Facilitators

Calico are recruiting 2 Facilitators to join their Empathy Training Delivery Team – West Midlands.

Overview:

• Freelance contract
• Location: Birmigham, UK
• Language: English
• Salary: £200 per day + travel
• Applications closing: 13th May

Job Description

We are recruiting 2 facilitators to join our Empathy Training Delivery Team – West Midlands.

Our Empathy Training uses virtual reality (VR) and interactive exercises to facilitate conversations about gendered violence with policing, transport and security teams.

Training sessions are usually 3 hours long, for up to 25 participants, and take the following structure:

• Benchmarking: discussion-based exercises which start conversations in the room, and enable participants to share their perceptions of gendered violence, some of the challenges they might face in their role, and their own experiences.
• VR Session: participants are split into 2 groups, each group does the 15 minute VR experience, while the other takes a break, then they swap. The VR experience gives participants insights into the lived experience of women & LGBTQIA+ folk in public spaces by placing them in the shoes of others travelling home after dark. Facilitators are responsible for setting up the VR experience, onboard participants, supervising participants, and cleaning headsets.
• Consolidating Understanding: facilitated discussion with participants about what they saw during the VR experience, what it meant, how they felt, and why it was significant.
• Practice Scenarios: facilitators present participants with scenarios to practice victim-centred approaches. Facilitators pose questions to participants about their responses, encouraging them to consider the impact of their approaches on victims.

The training follows an established structure, which has been successfully delivered by Calico’s founders, Daz & Martha, for over 2 years.

Working Hours

The 2 new facilitators will primarily deliver training to West Midlands Police new recruits. This takes place approximately once every 2 weeks, as 3 hour in person sessions from 9am – 12pm, plus post-session write-up & headset maintenance (accounting for a full day of work).

Session dates are currently established up until September, dates beyond that point will be agreed with facilitators.

Location:

West Midlands Police training sessions will take place at Tally-Ho Training Centre, West Midlands Police, Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7RN. Onboarding/facilitator training will take place at Calico’s Office: The Exchange, 3 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2DR.

Progression/Future Opportunity:

There may be opportunities to increase frequency of this work by delivering to other police forces, transport or security teams. There may also be opportunity to receive training to deliver our community engagement work to police cadets, schools, and women’s community groups in the future.

Role Requirements

If you don’t meet all of the specifications below, please still apply! Above all, we’re looking for an adaptable & creative team player who takes initiative and is passionate about our mission.

Experience can be voluntary. You must be 18+ and have the right to work in the U.K.

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as LGBTQIA+, D/deaf, disabled, and/or from Global Majority backgrounds, as we recognise that these communities are underrepresented in our sector.

Essential:

• Able to attend all dates outlined in the training programme, and the pre-booked training sessions (see full job specification for more detail)
• Able to commit to training sessions approximately once every 2 weeks from September 2026 onwards, in person in Birmingham
• Based in the West Midlands
• Have lived experience of being a woman/girl (e.g. cisgender woman, transgender woman, transgender man, non-binary person)
• Experience as a facilitator or trainer (e.g. theatre facilitation, youth work, teaching, community facilitation, training delivery)
• Confident & engaging verbal communication & presentation skills
• Ability to empathise, and listen to participants perspectives
• Ability to manage group dynamics
• Proactive, resourceful and able to work independently
• Reliable, flexible, and comfortable working closely with founders
• Professionalism in handling client communications
• Understanding of gendered violence/violence against women and girls and its impacts & alignment with Calico’s social mission

Desirable:

• Awareness of trauma-informed approaches
• Confidence handling & supporting challenging or resistant participants
• Have your own laptop
• Full, valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle

Delivering this training can be challenging. In this frontline role, it’s likely you will experience individuals disclosing their experiences of sexual assault and harassment to you. You will be expected to hold emotionally complex conversations.

However, it’s a very rewarding and fulfilling job in which you are able to make a tangible difference in improving policing, transport, and security for women, girls, and LGBTQIA+ folk. We will offer regular support and debrief opportunities, including opportunities for paid peer one-to-one support.

An Enhanced DBS check is required for all facilitators. Calico will cover the cost and processing for successful candidates who do not already hold one.

How to apply?

Send a CV & a short video (max 3 mins – ideally sent as a link to an unlisted youtube video) introducing yourself, outlining your experience, and why you’d like to apply to info@wearecalico.co.uk by Wednesday, 13th May, 11 PM.

Please fill out our Optional EDI Monitoring Form. It’s anonymous, voluntary, and won’t be connected to your application – it just helps us see if we’re reaching the right people!

We welcome joint applications from two facilitators with established experience working together. When applying as a duo, please submit one video of you speaking together, and either a joint CV or two different CVs.

We will email you to confirm receipt of your application within 48 hours (except on weekends). If we don’t do this, please reach out via Instagram (@wearecalico_) to make sure we’ve received it!

In person interviews will take place w/c 18th May.

Job start date: w/c 8th June.

If you have any questions, please email info@wearecalico.co.uk.