklists and other guidance to support delivery of the services. It might also be possible to provide access to thermal imaging cameras to help with the reviews and or follow-up projects.
• We anticipate appointing 1 – 3 trainers to undertake the 16 reviews/audits and provide the associated training and follow-up support.
• Fees for the reviews/audits will depend on the size of the school as indicated below:

*covering preparation, time at the school providing the training and undertaking the review/audit and subsequent reporting. 

•  Provision of follow-up support will be paid at £19.50 per hour as agreed with the Youth Projects Coordinator.  We anticipate an average of £250 (inc VAT) per school for follow-up support. 
• Where opportunities are generated by CAfS we will communicate these to all trainers/auditors simultaneously and ask for expressions of interest. We will match trainers/auditors to the work on variable criteria which may include availability, location, experience and skillset. We aim to ensure the work is distributed across the environmental trainers/auditors. 
• Where opportunities are identified by the trainers/auditors these will be allocated to the trainer/auditor who brings forward the opportunity(s). 
• Expenses for pre-agreed travel will be paid at 45p/mile.  
• CAfS is not VAT registered. The above rate is the total amount and therefore includes VAT for any auditors/trainers who are themselves VAT registered.
• We will accept applications from both individuals and organisations. For applications from an organisation, we would require named trainers/auditors with each individual trainer/auditor’s skills and experience clearly identified.
• Please contact Ceri Holman ([email protected]) if you have any questions. Your safeguarding processes for working with young people. 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit:

• Your CV or CVs if applying as an organisation.
• A covering letter (2 pages max in size 11 font) clearly showing how you meet the evaluation criteria below including:

1. Your experience of working with young people, schools and/or youth organisations.
2. Your experience of undertaking environmental reviews/audits and/or other environmental-themed projects.
3. Your experience of providing training/coaching.
4. Examples of similar work you may have done previously.
5. Your capacity to provide any such services over the next 8 months.
6. Your safeguarding processes for working with young people.

Please email your application to [email protected] or send paper copies to CAfS, Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 8ET to arrive by 10am on Tuesday 4th January

Interviews will be held via Zoom on Wednesday 12th January and those selected for interview will be notified by email by 5pm on Wednesday 5th January.

EVALUATION CRITERIA