Staffing care spaces

Having great staff is the key to running a friendly and effective care space. 

Photo by Ashlyn Hornsby

Research shows that people prefer care spaces that are staffed by a team of peers, as this makes the space inviting and approachable. 

A peer is someone who comes from the same community as the person in need of help. In care spaces at events, a peer may be someone who attends events themselves. They can understand the experiences that someone may be going through.

Peers can also include people who have a similar cultural background, age, gender identity, or any other trait that helps them understand what the other person is going through.

When recruiting, have an idea of what traits and experience you’re looking for in candidates. All staff will need to undertake comprehensive training before working in a care space.

Code of conduct

Developing a code of conduct can help you manage expectations of staff and ensure that the care space is a comfortable space for all.

  • What behaviours should care space staff show to promote a culture of care? Consider the language staff should use, sobriety, and attitude.

  • What support systems are in place for staff? Consider the fact that care space staff may have to manage difficult and potentially overwhelming situations. It is very beneficial to have systems in place to support them during and/or after the event.

  • How will you communicate your expectations to staff?

  • How will you manage any breaches of conduct?

Recruitment

Have a think about where and how you’ll recruit suitable staff for your care space.

It is helpful to build up your networks for recruitment, especially if you are holding a care space for multiple events over time. Creating pānui (announcements/notices) that you can disperse in different spaces, like social media or a mailing list, can also be helpful.

You might want to recruit through:

  • Social media (either your own, or other organisations’)

  • Advertising via a festival or venue’s website or volunteer mailing lists

  • Tapping into existing communities, or festival networks

  • Word of mouth

  • Some research suggests that people with backgrounds in hospitality can be good in the care space role, as they are accustomed to focusing on the needs of multiple people at the same time

  • When selecting your pool of staff during the interview process, look for:

    • People who demonstrate empathy, are warm and approachable, and have the ability to set and maintain boundaries with clients. This includes avoiding introducing their own trauma in a care setting.

    • A background in mental health is helpful but not necessary.

    • An event organising or staffing background is helpful but not necessary.

  • All care spaces should be inclusive and responsive to the needs of the community they serve.

    This can often look like recruiting staff with certain identities and experiences in mind, as the peer support space often relies on shared experiences. Other things to consider are:

    • Responding to language barriers.

    • Including cultural sensitivity in trainings where appropriate, especially for Māori and Pasifika.

    • Conducting an assessment of needs and demographics of the event’s attendees, and being responsive to this with staffing.

    • Considering neurodiverse needs.

    • Considering rainbow needs.

    Care spaces that have had training to support people who have experienced sexual assault will need to consider having a range of gender identities of staff, but these staff do not need to be peers.

  • When interviewing, here are a few tips to get the most out of your candidates:

    • Start with some small talk to put them at ease, don’t launch straight in. 

    • Give them some background on your work and approach, and what volunteering with you will be like. 

    • Make sure they know that they don’t have to answer a question if they don’t feel comfortable, and that you are open to any questions they might have for you. 

    • Reassure them that you’re not looking for perfect answers, just wanting to gauge where they’re at. 

    • Reassure them that any answers recorded will be stored confidentially. 

    For an interview template, with questions and essential info, see our Resources page.

"The team was such an inspiring group, with so many different backgrounds and experiences that led them to wanting to volunteer.  I am so grateful I was able to give back to the festival scene and to learn some beautiful lessons about friendship, vulnerability, and community along the way."

- Niki Selz, Psy-Care NZ volunteer

Logistics and planning

You’ll need to think about staffing as part of your planning for the event.

Consider:

Training

Training up a pool of volunteers takes time and experience. Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Experienced care space organisers may be able to help you deliver an appropriate training programme. Head to the ‘Contact us’ page to speak to someone about your event.

In your planning in the lead-up to the event, consider when the training might take place. Most festivals will ask their volunteers to arrive on set-up day, or you could arrange a separate time and place to train your staff a few days before the event.

Training needs may be different for different staff. You should always include:

  • The expectations of staff (such as your code of conduct)

  • The expectations of the care space (what the care space can provide staff)

  • Details of shift duties

  • Any paperwork to be used on shift

It’s a good idea for care space staff to familiarise themselves with helpful concepts such as peer support, person-centered care and trauma-informed care.

Support your staff

Care space work can be pretty tough on staff. The care space environment is highly variable and can be non-stop. You never know what kind of presentations might occur and how different situations may impact different staff members. It is therefore important to consider the wellbeing of staff as well. As you plan your care space, give some thought to the these elements that can help mitigate the impact of the work on staff:

“A lot of people benefit from working in this space in ways they might not expect. I loved seeing young men learn new soft skills they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to learn, and see the value in it. It’s the kind of thing they can take with them into the real world.”

- Holly Bennett, independent care space researcher.

  • Shift length; shorter shifts help to reduce the exposure to the intense environment and make the experience more manageable. 

  • Supportive policies; come up with a pathway staff can access if they feel the need for support. This could be as simple as making sure that staff know they can take a break and have people to talk to, such as the care space manager or shift lead, should they want to. 

  • Checking in; after a heavy experience have the shift lead or care space manager check in with the staff who were managing the situation. Ask them what they thought of it and if they would like to talk through what happened. 

  • Pay attention; remind shift leads and care space managers to pay attention to staff behaviour. Do they look worried or overwhelmed? Sometimes this can happen even if there isn’t anything big occurring and it is always okay to ask someone how they are doing.

  • Follow up; if you did not get the chance to check in with someone, or if you agree to a follow up, then send them a message after the event to see if they would like to decompress. It can also be a good idea to send a generalised message to everyone after the event just to check in on how they feel after they have had a chance to process everything. 

  • Escalation; make sure you identify who from the event crew a staff member can talk to if there is a need to escalate what happened to the event organisers. This is often the event Health and Safety Officer. 

  • Resources; collate a variety of resources e.g. counselling services, mental health phone lines, or friends you can connect them to.

During the event

  • When planning your roster for an event, consider:

    • Do any of your staff have preferences for attending certain acts? It can be helpful to gather this information on the first day, so that you can be responsive with your scheduling (especially if you are working with a volunteer pool).

    • Managing sleep schedules. Leave at least 8-10 hours between shifts to allow for proper rest. Some care spaces suggest that shifts shouldn’t be longer than 4 hrs.

    • Having a gender balance of staff rostered on.

    •  Having a balance of experienced and less experienced staff rostered on.

  • Shift leads may be staff who take on extra responsibility during their shift, or act to oversee the care space when the care space organiser isn’t there. Your shift leads will ideally have the ability to remain calm under pressure, be comfortable giving direction, and maintain oversight of the care space throughout their shift. 

    Shift leads will need further training for their extra roles and responsibilities. For more info on training, see our Resources section.

  • It’s important for your team to have opportunities to connect outside of working time, especially in a peer support role. A shared camping space for your staff, as well as regular shared meals can help people get to know, and support each other. 

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The physical care space

Find out how to create a warm, inviting atmosphere through lighting, decor, signage and staff attitudes.

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Providing care

People coming through the care space require a wide range of support. Read on for processes and guidance for providing care.