We get a lot of questions about working with us, see if you question has been answered already…
Applying to work
You can apply to work at any of the events we are involved in by using our online system ‘DCSS PAAM’.
Emails and newsletters are a great way to keep tabs on what we’re up to, so make sure you’re subscribed. You can subscribe to our newsletters by heading to our website and clicking onto the news tab and then clicking on the far blue icon next to our social media icons. You will then need to enter your email address and then confirm it below.
Job applications are live and are continuously being added to the Event Calendar, so it’s always worth checking regularly to make sure you’re not missing out.
Make sure your profile containing all your information is complete and that you have uploaded the correct documents to your DCSS PAAM profile, otherwise we cannot accept you for work.
Before completing your application make sure you have read the ‘Terms and Conditions’ and ‘Code of Conduct’. There’s nothing out of the ordinary in there, but this will help you manage your applications.
The short answer is no, as long as the event isn’t full you can potentially apply up to a few days prior.
WARNING!! Events do fill up quickly and we only have limited spaces, some Festivals fill up within hours of being advertised, so we strongly recommend you get your application in ASAP to avoid disappointment.
Some Events and Festivals will have an early cut off to allow time for Police PNC checks to be carried out.
All applications and their status can be seen from the overview page of your ‘DCSS PAAM’ account. It lists each application you have made, next to this is a status bar that will tell you how your application is getting on.
Make sure you check back regularly to view your application status, even after being accepted for an event this page will still change with your team information and there may be specific info for your team here!
Applications are not considered until the following is complete:
– Your profile is up to date including all your ‘right to work’ documents, tax declaration and photo.
Applications are not often refused, if yours has been, it is normally for one of the following reasons:
– You don’t have the correct qualifications to meet the criteria of the event. (Some events you need specific qualifications normally listed in the blue info button on DCSS PAAM)
– If it is discovered you have been banned from working by DC Site Services, another Festival/Event staffing organisation or the Event Promoters that DC Site Services is working with.
– You fail a ‘PNC check’
You can apply to work at as many or as few Events & Festivals as you like. We have a couple of stipulations listed below:
• You must be 16 or over to work in a Litter Picking, Cleaning or Waste Management role (you will also require written permission from a legal guardian to work).
• You must be 18 or over to work in a Stewarding or Traffic Management role
• The start and finish dates of events cannot clash. (You can’t be in two places at once!) However, you can always contact the office to discuss this. We can sometimes overcome these clashes depending on staff shifts etc.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, unfortunately there is no straight answer to this question. Your best bet is to contact our administration team who will always do their best to resolve your situation
Of course you can! There is a section on your DCSS PAAM profile where you can note things like this so that your manager onsite is aware. We would strongly recommend that you contact our administration team and explain your situation, it may be that not every role we offer is suitable but we always have alternatives.
The earlier you make contact the better. This is to make sure you are put in the most convenient role that ensures you are contributing as much as possible to the team, and so that we can make any adaptions to ensure the role is fit for purpose!
This information is available on our ‘Event Calendar’ and via your ‘DCSS PAAM’ account
If you can still apply for the event, it isn’t full yet!. Even if it is full contact the office to be placed onto the reserve list/ last minute cancellations.
You can. Please consult with your midwife and request a signed statement confirming that your midwife supports your decision to work at the festival. Also, please contact us to discuss your requirements.
We will ask you for this before we can approve you as a member on DCSS PAAM. These prove your right to work in the UK and are a legal requirement for all employers. A scan or clear photograph is accepted.
UK Citizens:
- EITHER Your UK passport. Make sure it is clear and of the photo page of your passport. It cannot be expired so make sure it’s in date.
- OR Your long-form birth certificate AND an official document containing your name AND national insurance number such as tax records
EU Citizens:
From 30th June 2021, all employers are now legally obliged to check that EU citizens have received settled or pre-settled status with permission to work in the UK. All that we need to check this is your unique share code and your date of birth, we can then log onto the government website and view your immigration employment status. For more information visit this website.
For more information on what counts as entitlement to work documentation, visit this link. You must bring these with you when you work your first event with us.
You are only able to cancel 14 days or more before an event. If you cancel less than 14 days before an event you may be cancelled from all future events. Contact us if you want to cancel your application and it is less than 14 days before an event, we will see what we can do.
- Entitlement to work documents must be uploaded on the ‘Upload and manage your files’ section
- Upload a passport-style photo onto the ‘Your Photo’ section- right at the bottom of your profile page – this photo must be head and shoulders, forward facing with no hair or head-wear obscuring your face. This will become your profile picture; clients may request this for accreditation purposes
- Fill in your ‘Personal Details’ including national insurance number and passport number (if you have one)
- Make sure you answer both multiple choice Tax Declaration questions – this lets us know what tax bracket you will be in
- Fill in the ‘Proving your right to work and volunteer in the UK’ section
- Make sure you put in your correct bank details otherwise paying you will be near impossible
- We also need your current address and next of kin in case of emergency
Make sure you press the green ‘Continue’ button to save. Below is where you need to upload your profile picture.
For some festivals and events it is a license condition that all staff are PNC (Police National Computer) checked prior to arrival on-site.
The PNC process is as follows…
A list of all staff is passed to the relevant county’s police force four to eight weeks before the festival.
The police perform a check against each name on the list.
We are informed by the police if anyone on the list fails the PNC check thus cannot work at the festival.
We are not given a reason by the police for any PNC failure.
Failures can be resolved – just because someone isn’t passed straight away doesn’t necessarily mean they cannot work at a festival. Sometimes the problem is merely old information e.g. an administrative issue the police have been trying to tie-up.
If you are concerned about the PNC check you can apply to Disclosure Scotland for a basic certificate. Only ‘live’ convictions, as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, are disclosed under the basic certificate. There are three separate conviction databases in the UK due to the three separate legal systems (Northern Ireland, Scotland and England & Wales). Minor driving convictions (e.g. speeding) are not normally recorded on these systems but are recorded at the DVLA.
If you would like your full conviction history you should apply to your local police force.
If you have lived in more than one area e.g. Northern Ireland and/or Scotland and/or England & Wales – you should apply to each police force. This type of request is done under the Data Protection Act 1998 and is called a ‘subject access request’.
You can find Disclosure Scotland here: www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
You may be need to apply for a DBS check (Disclosure and and Barring Service check) to get a copy of your criminal record before you are able to work at a specific event or location.
Things you need to know
- It costs £23, you can pay by credit card, debit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay.
- The check will only show convictions that are not ‘spent’, for example some types of caution will disappear after 3 months.
- You must be 16 or over to apply.
- It usually takes up to 14 days for you to receive your certificate.
What you’ll need
- Your addresses for the last 5 years and the dates you lived there
- National Insurance number
- UK or EU Passport
- Driving or provisional license
Follow the link to start the application process.
From 30th June 2021, all employers are now legally obliged to check that EU citizens have received settled or pre-settled status with permission to work in the UK. All that we need to check this is your unique share code and your date of birth, we can then log onto the government website and view your immigration employment status. For more information visit this website.
Job Descriptions
Recycling, Litter & Waste Management – Job Description
We work on many different types of events thus each Recycling, Litter & Waste Management job we undertake is different.
During an event most of the litter on the floor is picked up and placed in our custom high-performance binbags, which are removed into skips. Cardboard is folded and stacked for either recycling or for placing in skips.
Wheelie bins are placed around the arena and its entrances – binbags are inserted to hold the litter. When full the bags are taken to skips and another bag is placed in the bin.
Larger 1100 litre wheelie bins are sometimes used for the food and market concessions, these are either emptied during the event or after the show has finished. These bins may be emptied into a mobile waste compactor, or a truck may be used to lift and empty the bins.
At many events, arenas may need to be cleared overnight ready for the following day’s show – here litter is often picked by hand as the litter pliers are too slow, only picking one piece of litter at a time. These night shifts can be very important in ensuring an event is able to open on time the following day – this is a big responsibility!
Many of the events we work on, particularly music festivals, have a camping element. The campsites are cleared on a regular basis, with emphasis on keeping the roadways clear and removing the waste from the concessions to skips, or if possible trucks.
After the event we undertake a thorough litter pick of the event site, removing all waste and returning the venue to its original condition. It can take from two days to two weeks to clear the litter and waste, this with as many as 150 staff working in teams on the fields.
Risks:
Gloves are always available – even if you are using litter pliers it is sensible to wear gloves to protect your hands.
Lifting the bins is often hard work and you must remember to lift safely, bending your legs and keeping the back straight when you lift.
Cuts and abrasions are sometimes encountered – you must clean and dress wounds to stop the risk of infection.
Broken glass and other hazardous waste may sometimes be found – you must take care in dealing with these and use litter pliers where necessary to avoid injury or contamination.
DC Site Services operates on project (event) based work. This means that job roles vary depending on the site and the contract obtained by DC Site Services. All DC Site Services staff should be polite, professional and attentive to the public. You will be provided with an online information pack prior to arriving on site, and an on-site briefing, the equipment and PPE prior to your work. All cleaning and toilet attendants will need to adhere to the COSHH procedures and RAMS documents which you will be able to find in your online information pack. You will need to ensure safe working practices and display warning signs where appropriate.
Listed below are some of our standard cleaning job roles, however this is not a fully comprehensive list and jobs may occur outside of these categories.
Toilet/Washroom Attendants:
- Clean all sinks, floors, taps and mirrors to the best possible standard.
- Mop/hoover the floors where appropriate.
- Make sure all consumables (hand soaps, toilet rolls and hand towels) are replenished as required
- At certain events you may be expected to manage toilet queuing and direct customers to empty cubicles
Office/Dressing Room/Exhibition Stand Cleaning:
- Domestic cleaning such as vacuuming, wiping surfaces, dusting and window cleaning.
- Changing bins and general litter picking and tidying.
VIP/Hospitality Areas:
- A higher expectation of cleanliness is expected in these areas and you may only be able to enter VIP areas at certain times specified by event organisers.
Sanitising:
- Wiping down and disinfecting surfaces and touch points
- Restocking hand sanitiser in dispensers
Any other useful information will be provided during the on-site briefing and enclosed in the cleaning handbook you will receive.
Overview
The main role of a traffic marshal is to ensure the smooth movement of traffic throughout the site and to direct vehicles towards their allocated areas and/or parking spaces.
Traffic marshals need to remain vigilant throughout the site to ensure the security of vehicles and report any suspicious behaviour or security risks to a supervisor.
The requirements of each event are different and you may be required to work in one of a number of different roles, such as a car parker, a ‘pointer’, manning an external gate or a static position. Some of the more common traffic roles and positions are listed below:
- Main Entrance/s
Staff can be required to check passes/tickets, to split and direct traffic towards allocated areas i.e. weekend parking, backstage, disabled parking, traders areas and so on. There are usually a variety of staff based on the main entrance/s including stewards, traffic marshals, security, police officers, and traffic wardens.
- Day car park
The day car park can be on or off-site. The main role in the day car park is to keep the traffic moving freely, and to park the vehicles as tidily as possible. The day car park almost always fills up each day, then empties at the end of the day. It is important to keep weekend vehicles out of the day car park. If weekend vehicles are allowed into the day car park, once the day car park has emptied it is harder to manage the following day with weekend vehicles randomly parked around the fields. Specific day parking passes may be required to access the day car park. There are usually a variety of staff based in and around the day car park including stewards, traffic marshals, security, and police officers.
- Weekend car park
There can be many weekend car parks, both on and off-site. The main role in the weekend car park is to keep the traffic moving freely, and to park the vehicles as tidily as possible. It is important to keep day vehicles out of the weekend car park. If day vehicles are allowed into the weekend car park it may be difficult for them to exit, as they may need to travel against the flow of traffic. Additionally the spaces they leave behind are difficult to fill, this uses up extra space and may lead to problems fitting all cars into the allotted area. Specific weekend parking passes may be required to access the weekend car park. There are usually a variety of staff based in and around the weekend car park including stewards, traffic marshals, security, and police officers.
- Backstage
Managing vehicle movement in and around the production and backstage areas is always tricky. All sorts of vehicles come and go in this area including tour buses, site and stage vehicles, press, and production vehicles. All vehicles need to be checked on entry for valid passes and directed to the correct areas. Vehicles which require parking need to be kept well out of the way of access points, some will need to be directed towards a backstage car park and others such as tour buses or TV broadcast trucks may have particular spaces allocated. Staff, artists and guests are constantly moving around within the backstage area, this makes managing the vehicle movement in these areas even trickier and more important.
- Accessible/disabled parking
The main role in the accessible car park is to keep the traffic moving freely and to park the vehicles as tidily as possible while bearing in mind any access requirements. It is important to keep any unauthorised vehicles out of the accessible/disabled car park due to the location of these car parks usually being closer to the event site – staff and non-disabled members of the public may often try to gain access, taking spaces from those that need them. Specific disabled parking passes may be required to access the disabled car park.
- Trader entrances
There may be specific trader entrances to the site and the arena. Traders are sometimes only allowed to move vehicles between specific times, although this may depend on the size and nature of the event. A member of the event production staff usually manages traders within the arena, allocating places at the beginning of the event and escorting them in and out of the arena to make deliveries throughout the course of the event. Managing a trader access gate or escorting traders within an event site is a difficult role, as more often than not the traders will have goods which they would like to get to their stalls ASAP. Drivers should be reminded whenever possible that safety comes before profit.
- Campervans
For events where guests are able camp onsite there are usually one or more designated campervan areas which are manned by campervan marshals. The main role in the campervan areas is to park the campervans as tidily as possible, ensuring fire lanes are well maintained, and also to provide stewarding duties in order to stop the campervans moving around once parked. It is important to keep out any vehicles which should not be in the campervan area, and also to keep a check on those that should be, for example monitoring the number of tents they may erect next to their campervan and additional space they may use, as well as assisting with any queries and issues that may arise. Specific campervan parking passes are almost always required to access the campervan area. There are usually a variety of staff based in and around the weekend car park including stewards, traffic marshals, security, and police officers.
- Contraflow
In certain situations you may be involved in the implementation of a one-way or contraflow system. This may involve holding traffic and communicating via radio with other traffic marshals to ensure the route is clear prior to sending vehicles. This is often a very important role to ensure smooth movement of traffic through the event site – getting it wrong could mean vehicles meeting head-on in a narrow single track lane! You may also on occasion be required to control the flow of traffic using other means, such as operating manual traffic lights.
For all traffic staff, there are certain issues which you must remain aware of at all times:
Sterile areas, areas which should be kept free of vehicles.
The car park is often a large field which can become slippery, especially when wet. Staff need to ensure that vehicles maintain movement but within the speed limit.
Speeding vehicles are to be requested to slow down.
Unauthorised parking needs to be kept to a minimum by being vigilant and informing drivers that their vehicle will be moved. Unattended vehicles will need to be reported to your team leader.
Any one-way systems, sometimes these are reversed at the end of each show day.
Movement of pedestrians. It is important to encourage public leaving their cars away from the flow of traffic and be vigilant of pedestrian movement when directing vehicles.
Fires / BBQs are not permitted within car parks.
In the event of a major incident there are often procedures in place to ensure emergency access. You must be aware of these procedures – ask your team leader if you’re not sure.
DC Site Services operates on project (event) based work. This means that job roles vary depending on the site and the contract obtained by DC Site Services. You will be given a briefing on-site and may also be given a stewarding handbook including all health and safety regulations that you should implement within your role. As a steward you will be expected to be professional, courteous and attentive towards the public. You may also be working alongside other contractors to assist you in your role. You will be expected to get to know your surroundings as you will be a point of contact for the public. There are several things to consider such as:
- Location of toilets/utilities
- Nearest cash point
- Lost and found/ info point
- Nearest entrance/exits
- Food courts
- Medical assistance
Listed below are some of the standard job roles, however this is not a fully comprehensive list and jobs may occur outside of these categories.
Arena Stewarding:
- Maintain crowd control
- Look out for any suspicious activity and unusual packages.
- Respond quickly and efficiently to incidents and occurrences.
Campsite Stewarding:
- Meet and greet all festival goers.
- Advise customers where to camp/set up.
- Respond to public requests.
- Look out for any potential hazards that can harm you or others within the campsite.
- Work with fire tower marshals and make sure all fire lanes are clear.
Fire towers/Marshalls:
- Oversee the campsite from a fire tower (working in pairs or alone), look out for any potential hazards within the campsite or festival site.
- Work closely with a campsite steward or the campsite manager, who can get a closer look to check if the fire lanes are clear.
- You may have to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish small fires.
Wristband Exchange:
You are the first point of contact for anyone entering the festival/event.
- Check tickets
- Receive payments or scan prepaid tickets
- Place wristbands on the public.
Urban Stewards:
- Be polite and friendly to all the event goers and make sure they respect their surroundings
- Making sure nobody urinates or throws rubbish in the street and direct them to the nearest toilet facility/bin.
- Encourage all event goers to be courteous of residents and not be too noisy while entering/leaving the site
- Discourage event goers from loitering in residential areas and direct them back to the event site, or the nearest station or public transport hub if the event is finished.
In the course of your work you may need to deal with several common issues:
- Medical emergencies
- Fire emergencies
- Aggressive/intoxicated behaviour
Unless you are qualified or can comfortably handle the situation, relay any of the above to a team leader. (this may include the use of radio communication)
- Unauthorised vehicle/personnel movement
All vehicles/personnel should be properly accredited in accordance to site/event rules.
- Working in non-event areas (Urban/highways)
You may encounter resident issues which should be dealt in the same manner as any other.
- Event Management
Know the key people running the event/festival; they may ask you to do change your approach to benefit the public.
- Disabled access
Know all disabled access routes, treating them with the same quality of service as anybody else.
Any other useful information will be provided during the on-site briefing and enclosed in the stewarding handbook you will receive.
Job Description: Crew Member
Responsible to: Team Leader
Accountable: Office Manager and Operations Managers
DC Site Services operates on project (event) based work. This means that job roles vary depending on the site and the contract obtained by DC Site Services. Listed below are some of the standard job roles however this is not a fully comprehensive list and jobs may occur outside of these categories.
Roles:
DC Site Services has been contracted to provide the following services at this event. Please click the title for the full job description of each role.
Cleaning & Sanitising Attendant
- Cleaning of surfaces, windows and furniture
- Vacuuming of carpets and mopping/sweeping of hard floors
- Clearance of rubbish & waste
- Any other reasonable cleaning duties
- Disinfecting touch points
- Distributing PPE
- Restocking hand sanitiser
- Any other reasonable sanitising duties
- Cleaning of surfaces, windows and furniture
- Mopping/sweeping of hard floors
- Stocking up toilets with consumables (toilet roll etc.)
- Cleaning basins, toilets & floors
- Clearance of rubbish & waste
- Any other reasonable cleaning duties
- Ensure the smooth movement of traffic through the site or car park
- Ensure traffic is moving but at the correct speed limit
- Park cars quickly and efficiently
- Check vehicle passes where appropriate
- Escort vehicles through crowded areas
- Be vigilant of possible hazards or issues and report to your supervisor
- Assist the public where necessary
- Be the ‘face’ of the event answering questions from the public.
- Assist the public in emergency situations
- Keeping a watchful eye for inappropriate/criminal activity and report accordingly.
Recycling, Litter & Waste Management
- Monitor waste levels in bins, change full bin bags and remove to waste compound when necessary
- Litter pick ground/seating areas
- Empty large back of house bins
- Sort general waste from recyclable materials
Site Crew/Labourer
- Erect fencing, barriers, decorations etc
- Follow instructions from the site manager
- Assist with site breakdown following the event
- Perform manual handling duties where required
- Any reasonable maintenance duties as required
CSAS & Street works (accredited staff only)
- Implement the event management plan
- Follow directions from the Traffic Manager
- Direct vehicles as per CSAS Accreditation
- Install traffic signs, traffic lights, traffic cones and diversion routes
- Enforce TTRO’s and implement signage plans
You may be asked to perform additional duties whilst onsite.
Principle Responsibilities:
- Turn up to work on time 30 minutes before your shift begins
- Conduct the role to the instruction of your supervisor and assist them in completing the task
- Ensure you wear all uniform and PPE correctly as instructed in your induction
- Adhere to the DC Site Services ‘Code of Conduct’ at all times. (Found on our website).
- Keep clear communication with your supervisor as to your progress and report if you feel the task is too great for you.
- Ensure your working hours are recorded correctly
- Respond efficiently to calls/requests from your supervisor or other senior staff members.
Essential Requirements for Applicants
- Good spoken English
- Basic written English
- Good work ethic
- Can be trusted to work unsupervised for short periods of time
- Be prepared to work for long periods of time away from home
Desirable Requirements for Applicants
- Experience working in the event industry
- Experience working in commercial cleaning
Job Description: Team Leader
Responsible to: Job Lead
Accountable: Operations Managers
Role:
Meet the service specification for the Event or Festival in question by team leading and effectively oversee the running of the contract and site. Managing shift changes and handovers to other Team Leaders and dealing with any staff issues in a professional and objective manner. From time to time you will be working away from home, helping to or deputising and co-ordinating staff in positions to ensure the job is being completed to the highest of standards.
Hours of duty: as required to fulfil the requirements of the post. This is dependant based on the project (event) assigned and the shift requirements for that project.
Principle Responsibilities:
- Attend meeting and training days scheduled by the DC office.
- Willing to work various shifts including night shifts.
- Lead the project by working on your own initiative.
- Familiarise yourself with your team.
- Ensure staff are on their position/working on time and wearing the correct uniform and PPE.
- Co-ordinate staff so breaks are organised effectively without a reduction in the service provided.
- Maintain communication with the Job Lead or operations office in the event of any significant incidents, accidents or occurrences.
- Ensure each staff member is conducting the job effectively and safely (in keeping with company H&S policy).
- Dealing with minor staff grievances/problems in a professional and acceptable manner.
- Assist staff or arrange re-allocation when workloads are proving heavy.
- Liaise with the Job Lead as to progress, problems etc.
- Work in conjunction with the Job Lead to ensure staff welfare meets our standards.
- Ensure that any personal information you receive or have access to is not shared with crew or members of the public as this is against GDPR regulations.
- Ensure staff hours are recorded correctly.
- Respond efficiently to calls/complaints from organisers or DC Site Services management.
- Conduct any handovers and liaise with the appropriate manager.
- Lead by example by ensuring your personal uniform and PPE is correct and relevant, and by getting involved in the work you are asking your team to complete.
- Be open in communication with your line manager about any issues you feel you are struggling with.
- Remain confident, cool, and approachable with all staff and members of the general public/clients.
- Provide the next Team Leader following yourself with a full handover of the day’s events, delivering a short bullet point list of any issues that arose.
- Ensure that all uniform, equipment, and PPE is collected and accounted for at the end of the event.
Employees/ Staff development and training:
- Ensure that company policy and procedures, business objectives, company philosophy and code of conduct are implemented.
- Ensure the delivery of quality services which meet the service specification.
- Ensure that staff are deployed to the best effect by using your initiative.
- Provide support & guidance to other managers, team leaders and staff.
- Be involved in the on-site training of staff, including individual event/festival briefings for all project sites.
- Positively reinforcing successful performance, providing respectful and encouraging feedback as appropriate.
Administrative:
- Effectively manage your DCSS PAAM profile and applications and be aware of earlier arrival times to assist with the setup of welfare facilities (if appropriate).
- Be familiar with the event information pack provided to all crew provided pre-event.
- Ensure all relevant paperwork is completed to high standards, ready for handover to the office/ the following shift Team Leader.
- Ensure all crew on your team have signed their timesheets before departing the site.
- Participate in the investigation and/or hearing of disciplinary and grievance issues as required.
- Be sure to maintain and complete appropriate paperwork/records should any accidents, incidents, or occurrences take place while onsite.
General:
- Ensure the staff experience by being ready and punctual to all meeting points and briefings with crew.
- Ensure the DC Health & Safety policy, legislation, regulations, policy, and procedures are adhered to at all times to safeguard both yours, and the crew’s wellbeing, guaranteeing the safe and happy working environment for our crew, customers and contractors.
- Ensure you maintain positive, effective, and professional relationships with the other crew.
- Respond to any project/service specification or resource shortfalls as per the onsite manager’s instructions.
- Be available to the Job Lead at all times while on shift. While off shift, make sure you are contactable.
- Maintain every aspect of confidentiality relating to the event/festival, staff, and the company.
- Be well presented/groomed and maintain company uniform when representing the company.
This job description is not prescriptive and may be changed in consultation with the post holder to meet the changing needs of the role and business.
Personal Specification
Essential:
- Experience working in the event industry
- Experience with litter picking and/or commercial cleaning
- Experience coordinating small to medium sized teams in the workplace
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Be prepared to work for long periods of time away from home
- Basic working knowledge of standard computer software packages (Microsoft word, excel, PowerPoint or equivalent).
Desirable:
- GCSE’s grade A-D in English, Science and Math or equivalent
- Full UK driving license
Job Description: Job Lead
Responsible to: Operations Manager.
Role: Job Leads are responsible for the delivery of service at an event or festival. The service must be completed on time, within budget, meeting the company objectives and service specification. Leading and supporting staff, ensuring the job roles are fulfilled successfully, and that resources are managed effectively.
Hours of duty: project-based, as required to fulfil the requirements of the post.
Principal Responsibilities
- Oversee the fulfilment of the contract based on the brief given to you by the Operations Team – manage any additions or changes through agreements made with the client and/or company involved.
- Ensure the implementation of company policies & procedure, business objectives, company philosophy and code of conduct.
- Manage staff working hours, collate and submit completed timesheets to the Operations Team by the set deadline.
- Support the Operations Team with planning, monitoring, and reviewing the day to day running of each project.
- Be the primary point of contact for DC Site Services for the staff, the client, and the DC office prior to the event, while on-site and after the event has concluded.
- Ensure you maintain positive, effective, and professional relationships with clients and staff.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Ensure effective communication with the Operations Team and clients with regards to troubleshooting, additional requests, and any decision-making within the project site relating to our service specification.
- Maintain communication with other agencies in order to deliver excellent customer experience.
- Manage all project expenses including staff hours and food budget.
- Oversee and manage all use of equipment, stock, uniform, and vehicles on site, ensuring uniform, vehicles and equipment are cared for and returned in good condition.
- Ensure the effective and efficient use of all resources for each project.
- Oversee the delivery and collection of skips, building, and distribution of bins and any recycling arrangements agreed with the client.
- Manage the on-site catering if applicable.
- Complete a post-event debrief.
- Ensure that services operate at all times within safe control measures through the use of Risk Assessment & Method Statements and implementation of Health & Safety systems.
- Ensure that services operate at all times within safe, sustainable control measures to protect and minimise the effects on the environment.
Human Resources:
- Maintain good relations with the client, DC Site Services staff, staffing partner employees and members of the public.
- Ensure that company policy and procedures towards employment are implemented.
- Ensure that provisions are made for staff welfare.
- Respond to any staff health emergencies with appropriate action.
- Ensure that all site equipment and vehicles are only used by those that have permission from the Operations Team and are returned in the same condition as received.
- Organise staff breaks taking into consideration staff allocation requirements.
- Effectively allocate and deploy staff according to their strengths.
- Effectively manage human resources for each project and adhere to GDPR regulations regarding data usage and misuse.
- Provide support & guidance to other managers, supervisors, and staff.
- Attend supervisions/reviews with senior members of staff.
- Be involved in the on-going training of all staff, including individual event/festival briefings.
- Participate in the investigation and/or hearing of disciplinary and grievance issues as required.
Administrative:
- Establish effective methods of communication with the Operations Team / Office
- Ensure all projects have maintained records as required by the needs of Regulators, Event/Festival, and the Company (timesheets, accident/incident/occurrence records etc.) and submitted to Operations for review either by a specified deadline or within a reasonable amount of time.
- Notifying the office of any staff member who fails to attend their allocated shifts.
- Assist the Operation Team in the promotion and implementation of all policies and procedures, ensuring that all staff are familiar with these policies.
- Promote methods of obtaining feedback from events/festivals, staff and other agencies.
- Report all complaints/complements, maintain project logs & de-briefing information and report to the office during and at the end of each event.
- Respond to any project/ service specification or resource shortfalls.
- Attend and/or organise meetings as required with operations team / senior staff.
General
- You are representing the company; we therefore expect exemplary behaviour whilst on shift and off shift.
- Be “on call” at all times during on-site projects.
- Maintain every aspect of confidentiality relating to the event/festival, staff and the company.
- Maintain a close and co-operative relationship with all professional and statutory authorities that are connected with the company.
- Maintain your own competence through supervision, training & reviews.
- Abide by the company’s Code of Conduct.
- To be well presented/groomed and maintain company uniform when representing the company.
This job description is not prescriptive and may be changed in consultation with the post holder to meet the changing needs of the role and business.
Personal Specification
Essential:
- Computer skills for internet, word and excel.
- Strong work ethic and good verbal communication skills.
- Be prepared to work away from home for periods of time.
- Basic maths skills to be able to effectively understand and manage hourly staffing budgets.
Desirable:
- Have up to two experience of working within an event or festival environment.
- A full clean driving licence.
- Experience of project fulfilment and staff management.
- To be able to tow trailers on driving licence.
- To have experience of working in a multi-agency setting.
Camping and Facilities
Weather at outdoor Events & Festivals can change even between breakfast and lunch! You should be prepared for the cold, wind and rain as much as the hot/dry. It is likely you will be spending a lot of time on your feet so sensible, comfortable, black footwear is a must.
Below is an example of items we would strongly recommend that you bring
- A waterproof jacket or pac-a-mac – not very sexy but you’ll look better wearing that than a bin bag if it rains
- A jumper/fleece
- 2 or more pairs of dark, lightweight trousers that dry quickly
- Shorts for when it’s warm
- A hat and sunglasses (there might not be much shade at your position)
- Lots of walking socks
- Black coloured comfortable and suitable walking shoes or boots. (NO FLIPFLOPS!!)
- High boots such as wellies or work boots- these do not have to be black
- Thermal layers
- Flip-flops (although you can’t work in them so bring some boots and/or trainers too).
- Clothing for all seasons – even in a heat wave it gets cold at night.
- Bikini or trunks for the showers.
The list of things you could bring is endless! But please bear in mind you may have to walk all this kit to the campsite from the local train station or car park etc.
Below is a list of items we recommend:
- Event information and contact details
- If you’re travelling via public transport – bring your tickets! Or, why not give lift-sharing a go? Hit the DC Site Services Lift Share Group on Facebook
- Money and cash card – remember to keep these with you at all times, don’t leave them in your tent
- ID (Passport/ID Card/NI card/Driving license) – again remember to keep these with you at all times
- Your entitlement to work documents – if you are working with us for the first time please bring these otherwise you will not be allowed to work until shown.
- Tent, sleeping bag, blanket, and a pillow
- Mobile phone & charger – switch off your phone or put it in power saving mode when you’re on shift and when you are not using it – your battery will last longer and you’ll be doing the environment a favour too. You can also bring a battery pack from home which will save you looking for electricity later. We recommend solar battery packs as these are more environmentally friendly and usually have more than one charge.
- Medication and home remedies
- Sun cream and a hat – you’ll be in direct sunlight (hopefully!) all day
- Bottle or can opener for those hard-earned food and beverages after your shift.
- Tissues and loo roll – try to buy the recycled type
- Torch – everything looks different at night and that floral tent you bought thinking you’d be the only one with it… Seems everyone else had the same idea!
- Toiletries and a towel
- Biodegradable wet wipes for when you just can’t be bothered with a shower!
- Sunglasses
- Bin bags – put your clothes in one as you pack so they stay dry during the weekend. Try to buy recycled and re-use the plastic bags you bring your shopping in. If you do need more you can get bin bags and recycling bags from one of the many litter and recycling points around the music festival site or just pop in to see the litter team in the crew area and ask nicely.
- Small camping stove and pans to cook in.
- Small gas canisters – please don’t put gas canisters on fires as you’ll be endangering yourself, other people, damaging the environment and endangering the future of the festival. (Some Events and Festivals do not allow gas cannisters so please check their terms and conditions before bringing them.)
- A mug, bowl, plate, spoon, knife & fork – bring reusable picnic sets if you can, rather than using stacks of the plastic disposable type.
- Washing up liquid (for the above) – try to buy the environmentally friendly type.
- Water container – buy a large, empty water container from a camping shop that you can fill from the water points or buy one large bottle of water and re-fill this. Please don’t burn your plastic bottles as they release toxic chemicals when burnt.
- Teabags & coffee.
- A sense of humour and an open mind!
You must camp inside the designated crew campsite. Unfortunately, you cannot go and camp with your friends who might be camping in the public areas.
On the plus side, crew campsites are usually equipped with the following:
• Power for charging
• Toilets (better than the public ones!)
• Showers
• Catering for the larger festivals (normally free of charge)
• So, you can be present and sign in for your shift
• In an emergency we have to deploy off duty staff. We may need you to come and assist and therefore need to find you!
Most of the time this isn’t a problem, but you can always ‘Contact us’ during office hours and speak with our admin team. This allows us to make arrangements and save enough parking spaces for those attending. If you don’t inform us there is a chance you won’t get a space.
Your vehicle must be a proper live in vehicle with fixed kitchen and bed, unfortunately a van with a mattress in the back is not acceptable.
Please note that power will not be provided, and you will have to arrive before the rest of the staff due to getting set-up and parking.
As long as your friends are working for DC Site Services this isn’t a problem. Please bear in mind camping space is taken fast so the larger your group the earlier you should arrive to guarantee the space.
Most festivals and events allow children of 12 years and under in free, those 13 and over will require a ticket (but please check the age restrictions for each event as they do vary)
Anyone NOT WORKING at the festival will be required to camp in the PUBLIC CAMPSITES and use the public facilities.
If you are a parent/guardian who is WORKING you will be required to camp in the CREW AREA.
If your children are not working, they will not have a crew pass, so will not be able to access the crew areas.
Whilst on the festival site your child/children will be your responsibility; care will need to be organised when you are collecting passes; attending briefings; and working shifts.
Please contact us if you have dependants attending the festival and are unsure about any of the above.
No, please bring all your own kit, including tent, sleeping bag and cooking arrangements. Please see our ‘Anything else I should bring’ FAQ for further information.
Charging points or power sockets are sometimes available in the crew camping areas, however these are often busy and it’s not always guaranteed a slot will be free. We recommend bringing a charged power pack to events to ensure you are able to charge your phone. A few points to bear in mind with power etiquette:
- Don’t use your hairdryer or straighteners! These power sockets are not like those at home and can ‘run out of power’ – these sorts of items are not suitable for the sockets provided.
- Don’t leave your phone unattended! Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to guarantee the safety of your device. The same goes for power packs if you decide to charge these up.
- Don’t unplug other people’s items to charge your own unless they are fully charged, it’s just not fair!
• Glass
• Drugs
• Knives or any kind of weapon
• Generators
• Confetti
• Dogs except for service dogs i.e. seeing eye dogs.
• No laser pens, pointers or any focused light devices.
• No aerosol sprays, roll on are advised.
• Fireworks or flares
• Gas Canisters
As stated above please also check the Event or Festival website on their terms and conditions with what is and is not allowed in.
A staff bar may be provided by the event organisers. If there isn’t one, there will be plenty of public bars to choose from.
Working at Festivals and Events
To see available roles, visit the ‘Event Calendar’ and click on the blue information button to find out which roles are available for that event. Then have a read of the job descriptions area of the DC Site Services’ FAQs.
You could also try popping a post in the DC Site Services Facebook page and chat to those who have worked with us before.
- You get a crew pass, uniform, pre-event info pack and thorough on-site briefing.
- You get access to staff camping facilities in a secure area (camping events only!)
- You get access to the staff toilets, and showers – every site varies so check the PAAM info for more details.
- When not on shift you get time to enjoy the festival. See Event information for times, dates and shift patterns.
- You gain festival experience and contacts!
- You meet like-minded people and share an experience you won’t forget!
We do our best to help you see the bands you’d like to see! But we can’t make any promises.
Our staff often swap shifts, take a late lunch etc. so they can see the bands they’d like to – it is a festival after all!
We would all love this to be possible, but unfortunately, it’s a no. Please ‘Contact’ the office for further information.
Shifts will be allocated in advance via your DCSS PAAM account. You can check which team you have been assigned to on the ‘Overview’ tab of your DCSS PAAM profile. It should appear once your position has been confirmed.
Team Leaders are responsible for managing a team or shift. Team Leaders supervise and organise breaks for their team, redeploy staff should it be necessary and ensure all hours are recorded correctly and signed for by crew. Team Leaders report any problems to the Job Lead.
Job Leads are responsible for the overall running of the job and oversee all of the Team Leaders at the event. They ensure that every aspect of the job is being completed as per the job specification. They manage project expenses and equipment, deal with any staff or client grievances whilst on-site and organise catering for staff if stipulated. Job Leads communicate directly with the Operations Team. They receive event and staffing information about the event prior to arrival on-site.
We select these individuals both internally and externally based on experience, ability and responsibility.
Please read the job description in the ‘Job Description’ section of the FAQS and if you feel this is something that would suit you then please email a copy of your CV to recruitment@dcsiteservices.com with a covering letter.
Some of our Event/Festival staff are required to work within the guest and production areas – therefore some of our staff do have access to backstage areas.
This varies depending on the Event/Festival, exact arrival dates and times will be sent out in the PAAM information. For most events you will need to arrive the day before your first shift (if there is on-site camping available). For a day event or you are travelling in and out you will need to arrive thirty minutes before your shift. Make sure you arrive with plenty of time to set up your tent before the briefing (if it is a camping event). Nobody enjoys putting up their tent in the dark!
We welcome groups of friends who are applying to work with us, please ‘Contact’ the office if you want to work with your friends as we do try and keep groups of friends on the same teams. This isn’t always possible you can speak to your Team Leader on-site who will try and honour your requests.
Yes! The briefing will vary from site to site and contain site specific information. The briefing is designed to help you perform your job safely and to the best of your ability.
We cannot guarantee that you will receive your wristband immediately. When you arrive on-site speak to your Team Leader after the briefing, they will be able to provide more details.
Timesheets are proof of the hours you have worked, without these we cannot pay you accurately. Make sure to sign all allocation/timesheets that your Team Leader fills in. If you have not signed for hours worked at an event, speak to your Team Leader.
First, speak to your Team Leader, they are there to support you on-site. They will try to resolve any issues you experience and may ask you to complete an online google docs incident form. If your TL cannot or does not solve the issue, pleasecontact the office.
Crime and Personal Safety
Festivals are full of young, fun loving and like-minded people but be aware that they are also an easy patch for career criminals and opportunists who know how festival goers tick.
So, Festival Republic and the Police have teamed up to provide information to staff, volunteers, festival goers and parents that may help. We are all keen to ensure that all who attend our festivals do what they can to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of crime and so have compiled the following music festival savvy tips – some tips probably wouldn’t work anywhere else but at a festival!
Please read through the advice below and plan ahead for the event…
Plenty of advice in the bullet points below:
- DON’T BRING IT UNLESS YOU NEED IT!!
- Mark items with a UV pen so if found can be identified as yours
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Keep your cash and cards separate is a good one
- Don’t carry items in your back pockets. Festivals are prime time for pickpockets
- Keep items on your person and don’t leave in your tent
- Don’t leave anything in your cars or on display. Try to check on your car twice a day during the Event/Festival and leave the glove compartment empty and open.
Even in the crew campsites thieves are present.
If you have any concerns about your safety in the campsite camp somewhere well lit or near to an office.
Introduce yourself to those around you, show them where your tent is, stick a funny flag on it so it’s easy for them to see, and ask them to keep an eye out. They will.
Setup a neighbourhood watch system, it may sound naff but experience shows that the best and friendliest campsites are the ones with people in that make the effort to do so. More friends to party with too!
Report anything or anyone suspicious to your supervisor – you can do this anonymously if you wish – it’s one of the things the supervisors are there for!
Don’t put a padlock on your tent as this will invite thieves.
Don’t bury your valuables by your tent as someone is bound to be watching.
Make sure your mobile is charged up on a daily basis – in the early afternoon – so that it is ok for the night when it’s dark, the site gets busy and you are more likely to get lost. You can charge your phone in the DC welfare area which you’ll find in the compound. Traders sell battery operated phone chargers if you need them. Ask at the information tent for exact locations of these traders. Plan ahead. It can take a long time to get from A to B…
- Keep your phone well hidden – how annoying would it be to lose all your contacts? If you can try and back them up before you get to the music festival.
- Stay in groups and be tolerant of people slowing you down.
- At night stay on the main roads in the campsites – don’t go exploring darker, quieter areas – you can do that in the day.
- Arrange an easy meeting point with your mates before you get to the music festival and also somewhere you’ll be to meet up three times a day (e.g. 2pm, 6pm and 1am). No one likes to be left to have fun on their own for long.
- If you do become a victim of crime – DO NOT RESIST – give them what they want and make sure you get a good look at them or their clothes so that when you report them we have a good head start. Also, make a note of exactly where you are if you can – look out for loos, fire towers, unusual tents, what colour the bunting is and what the road name is.
- The welfare tent is there for you, as is the onsite police station. These facilities are there to help you if you need them. Your DC Team Leaders, Area Leaders, Managers and the team in the office are also there for you twenty-four hours a day. If you need anything, please just drop in and we’ll do all we can to help.
- If you experience an incident with a security guard, steward or any other member of our staff that you want to tell us about – please make a note of their tabard number, or the name on their pass. Without this information, we can do very little as identifying them without a name or number is very difficult.
- Please don’t be alarmed by our advice – just be forewarned that it does happen to some people and we don’t want it to be you. Plan ahead.
- We want you to have the most memorable festival of your life for all the right reasons!
- Further crime reduction advice and contact details for the Police can be found via the festival and event websites.
Normally no, we suggest minimising the number of items you bring with you to maybe just a phone and wallet/purse, these are then easy to keep on your person at all times.
Our Managers will usually have a lockable storage area but this is usually only suitable for items such as your passport (which you bring with you for your first event) medicines etc. Not for your massive laptop!
Please note DC Site Services hold no responsibility for lost or damaged valuables.
Wages
You spoke, we listened.
From April 2022 we made the decision to pay all crew the same rate regardless of age. We’re implementing this change as we strongly believe in fair pay for the same work. We are also committed to paying £0.50p above the national minimum wage.
This is a statement from our Crew Handbook:
‘DC Site Services is an equal rights and equal opportunities employer. We employ staff from all walks of life and are accepting of all, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, disability, background, nationality etc. No matter who you are, if you work hard and treat others with respect then you deserve to be treated in the same way.’
One rate for all crew.
From April 2025 the rate will be £12.71 per hour plus £1.53 holiday pay.
Mistakes whilst rare do happen, if you have any pay related queries please contact our payroll department by emailing payroll@dcsiteservices.com
All workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year (known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave). As we do not offer paid annual leave to temporary workers, holiday pay is accrued per hour worked. Holiday pay will be paid at the same time as your regular pay rather than being accrued until the end of the season. This will be reflected in your payslips.
Food and Welfare
Unfortunately, this is normally a no, you are expected to find your own way there.
In some cases where the train station or bus depot is a bit of a distance from the site we will run a minibus service to bring you into the site. This is detailed in the specific event information on DCSS PAAM.
Although there are no formal lifts we have a very active Facebook lift share group. These are run by our long serving staff and allow you to offer spare seats to make back some fuel costs or chip in for a bit of fuel for a lift (much cheaper than the train!!)
These groups are run independently and are therefore a good place to start to meet some people and get a bit of insider info into the event and festival working life
Arrival info will be added to your DC Site Services’ PAAM account a few weeks before the event.
We’ll send you an email to let you know when you can login to your PAAM account and view it.
You lucky few! As our operations base is here you have access to subsidised travel with us. Sometimes travel may be with our drivers dropping kit to site with spare seats or we may have separately organised minibus/coach travel.
For more info, you will need to contact us directly.
Travelling to Events & Festivals
Food will be provided if an Event or Festival allows camping. For larger festivals catering is provided, for smaller festivals a manager will oversee food provisions. For one-day events, food will not be provided so bring sensible snacks to get you through. Food is also only available while working, (if you arrive earlier to avoid traffic, be prepared to bring your own provisions until you start work).
More information can be found in the Event Information pack which you can find by clicking the blue info button on the ‘Overview ‘tab. These facilities may not be available post show as facilities i.e. water and power may be removed – you might not get treated to that three course Sunday lunch you’re used to.
Lightweight and easily packable foods that will not split when you make your way to the event. We always recommend bringing food which is high in carbs and protein. Vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended as fresh fruit and vegetables is sometimes in short supply. Snacks are a must! Always bring more food than you think you will need. Do not bring perishable items as it is unlikely you will be able to refrigerate food.
At most events/festivals we provide meal provisions, however these may vary so be sure to stock up on snacks. You can find out if we will be providing food by consulting the Event Information on PAAM.
We understand that spending a week in a field may be troublesome when you have dietary requirements. However, we always try to cater to all dietary requirements. If you have dietary requirements make sure to list these on your DCSS PAAM profile, this will help us plan meals that you will be able to eat. If we don’t know you have special requirements, we cannot guarantee that we will be able cater for you.
Yes! Do not forget to bring water bottles/containers as there will be taps on site that you can refill your bottle with. We do not provide water bottles to staff in line with our sustainability policy,
Yes, at camping events there will be crew toilet and shower facilities. Day events will only include toilets which you may have to share with the public so please respect them accordingly. Showers may not be available for the entirety of the post-show however, be mindful when applying.
I'm new - what do I need to know?
- First, be organised. If the event is a camping one, you must bring a tent and sleeping bag.
- Make sure your tent is sturdy and suitable for purpose! Don’t just choose a tent because it is easy to put up, ensure your tent can withstand all weather conditions and will be a comfortable place for you to sleep in order to be rested for your work.
- If you plan to arrive in your own vehicle, please check the DCSS PAAM information to confirm whether there is parking on site. Parking availability varies from event to event and will sometimes require you to request a car parking pass. If you do drive your vehicle on an event site, please adhere to the site speed limit (usually 5 or 10mph).
- If you have a live-in vehicle, contact the office and we will let you know if you are able to bring this. In most cases this will not be an issue however we need to ensure there is sufficient space and access in our staff compound before authorising you to bring a live-in vehicle.
- If you plan to use public transport, plan your route in advance – it is not only cheaper but guarantees a less stressful journey.
- If you have space in your vehicle or would like a lift, check out the DCSS Lift Share Facebook page.
- Make sure you have printed out or downloaded the DCSS PAAM information pack- this contains the site address, date and time of arrival, on site contact and example shift times.
- Make sure you have appropriate dark trousers alongside comfortable, waterproof, dark walking shoes, boots or wellies. These requirements can be found in the DCSS PAAM information pack.
- If this is your first time working for the company, remember to bring your entitlement to work documents i.e. your passport OR long-form birth certificate and document containing your national insurance number and name.
- The on-site contact number should be used when you are on site, if you are unable to enter site, or in case of late arrival to site. We recommend that you save the phone number as it may prove useful later. For other enquiries prior to arrival on site or after the event please contact the DC office.
- Make sure you arrive with plenty of time before the briefing is due to start. This will allow you to set up your tent/find the location of the briefing whilst it is still light.
- Make sure that you have checked in or made a DC manager aware that you have arrived.
Below is some guidance for new staff when working at their first event:
- During the briefing you will be told what hours you will be working and who your Team Leader is.
- Make sure you take your Team Leader’s phone number in case of emergency.
- Your Team Leader will be coordinating breaks, recording the hours worked and dealing with your grievances. They will give you a short briefing which is specific to you.
- Should an incident occur, your Team Leader should be the first person you contact if you do not have a radio or are unsure on how to proceed with a situation.
- During the briefing, welfare facilities will be pointed out to you. It will serve you well to know where the nearest showers, toilets and catering facilities are.
- You will be shown where to sign in and out at the beginning and end of each shift, this may be a cabin, caravan or tent.
- You must sign in and out, if you do not we cannot confirm how many hours you have worked and therefore you may be paid for less hours than you actually worked.
- You will be issued with DC Site Services uniform; this is typically a green polo top and hi-vis tabard for litter shows and a long-sleeved fluorescent traffic top for traffic events. We issue uniform to ensure all our staff look smart, are clearly indefinable and safe whilst working. Look after your uniform, loss may incur a deduction of pay.
- Additionally, you may be issued equipment to enable you to do your job. You must sign your equipment in and out with your Team Leader or admin staff on site. Look after any equipment issued, you are liable to charges for any loss or damage.
- At some shows you will be issued with meal tokens, ensure that you do not lose these as you will not be able to receive a replacement.
- We cannot reiterate enough that you need to take care of yourself, bring enough snacks, water, sun-cream/a hat and anything else you may require for comfort or welfare purposes on shift. Your Team Leader will endeavour to help you where possible however your basic welfare is your own responsibility first and foremost. It may be advantageous to identify your closest water taps/toilets and other basic facilities in the area where you are working. If you are working in an isolated area with no facilities around then make sure your Team Leader is aware so that they can plan accordingly.
- You will begin work at the time your shift begins, this means that you must be on position ready to start work at that time. This may require you to sign in earlier in order to be able to be transported to your position in time to start work. Consider how long it will take you to get to your designated work area- leave ample time to sign in and prepare for work.
- We value punctuality. If you are late relieving someone, this will affect their finishing time and you are less likely to be chosen to work again. You will be sanctioned for persistent tardiness.
You must wear dark trousers/shorts and dark, comfortable footwear. Though it is advisable to bring shorts, if you appear wearing those crazy Hawaiian shorts your friends think are cool, we will ask you to change. You may find that your clothes get muddy or wet – make sure you bring spares. Your new air max’s won’t look so good after a generous coating of mud; bring weather appropriate footwear and clothing.
We provide our staff with uniform so you look professional whilst at work. Your uniform may also keep you safe when performing your job role.
Standard Traffic Management uniform includes a long sleeved hi-vis top. We will provide a hi-vis DC coat if the weather is cold or wet.
Standard Litter/Waste Management uniform involves a green polo top with the DC logo and an orange hi-vis if required.
You must return all uniform before leaving site to the appropriate staff member responsible for collecting uniform. We keep a record of all uniform we distribute to staff. We don’t enjoy it but if any uniform is lost or not returned, we will be forced to withhold a portion of wages. So, look after your uniform!
You can apply to work at any of the events we are involved in by using our online system ‘DCSS PAAM’
- Click on the ‘Work for Us’ tab in the top right-hand corner of the website homepage
- Click ‘Staff’ – you are now on the event calendar page, here you can view what events we are currently looking to staff.
- If the status says ‘Open’, we are still accepting applications for this event.
- The working dates and site address are listed on the same line.
- If there is a green tick next to the tent, it means that camping facilities are available either on-site or nearby for workers.
- The role describes what service we are providing at a particular event (traffic management, litter and recycling management, stewarding or cleaning).
- If you spot an event that tickles your fancy. Click the ‘Staff Login/Apply Now’ and then ‘Sign up to apply.’
- Fill in your details and password. Make sure you have access to the email address you sign up with as we like to send newsletters and friendly reminders when applications open.
- Be sure to read the terms and conditions and not just skim over them! There’s nothing out of the ordinary in there, but this will help you manage your applications.
- You will now need to confirm your email address. If the email does not come through immediately check back later. If you still do not receive the confirmation email address you may have typed your email address in incorrectly.
- The link will take you to the sign in page, type in your email address and password.
- When completing your profile make sure that you fill in all the blank sections and tick questions.
- Make sure you indicate which Tax Declaration option applies to you and ensure that all your bank details are correct. These parts are vital to pay you correctly.
- Under the ‘Proving your right to work and volunteer in the UK’ section is a link to ‘Upload and manage your files- this is where you need to upload your entitlement to work documents. Refer to ‘what counts as entitlement to work documentation’ question.
- At the very bottom of the page you will find the ‘Your Photo’ section. We ask that you upload a good quality, passport-style photograph of yourself. It must be clear, well-lit and include only you.
- Press the green ‘Continue’ button to save your profile.
- Once complete you are ready to apply for events.
- Log onto your DCSS PAAM account. If you do not have one refer to ‘How do I create a DCSS PAAM account’
- Click on the ‘apply’ tab, you can then browse the same events advertised on the website event calendar.
- If you click on the blue ‘info’ button next to each event you are able to find out more about the job role and estimated shift hours. After you have applied and received an email confirming you have been assigned to the event, you can access the Event Information and Assignment Agreement here.
- To apply for an event tick the box and press the ‘Apply’ button at the bottom of the page.
- You will then receive an email confirming that we have received your application. At this point we have not accepted you to work at the event.
- You can check on the status of your application on the ‘Overview’ tab. It will say ‘Position Confirmed’ when we have accepted you to work.
- Should you need to cancel an application, click the red ‘Cancel Position’ button. Follow guidance on our cancellation policy before cancelling.
- You will receive an email informing you when you have been assigned to an event.
- The ‘acknowledge’ button is set 14 days before an event is due to start. You will need to press the acknowledge button when you log into PAAM. Event Information will have been published so you can confirm that you are able to attend all the shifts you have been assigned too. If you do not confirm your attendance within 48 hours, we will be forced to remove you from the event, we don’t want to do this so please confirm.
General Questions
DCSS PAAM is a highly secure cloud software package used not only by DC Site Services but by other companies too. Your information is secure and can only be accessed by DC Site Services management and administration and will not be shared with other organisations using the software.
For further info visit: www.PAAMApplication.co.uk
DC Site Services has a long-standing history within the Event and Festival Industry, way too much to write about here!
You can find out all you need to know in our ‘About’ page. There is also more information on the ‘Event Calendar’ pages which you can view using the dropdown under ‘Work for Us.’
Additional to the above…
DC Site Services Ltd principal place of business is at Belmont, Wycombe, Road Studley Green, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 3XB, United Kingdom. Registered in England & Wales, Cardiff 28 May 1993. Company No. 2821530.
Unfortunately, you will be unable to bring your pet to the Event/Festival site as this is a break in the site rules and Health & Safety. This includes bringing your pets to stay in your live-in vehicles or tents.
However, we do recognise some shows I.e. Dogfest will be allowing pets on site. On this occasion contact the office and we can look at getting this approved.
The roles we carry out at each event will be listed on DCSS PAAM. For events where we provide more than one service we tend to split up each event into the individual roles on PAAM, this is so you can choose which role you would like to work in. The working dates may vary between each job role, keep this in mind. Also please be aware that while you may apply for one specific role, you may also be required to undertake other duties based on the other services we provide. Be prepared to be flexible!
Once you have been assigned, you will be able to view the assignment agreement for the event. This has been written to let staff know what they will be doing at an event. We include a description of the job role, this could be litter and waste management, traffic management, stewarding or cleaning. The assignment agreement also includes information about pay, holiday pay and our sickness policy.
The event information contains everything to you to know prior to arriving at an event. From what uniform to wear, arrival time, site address, shift patterns, on-site contact details to the nearest public transport stops. We supply this information as early as possible before the event to allow you to prepare.
The event information contains everything to you to know prior to arriving at an event. From what uniform to wear, arrival time, site address, shift patterns, on-site contact details to the nearest public transport stops. We supply this information as early as possible before the event to allow you to prepare.
Positions are allocated by the Operations and Management team.
Generally, the first positions to be filled are the Job Lead and Team Leader roles as these positions hold responsibility and will lead the rest of the crew onsite. Teams perform at their best when there is crew with experience amongst those who are new, and as such, we will look at applicants who have worked with DC Site Services previously before then allocating positions to crew who are new. This ensures that those who dedicate their entire summer to the Company are kept in work, while also integrating new crew with little to no experience. If there are positions available and only new applicants who have applied, in this aspect only will we allocate positions on a first-come, first-served basis. This will ultimately come down to who has completed their profile first.
We only refuse applications for one of the following reasons:
- There are more applicants than positions available.
- The applicant does not fulfil the criteria for the specific job role they have applied to.
- If it is ascertained the applicant has previously been unapproved from working by DCSS or another festival organisation which recruits and/or manages staff and/or volunteers.
- The applicant fails a PNC check.
Ideally, yes. It is easy to get a UK bank account, there are lots of banks to choose from.
If you do not already have a National Insurance number, you need to apply for one if you want to work for us. You can do this by calling the National Insurance Number application line, further information can be found here. You will then need to arrange an interview at your local JobCentre Plus and bring along your identification documents.
It is your responsibility to only apply to work at events which comply with the terms of your student visa. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-application-for-uk-visa-as-tier-4-student
Call the office immediately on 01733 200 713. We may ask you to supply evidence of the emergency, this is just procedure. If it’s a medical emergency a doctor’s note will suffice or recovery service documents if you breakdown. We usually ask for these to be provided as soon as possible, failure to do so may result in cancellation of all future work. Please be aware that failure to attend shifts that have been allocated to you will cause issues for both the administration office and the other staff on-site who may be required to pick up the extra workload, so we do take this matter seriously.