Ice Cream Parlour Supervisor “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Based at: Calderstones Site, Liverpool, L18 3JD Reporting to: Ice Cream Parlour Manager Salary: £7.65 per hour Hours: minimum 12 hours per week

About The Reader

‘Sometimes I can relate the story to my own life, like with The Old Man and the Sea, that feeling of limbo, being stuck, that’s what I felt like before I came to the group.’

The Reader is a fast-growing social enterprise with a national and international remit that develops innovative shared reading-aloud groups in diverse communities across society. Head office is in our home city of Liverpool but we have teams in London, the North East, the South West, Scotland Wales, as well as a national prisons project in 6 locations, and work in Northern Ireland, Belgium and Denmark.

We are hard-working, hugely ambitious and aim for the highest standards of quality in all aspects of our work. We want to make shared reading the norm in all walks of life.

We believe that literature is a force for social good that can be used to build community and enhance lives, reduce social isolation and help people to maximise their potential. Our work encourages people of all ages and backgrounds, in whatever life situation they find themselves, to become readers, to extend their reading habits, and to share their reading experiences with others.

The Reader works with over 5,000 people through 370 weekly groups, events and activities; from pre-schoolers to people at the end of life, and across a number of different sectors, including, but not limited to the Education, Criminal Justice and Mental Health Sectors.

Our beliefs and values

Our beliefs and values shape our culture and guide us in our work both internally and externally. These are principles that we hope will help everyone who works for us, everyone who works with us and everyone with whom we read understand who we are, what we stand for and how we do things.

It’s really important that we recruit people who feel they can work in accordance with these values:

www.thereader.org.uk - 0151 729 2200 - [email protected] Registered charity in England (1126806) and Scotland (043054)

Patrons: David Almond, A. S. Byatt, Frank Cottrell Boyce, David Constantine, Howard Jacobson, Brian Keenan, Erwin James, Blake Morrison, Andrew Motion, Anna Lawrence Pietroni, Lemn Sissay and Jeanette Winterson  Great literature is at our heart  We read to lead  We are kind but bold  We respect individuality but work as a team  We value innovation and find ways to live with change  We have strong boundaries and are well supported  We celebrate success but learn from our mistakes  We work whole-heartedly and value our wellbeing

This role sits at the centre of our shared reading work and combines and embodies many of the above, especially ‘Great literature is at our heart’, ‘We are kind but bold’ and, ‘We have strong boundaries and are well supported’.

Please read more about our purpose, beliefs and values here: http://www.thereader.org.uk/who-we-are/our-values-and-beliefs.aspx

About the Role:

This individual will be working within The Reader Ice Cream Parlour. They will work in a team developing and delivering a range of profitable catering offers that work in harmony with The Reader’s ethos and vision. The Ice Cream Parlour Supervisor will be based at Calderstones Site, where The Reader is developing its Centre for Reading and Wellbeing. Hospitality is a key element of this venture, with profits reinvested into projects that improve the quality of people’s lives. It will also support and develop other activities being delivered within the Mansion House and surrounding buildings, such as training courses and community events. The Parlour, is open seven days a week, provides a large selection of Ice Creams in a child friendly and welcoming environment. This individual will be responsible for supervising paid members of staff, volunteers and apprentices whilst fulfilling regular hospitality responsibilities, such as serving customers and maintaining high levels of customer service. The individual must be flexible according to seasonal opening hours.

Role Responsibilities:

This is not your typical hospitality role; as well as having relevant catering experience and a passion for working with people; we are looking for someone with a real connection to children and the ethos of The Reader and its commitment to improving the quality of people’s lives by connecting people through books and reading. This role requires an experienced individual who is comfortable supervising others whilst working as part of a team. You will work in a very close team and report directly to the Ice Cream Parlour Manager. You will be working towards the same goal of running a profitable social enterprise that provides an offer of the highest standard to the wider community.

Your main responsibilities will be:

 Dealing with customers and ensuring high standards of customer service  Supervising the Storybarn booking process and Storybarn customer experience  Supervising volunteers, apprentices and paid staff members

 Cashing up

 Preparing and presenting food to a high standard

 Maintaining the reputation of the charity in your dealings with the public

 Maintaining high standards of hygiene.

Other responsibilities will include:

 Maintaining stock levels

 Ordering Stock

 Delivering training to other staff members.

Personal Attributes and Circumstances

We need an individual with real personal commitment and creative energy with a business- like, can-do attitude. You will display initiative and a passion for people, supporting the evolution of this new and exciting element of The Reader’s work.

We are looking for an experienced, reliable person who:

 Has a flare for customer service

 Enjoys working with and around children

 Shares our ethos and values

 Has experience of supervising others

 Relevant experience within the hospitality industry

 Has experience of delivering training to other members of staff

 Is flexible, willing and able – enthusiastic and energetic

 Has the ability to use own initiative and work independently without supervision

 Has a resilient personality

 Can show an understanding of and commitment to The Reader’s plans to develop the Centre for Reading and Wellbeing in Calderstones Mansion House

 Can show an understanding of the work The Reader carries out and what it strives to stand for and achieve  Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills

 Has strong organisational and time management skills combined with a high level of initiative

 Has strong leadership and motivating skills including the ability to build strong relationships with customers and staff.

How to Apply

Note: Please do not just send in a CV. We will only consider applications that adhere to the following process: Visit www.thereader.org.uk and select the ‘Working With Us’ tab where you will be able to view the full job description and download an application form. Please complete the application form and submit a covering letter, explaining how you meet the requirements of this role, to [email protected]

Your covering letter is an opportunity for you to include any additional information which could not be explained within the application form.

Deadline: Friday 15th September 2017, 9am. A high volume of applications may make replies to everyone impossible.