Curriculum Vitae – Julia Woodman

16 Sturdee Close, Frimley,, Surrey, GU16 8DL
07707-200494 / julia@radiance-solutions.co.uk

*************************************************************************************

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE:

Floating Support Worker still with Rainer, although they are now called Catch-22 (after merging with crime concern).  My role is very similar to the one below, although it is now in the housing team, so focuses mainly on that, but still covers helping our young people with most of the other things listed below as well.  It now also includes work with 16 & 17 year olds, and young people who are street homeless and have not necessarily been through the care system.  This division is funded by Supporting People and this role is non-statutory, and we work with each young person for a shorter time while they need the extra help rather than for a fixed period as before. I have now been with this organisation for a total of 5 years.

Assistant Personal Adviser with the Rainer Surrey 18+ Team (Part of Royal Philanthropic Society) from April 2005 to current date.  Based in Woking, under contract to the council, we assist young people who have been in care towards successful independent living.  

  • Help young people move from chaotic unemployment into further studies or employment.
  • Work with benefits departments, and training providers
  • Find appropriate council or private accommodation
  • Motivate young people in the areas of health & development
  • Support young people with emotional family & friendship issues
  • Support in the areas of identity, citizenship, and rights.
  • Help young people develop financial and other independent living skills
  • Apply on young people’s behalf for financial support with travel costs, training or further studies, clothing, furnishings, rent deposits, costs of documentation such as passports.

Some specific strong points relevant to this role are:

  • Care passionately about working with people of any age to improve their situations
  • Good at empowering people to help themselves, and at engaging with the ‘hard to reach’.
  • Active team member contributing at team meetings etc which often leads to changes for the betterment of our service to young people, our team members, and our organization.
  • Volunteer for extra duties, such as manning stands at events, covering duties of absentees,
    gathering information to inform policy, helping with extra things that need to be done.
  • Produced newsletter for 6 months in 1st yr in job, with articles from workers & young people.
  • Line Manager recently asked me to apply for promotion, but this would lead more into social work, whereas I am inclined towards youth work or roles that can use my counseling, coaching, and personal development workshop skills more specifically, and my creativity.

Service User Involvement Officer - Covered this role for 2nd yr in job in addition to main role above

  • Answered directly to service manager as separate contract provided to the council.
  • Reported regularly to Steering Group
  • Organized and led the Surrey Youth Forum
  • Ensured attendance & involvement of our young people in conferences and policy development decisions with local govt, ourselves, and other agencies and services.
  • Researched opportunities and kept young people informed of them.
  • Made successful bid with young people for £5000 to fund Surrey Young People’s Website
  • Design of this website, following the young people’s brief
  • Led interview training sessions with young people to enable them to interview for us
  • Often undertook major tasks at very short notice
  • Inducted new worker when she was appointed

Advertising Sales for PersonelZone and HealthandSafetyZone based in Esher but mostly working from home 3 days a week from June 04. Researched companies offered to fulfill their advertising needs with tailored online advertising packages.  Delivered presentations.

During this time I was also able to continue with some self employed work and studies:

  • WRITING personal development COURSES (available via email or post)
  • COUNSELING, and Stress Consultant (I have been on TV demonstrating this role).
  • Web Design – delivering complete web solutions
  • Further studies – Life Coaching

Third Poetry Tour of Texas – Worked with Adults & Children at a large festival, in schools, and at a variety of other places such as spiritual centres and arts venues – April 04

Young Persons Officer (Consultation & Participation) - Pavilion Housing, Aldershot - Feb 04.

  • Engaged successfully with young people on the streets in Aldershot along with the warden for that area, and supported his and their project plans.
  • Engaged with a group of young people with anti-social behavioural issues in Farnborough in conjunction with the community safety officer, and planned projects with them.

Period of Self Employment as Website Designer, Water Diviner, Poet & Healer - from 1999

  • Trained extensively for divining & healing, and mostly taught myself web design.
  • Wide experience of working sensitively with all sorts of people, including many elderly.
  • Updating of the national NFSH WEBSITE, initiated by attending council meetings to discuss
  • Presentations to meet clients needs – Web Design projects completed
  • Reports for Clients after water divining in the field, and on maps
  • General running of a business, inc finance, publicity etc.
  • Organized series of poetry events in Winchester.  Applied for & got funding.
  • Continued with poetry, art & storytelling workshops in schools and outdoor venues,
    plus readings & workshops for adult groups.

Special Needs Assistant (& Midday Supervisor) at Beaumont County Junior School, Aldershot, from August 98 (secured the job before moving south from Yorkshire). 
Also continued writing & publishing, and did odd jobs for people in their homes.

Self Employed in Yorkshire from 1991-1998

  • Freelance Writer - mostly environmental & philosophical articles
  • Published poetry in journals around the world (inc in Japanese & German translation). 
  • Poet & Artist in SCHOOLS around UK & read own work at many venues & on RADIO
  • Storytelling events in several outdoor venues around UK – Chatsworth and other Gardens
  • ADULT creative writing TUTOR in the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.
  • Two Tours Performing Poetry in the USA, inc Radio and TV interviews & readings
  • FOUNDED & ORGANISED Yorkshire Rainbow Festival (varied events over several wks)
  • Applied for & got funding.
  • Published & Edited magazines and books, under name of Woodman’s Press
  • Ran poetry and short story competitions where readers voted for winners
  • Client based work - PR, Copywriting, Word Processing, Typesetting, Proofreading, Printing, Design, Artwork and Illustration. 

Returned to England and concentrated on raising young family – Kent, Derby, Yorkshire – 1985

Renewals Clerk – Homes Trust Life Insurance – 1984 - When I returned to Cape Town South Africa, this same company I had my first job with were pleased to hire me again.  

  • Problem solving of computer generated insurance policies
  • Bilingual CORRESPONDENCE and TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS with branch managers and clients, also some native languages.

Freelance Writer for Boating Paper in the States - Assignments & Choice / News & Feature – 1983

Yacht Crew Member from S Africa to USA - 1982
Also worked along the way, in Bermuda, Caribbean etc as waitress / ships engineer / garage secretary.

Computer Librarian for SAF Marine, Cape Town. – Admin & communication tasks, liaising between programmers and operators, stock & stationery control, reception - 1980 to 81

Costing Clerk for Reckitt & Colman, Cape Town - product COSTING and STATISTICS – 1979 to 80

Computerized Salaries Clerk for Homes Trust Life, a large insurance company in Cape Town, South Africa.  Included handling POSTAL and TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES from agents and branch managers in English, Afrikaans, and some native languages.  – 1977 to 79

 

Over the years -   part time jobs (apart from those already mentioned) – retail and tele-sales, admin, (fuel depot & garage), bar work, waiting & cleaning.

 

Voluntary work - in Nurseries and Schools in Yorkshire

  • Reading & Language work – one to one outside classroom
  • Maths & Science – helping students in class
  • Drawing with special needs children – one to one outside class
  • Crafts, Games & Trips – extra curricular

Voluntary work - CPSA work at Calthorpe Park High School in Fleet, Hants. 

Voluntary work – National Federation of Spiritual Healers:

  • Elected NFSH Fleet Centres CHAIR
  • Elected NFSH Council Representative for our region at National Meetings
  • Elected NFSH Regional Probationer Liaison Officer - helped TRAIN new healers
    Included running personal development, meditation etc workshops.

 

Other Interests:  Writing, Painting, Design, Wide variety of Music, Walking, Swimming, Reading (personal development, science, philosophy, environment, economics, arts & literature), Theatre, Films

 

FURTHER EDUCATION:

Certificate in Life Coaching - Newcastle College – course written by Fiona Harold - 2005

Diploma Advanced Counselling Skills & Ass. Stress Consultants Member - 92% (BSY, Devon) - 04

Certificate and Full Healer Membership - National Federation of Spiritual Healers – 1999 to 2002

Water Divining Apprenticeship - with geologist/diviner – 1998 to 2001 – part time, when possible

Office Training to update skills - Index Recruitment, Fleet - Word/Excel/Access - not accredited – 99

Apple Mac & Quark Xpress - with small press publisher in Reading - not accredited – 98

Workers in Schools – WEA & OCN – In Yorkshire School - top results - 4 credits at Level 3 – 1998

Interior Decorating Diploma - Correspondence, S.Africa - (while working)  - 'A' – 1981

First Year (only) of B.Comm. - Correspondence, Uni of S.Africa (while working) - 3 Credits – 1978

Accounting, Economics, Business Economics.

Secretarial Diploma - Cape Town, South Africa - All relevant skills - 1977

Matriculation with University entry level results – Natal, South Africa - 1976

Accounting, Maths, English, Afrikaans, Biology, Geography

 

OTHER RELEVANT DETAILS:

CRB - I have clean Enhanced CRB Disclosure

Nationality – British

Date of birth – 1/8/59

Health - Excellent

Transport - UK clean driving license and car owner

Relocation – Would like to relocate nearer to Dorking

 

REFERENCES

Reference from current job with Rainer/Catch22: Michale Vann was my most recent manager in the 18+ team.  I would prefer to give her contact details than my current manager’s. Michale’s mobile number is 07949-999462.  It is fine to contact her before I am made an offer.

Written References: Excellent written references from previous employers and associates are available in my presentation file, including ones from the Cape Town insurance company that employed me twice, and ones from the head and other teachers at the Yorkshire school where I did a lot of voluntary work, and my NVQ3 workers in schools training. There are also leaflets from the festival I organized and other events.

Personal Reference: Ken Peacock – has knowledge of most of my self-employed work, as well as my recent career history.  We have worked together in voluntary roles with the NFSH. 
Ken will be able to vouch for my ability to lead a group, yet be part of a team, and for my love of helping and enabling people, as well as for my publishing and creative abilities. 
He will also be able to confirm my general good character, optimism, resourcefulness, and motivation.
kenp.selborne@tiscali.co.uk / 51a Winchester Road, Four Marks, GU34 5HG / Ph 01420-562357

Personal Statement: I am a people person as well as a creative person, versatile and adaptable, and thus lucky enough to be able to excel in many areas.  Good with people of all ages and levels. Work well in a team, as well as on own.  Motivated, and can motivate & empower others. Practical & logical as well as intuitive. Able to come up with ideas and solutions, and can manage projects.  A quick learner, responding to all learning styles.

 

 

H O M E