Residential Performance Company – Support Team Page
Welcome
WELCOME
We are so excited to have you as part of the team for our ‘Evolving Visions’ season this Summer.
In 2023, National Youth Ballet is providing a really special opportunity for 95 young dancers to come together with a brilliant team, to develop their skills and work on new and existing pieces, culminating in two sharings of work in progress on Saturday 19 August. We are really passionate about creating a positive experience for all involved and want NYB to be a pioneer of inclusivity, positivity and forward-thinking in our industry.
Nurturing and supporting the young dancers is at the heart of the NYB ethos, and our support team is an absolutely integral part of this. With this webpage we want to set out some guidelines that we believe constitute good working practices when working with young people, as well as providing useful information for you in the run up to the residential summer school.
Below you will find some practical information including the draft timetable (subject to change but it gives you an idea of how the week will run), Support Team rota (including arrival and departure times), boarding allocations, details of what to bring, as well as important information about our ethos and Safeguarding.
Lastly, please note that we have several young people in the company who have severe allergies to nuts, therefore NYB is a nut free zone. Please do not bring any products to Elmhurst that may contain nuts.
We hope that the information below will be useful – Nisha Denton will continue to be your first point of contact throughout the residency so please do contact her if you have any questions: nisha.denton@nationalyouthballet.org – and I and the rest of the team will of course also be there providing support with anything you may need.
With all our best wishes and very much looking forward to working with you!
Louise Bennett and the NYB Team
Thank you all so much for your commitment to support and be a part of the National Youth Ballet Residential this year. I’m delighted to be working alongside you all and I hope that together we can ensure all the young people attending will have a wonderful time in their creativity, that they are nutured and most importantly they are safe whilst being away from home.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, so if in doubt please do not hesitate to ask questions.
I welcome you all and look forward to meeting you all face to face.
Nisha Denton, Safeguarding and Support Team Manager
Contact Details
If you need to contact National Youth Ballet team during the course –
- NYB Team Phone (carried by Nisha Denton) 07598 827621
- NYB Medical Phone (carried by Surya Gupta Wright) 07376721142
- In a medical emergency, always call 999.
Please do not call prior to the start of the course. Any queries prior to this date should be sent to admin@nationalyouthballet.org.
Information for Support Team (click on the headings below to be taken to the specific information):
Our ethos
A guide to the NYB ethos and useful things to remember:
We believe passionately in supporting and nurturing young people, and we place their learning and development front and centre of the NYB experience. In previous years we have witnessed the rate at which young people can grow in confidence over their time with us, and we believe that this is down to the excellent work of the team in creating an inclusive and positive company atmosphere.
This season we want the young people to have the time to learn about the rehearsal process so that they can fully understand, and develop, the skills that are needed in a professional environment. Please remember that stepping into a company environment may be a little more overwhelming for some students.
One way we are mitigating the potential feeling of being overwhelmed is with our Moving Minds scheme, taking the students through a mindfulness practice during their rehearsal day. This will be led by Charlie Brittain and Carrie Johnson, who will lead scheduled sessions titled ‘Cultivating Courage’.
In the meantime, here is a list of things to keep in mind about the way we work and about what is important to us.
- Please remember that the students may be away from home for the first time and will get very tired and possibly homesick. Please treat them with sensitivity and communicate any concerns you may have with Louise and with Nisha Denton, Safeguarding and Support Team Manager.
- One of the ways NYB is becoming more and more inclusive is in our awareness of the language we use around gender identity. We have asked the students and team members what their pronouns currently are. We ask that you please avoid using gendered language where possible, and when referring to individuals please use the correct pronouns. Examples of non-gendered language can be things like ‘everybody’ or ‘dancers’, rather than ‘boys and girls’. If you are teaching class, please do not separate steps by gender – either give everybody the same steps or give options from which the dancers can choose. If a genuine mistake is made, for example accidentally mis-gendering someone, please treat yourself and others with kindness.
- Social media – it is possible that the young dancers will follow you on social media. Please do not follow them back, interact with them or accept their requests. This is for your own protection as well as the young people’s.
- Punctuality: NYB is very much a company atmosphere, and we expect everyone involved to approach the week with professional discipline. Please help us set an example to the dancers by modelling punctuality.
- Lastly, NYB should be and normally is an extremely enjoyable experience for all involved, and we don’t want the guidelines and rules to overshadow what is always a very genuine, warm and welcoming environment for the whole team. We believe that having clear guidelines provides the freedom to enjoy the experience and create beautiful work and beautiful memories for all involved!
If you have any questions about any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact Louise on louise.bennett@nationalyouthballet.org.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Please make sure that you have read the NYB Safeguarding Policy.
Training
Below is information for the mandatory whole team safeguarding training for all staff, support team and volunteers. You should have already watched all of the videos below and submitted feedback (by 31st July) – if you have not watched them yet please do as soon as possible.
1. Types and Signs of Abuse (22m 18) Video 1 feedback
2. Code of Conduct (21 m) Video 2 Feedback Form
3. Psychological Safety (11m 47) Video 3 Feedback Form
4. Reinforcing positive messages for growth (16m 05) Video 4 Feedback Form
There will then be a 1-hour safeguarding meeting carried out over zoom on Sunday 6 August, 9:30-10:30am. This is mandatory for all members of the team who will be present at the residency, and will also include essential training on how to safely administer an Epipen, as we have several young people in the company who have severe allergies. If you are unable to attend the meeting, it is mandatory that you watch the recording before your arrival at Elmhurst.
Key staff
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Barbara Palczynski and will be contactable throughout the course by telephone on 07884 312808. If you have any safeguarding concerns about a young person please contact her directly. As per the Safeguarding Policy, the DSL is the first point of contact for the staff and volunteers, if there is a safeguarding concern or advice is needed on a safeguarding issue. Do not discuss your concerns with other staff members.
Our Safeguarding and Support Team Manager is Nisha Denton. She will be on site throughout the course to support our pastoral support team in their role and can offer guidance and support with all other matters that may arise. Also on site will be Residential Healthcare Support, Dr. Surya Gupta Wright, and a Sports Physio for drop-in sessions in the evening for injuries (details tbc).
As per our Safeguarding Policy when sharing a safeguarding concern with the DSL please ensure:
- Information is accurate
- The concern is reported as soon as possible
- Information is up to date
When you record the information: Write down your concerns or those of the person who raised them using the Reporting a Concern Form (Appendix A Page 25 in the Safeguarding Policy). Be clear, concise and factual.
- Name of child
- Date, time and place
- Who else was present
- What was said / What happened / What you noticed … speech, behaviour, mood, drawings, games or appearance
- If child or parent spoke, record their words rather than your interpretation
- Analysis of what you observed and why it is a cause for concern
Written documentation should be handed to the appropriate member of NYB team so that they can store it in a safe and secure place. The DSL will advise on this.
Please see these important details from our Safeguarding Policy:
Draft timetable and support team rota
Please click on the links below to view/download relevant information:
Please note: the support team rota currently only details roles from Sunday to Friday and may be subject to change. The rota for Saturday will be confirmed during the week. Please note all support team members will be required to be on hand to support, so that we have a schedule that will best enable house parents to see the sharings.
Boarding Allocations
As a House Parent volunteer you will work as a team from a rota, providing pastoral support and supervision of young dancers throughout the residential. House Parents are the backbone of pastoral support, and look after the day to day social and emotional needs of the young dancers, from waking until bedtime, during leisure time and at meal times. During studio time, dancers are supervised by NYB practitioners. Your role is:
- to supervise participants outside of their scheduled timetables
- to know the whereabouts and timetable of each participant allocated to your house
- to ensure participants have a routine in the mornings and evenings in the house, general hygiene and getting ready for day
- to ensure participants are participating in meal times (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- to ensure participants are drinking a good amount of water throughout the day, reminding them where possible
- to ensure participants attend their timetable activities throughout the day
- to report any concerns to Safeguarding and Support Team Manager Nisha Denton. This includes safeguarding, general wellbeing or if you are unsure of something
- to participate in daily check ins with other house parents and support team to ensure effective information sharing
- to report any medical concerns or injuries to the onsite medic, Surya Gupta Wright and inform the Safeguarding and Support Team Manager, Nisha Denton
- to direct participants to the onsite medic, Surya Gupta Wright for medication if required
- to provide a daily head count/register of the participants you are responsible for in your house
- to ensure fire safety drills are followed should this arise
- Please note it will not be possible for you to watch your young person rehearse in the studio.
Medical Support
The Support Team includes an onsite medic, Surya Gupta Wright, and a visiting Sports Physiotherapist (2-hours daily). Medication will be collected from participants on arrival at registration. Surya Gupta Wright will lead on administering medication centrally. During the daytime, please report any medical concerns or injuries to Surya Gupta Wright and inform the Safeguarding and Support Team Manager, Nisha Denton.
If a participant becomes ill during the night, the House Parent will be the first person to investigate the nature of the illness. If the House Parent has any concerns, the House Parent will contact the onsite medic to assess and inform the NYB Safeguarding and Support Team Manager.
All young people and staff should contact their House Parent or the onsite medic immediately if they develop any symptoms that could indicate an infectious disease – this includes but is not limited to diarrhoea; vomiting; respiratory symptoms such as coughing or sneezing; fever; unexplained rash.
Nut Free Zone
The Residential Performance Company is a NUT FREE ZONE. Please do not bring food containing nuts to our residential or the theatres. This includes pine nuts, peanut butter, cashew nut butter, almond butter and hazelnut spread (Nutella). Please also be aware that some food items might also contain nuts like cereal bars.
NYB will provide Epipen training on Sunday 6 August 9.30-10.30am as part of the online Safeguarding meeting
For further information please read Anaphylaxis and EpiPen Guidance
What to bring
- Towel (bedding will be provided by Elmhurst Ballet School)
- Clothing for your full stay (there are no washing facilities at Elmhurst Ballet School)
- Toiletries (please no aerosols as they set off the fire alarm)
- Proof of DBS
- Chaperone licence – if you have one
- Book / work
What not to bring: Nuts / Aerosols
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are permitted but should not be used during sessions. Please do not take photos whilst at RPC.