We are seeking volunteers to join the facilitation group for our Children’s Advisory Team
To make sure that the views, ideas and interests of children and young people have top priority in the development, programming and organisation of our museum, we have set up the MoCI Children’s Advisory Team.
The Children’s Advisory Team meets regularly to advise the Museum’s (adult) Board of Directors on all aspects of the running of the museum. The team currently has 15 members aged between 10 and 17, who collectively draw on over 200 years’ lived experience of childhood to advise the board from a child’s point of view.
While the team makes its own decisions, their work is coordinated by a small group of adult facilitators. We are looking for volunteers to join this adult facilitation group.
Job spec.
The tasks and responsibilities of members of the CAT facilitation group are as follows:
- Co-facilitate monthly meetings of the MoCI Children’s Advisory Team. Meetings are usually held on line via Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 5.00 – 6.00 pm (i.e. on schooldays, after school). At least two members of the facilitation group co-facilitate each meeting.
- Co-facilitate occasional live face-to-face meetings of the MoCI Children’s Advisory Team. These are held about twice a year. As the museum does not have its own physical location, these are currently hosted by the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman in central Dublin (www.oco.ie). Live meetings are usually scheduled during school holidays/mid-term breaks. [Note: We aim to have continuity; that is, all members of our facilitation group participate in all meetings where possible. However, provided there are at least two of the facilitation group at every meeting, it’s not a big problem to miss occasional meetings].
- Participate in planning and preparation of CAT meetings (both live and virtual). This usually involves one pre-planning meeting in advance of each CAT meeting, also held online via Zoom. At these meetings, tasks may be allocated in respect of any preparatory work needed, and who will lead facilitation during the coming meeting.
- Share in accompaniment and facilitation of other CAT activities as required. Occasionally CAT members may decide to take part in other activities outside their regular meeting schedule. These may include other online meetings, visits to partner organisations, consultations, site visits etc. As a rule, it is up to the CAT members to decide what additional activities they wish to get involved in. It is then up to the facilitation group to assign responsibility for ensuring appropriate accompaniment, safeguarding, support and facilitation. [Note: This does not happen very often, and is unlikely to be onerous].
- Contribute to maintenance/update of the CAT section of the MoCI website. The content of the CAT pages on the website is down to the CAT members themselves, but the facilitation group needs to ensure it is maintained and kept up to date, with specific tasks assigned in accordance with the relevant skills and experience of group members.
Person spec.
The requirements to join the CAT facilitation group are as follows:
Essential:
- Interest and enthusiasm: Above all we are looking for people who are interested in child participation/children’s rights, and enthusiastic about taking on a key role in turning rights into reality. (Note that interest and enthusiasm are essential, while previous experience/qualifications are desirable but not essential. Group members will learn and gain experience through practice).
- Availability: Must have sufficient time available to undertake, consistently and voluntarily, the tasks and responsibilities set out in the job spec. above.
- Responsibility: Must be someone we can count on to act responsibly and keep commitments. Although this is a voluntary commitment with no monetary reward, we don’t want CAT members to be let down by the failure of their facilitators to keep their commitments.
- Respect: Able to listen to children, support children in expressing their views, and prioritise children’s ideas, opinions and visions without imposing their own.
- Garda vetting compliance: Willing to provide personal information to MoCI’s administration team to facilitate Garda vetting. All members of the CAT facilitation group must be Garda vetted as part of our commitment to safeguarding children.
- Internet connectivity: As most of the CAT’s activities take place on-line, members of the facilitation group must have access to the internet and a suitable device to connect (computer, tablet or smartphone).
Desirable:
- Relevant experience: It would be great to have people joining the facilitation group with previous experience of child rights/participation work. However, we have not made this an essential requirement, as we also want to attract young adults who are keen to learn and develop their knowledge and skills through experience.
- Safeguarding awareness: It would also be good to have people with previous training on child safeguarding in policy and practice.
- Good communication skills, with an emphasis on active listening.
- Relevant internet/social media skills. In particular it would be good to have people with skills in making online meetings truly participative, and the new generation of apps that can help with this. Also we need people with skills to help develop a genuinely child-friendly and exciting website.