Summary of Business:
Stepnout Performing Arts was first created by Elizabeth Loft in 1997. It’s original name was First Steps and is located at 10/61-65 Russell St, Werribee. They can be contacted via email at info@stepnout.com or call them at 9741 6930. They are actively involved in the Wyndham community appearing at events and collaborating with local schools. Elizabeth originally named the business First Steps only teaching young children and babies, since then continuing with the studio it began to grow as she introduced classes for older children and adults, with that she changed it to a more appropriate name “Stepnout Performing Arts”.
Personnel Information:
Owner:
Elizabeth is the owner of Stepnout Performing Arts, she started the school 23 years ago. As the principal of the dance school Liz holds a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management. She also holds a working with childrens check, that gets updated every 5 years.
Liz works in the office and in the classroom teaching multiple classes.
Duties:
Liz shares both the same duties as Angela, the office manager and the dance teachers. She is both in the studio, in the office and working from home.
Plans and sets up programmes for students and groups.
Presenting what is in the program to the class.
Demonstrates and directs the practical aspects of the subject being taught.
Giving challenges and exercises relative to the students training needs and their talents.
Offering advice, criticism and encouragement to students.
Learns and memorizes the content for the course, materials and method of instruction.
Make sure you prepare students for their exams, performances and assessments.
Keeping up to date with new courses, subject areas and talking with colleagues.
May arrange visits and tours to professional exhibitions and performances.
Arrange to go on excursions or tours to exhibitions and performances.
Help contribute to planning and reviewing of the office services and setting priorities and office service standards.
Assigns work to and monitors the performance of the staff.
Talking to her boss to facilitate resolution of problems.
Makes sure the physical facilities and ensuring equipment is maintained in the office.
ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety regulations
ensuring the business complies with relevant government legislation, policies and procedures
coordinating personnel activities such as hiring, promotions, performance management, payroll, training and supervision.
Office Manager:
Angela is the office manager she began working at Stepnout in 2016 and has stayed there since. Angela has a Diploma of Management that she got from a previous school where she worked in the front office. She has had several years of experience working in front desk for medical centers, schools and dance schools. Angela's position comes with being a confident communicator when talking to customers, parents and students. Angela also holds working with children's checks that get updated.
Duties:
Help contribute to planning and reviewing of the office services and setting priorities and office service standards.
Assigns work to and monitors the performance of the staff.
Talking to her boss to facilitate resolution of problems.
Makes sure the physical facilities and ensuring equipment is maintained in the office.
ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety regulations
ensuring the business complies with relevant government legislation, policies and procedures
coordinating personnel activities such as hiring, promotions, performance management, payroll, training and supervision.
Dance Teachers:
Most dance teachers at Stepnout hold a Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching. All dance teachers and office staff hold a working with children's certificate, being in this occupation it is critical that all dance teachers have them. Being a dance teacher means you have to be confident in your abilities in the classroom and have knowledge of the style you teach.
Duties:
Plans and sets up programs for students and groups.
Presenting what is in the program to the class.
Demonstrates and directs the practical aspects of the subject being taught.
Giving challenges and exercises relative to the students training needs and their talents.
Offering advice, criticism and encouragement to students.
Learns and memorises the content for the course, materials and method of instruction.
Make sure you prepare students for their exams, performances and assessments.
Keeping up to date with new courses, subject areas and talking with colleagues.
May arrange visits and tours to professional exhibitions and performances.
Arrange to go on excursions or tours to exhibitions and performances.
Employment Opportunities including work placement:
Liz is working full time, Angela and the other part-time admin workers work part-time, the hours have changed a lot since covid started. Liz teacher (full-time) 38 hours a week. A dance teacher earns $1,122 a week. Angela works 16 hours a week (part-time). As an adult working part-time in the office she could earn anywhere between $21.09 - with a level one qualification and $36.20 with level 5 qualifications. She does work on Saturdays which would round it up to $26.36 for level one and $33.33 in level five.
(referenced from Job Outlook and FairWork)
The Stepnout team is always open to people seeking employment opportunities.
Stepnout does offer work placement to students they have had multiple students come in over the last few years.
Management of OHS concerns:
Elizabeth is responsible/accountable for the safety of her staff, students and parents when they are in the studio. The Stepnout team has a risk assessment that lists all the hazards and risks of the business. Once every term, Liz and Angela complete a risk assessment and add any new hazards or risks. After a risk assessment is complete, all risks (including new risks) are verbally communicated to their team and each staff member receives an updated copy. Within team meetings, Liz and Angela outline acceptable behavior and problems that may have occurred. If required Elizabeth and Anglea can call WorkSafe to advise them on safe work practices. All OHS concerns are in accordance with the OHS Act 2004.
Owners OHS Responsibilities:
Both Liz and Angela inform staff of:
To ensure the safety of the businesses employees and students:
There are incident forms in each of the studios and the office - follow up with them
Meetings once every school term - review risk assessment
Principal holds meeting at studio with all staff
Completing risk assessments every school term
Following up with students or staff who have been injured at the studio.
Making sure equipment is put away and showing teachers how to safely use them.
Dance Teachers:
Ensure the safety of the children when they are in their classroom.
Make sure their studio is clean and all hazards have been fixed.
Up to date first aid course
Warming up themselves and the class at the beginning of class.
Work environment and job longevity:
Dance teacher is a small occupation, employment is mainly taken up by females, female teachers take up 89% of the occupation. Less than half of teachers work full-time in the dance industry. The average age for teachers is 30 years old, full time workers spend around 46 hours per week working.
Elizabeth and Angela's duties are very similar except for the fact Elizabeth teaches some classes. Together here are some of the duties they have to complete daily.
Greeting clients and students when they come into the studio
Answering phone calls and emails
Following up on inquiries or questions.
Uniform fittings for students - including shoe fittings
Checking roles from previous day
Phoning or contacting absentees
Helping toilet preschoolers
COVID cleaning - wiping down each day door handles, equipment used, office equipment.
Placing orders for uniform or shoes
Emailing or using social media to send out newsletters reminders for the week
Car park duties - currently only letting students in the studio (it is very small), bringing students out to parents.
Entitlements and Agreements:
Name of Award: Clerks Private Sector Award [MA000002]
Who is covers:
Administrative assistants
Receptionists (eg. in a tax accounting firm)
Bookkeepers (eg. in a manufacturing company)
Clerical employees in a retail head office (if no retail activities are conducted at the office)
Diploma qualified employees who complete financial/tax schedules or income tax returns (except where their employer is in the banking, finance or insurance industry)
Wholesale travel operators selling packages directly to other travel companies.
Entitlements:
Saturday - an employer must pay an employee at the rate of 125% of the minimum hourly rate for ordinary hours worked on a Saturday.
Superannuation - under the superannuation legislation an individual employee generally have the opportunity to choose their own fund. If they don’t choose one, one will be nominated for them by the award covering the employee.
Span of hours - office hours vary throughout the week, Angela as a part time worker can only be working 10 hours or less. Hours at the studio run from Monday to Saturday, varying times. Monday - 9am to 5pm, Tuesday 9am to 4:30pm, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 4:30pm, Friday 11am to 1pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Meal breaks - An employee who works more than 5 hours at one time is entitled to one 30 to 60 minute unpaid meal break, should be taken within the first 5 hours and 5 hours after resuming work.
Rest breaks - if they have worked more than 3 but not more than 8 ordinary hours, they can receive a 10 minute paid rest break ( taken a time determined by the employer). If they work more than 8 ordinary hours, they can have two 10 minute minute paid rest breaks ( determined by the employer). If they work more than 4 hours overtime on a saturday morning, they are entitled to one 10 minute paid rest break.
Public holidays - an employer and employee may agree to substitute another part-day for the part-day that would otherwise be a part-day public holiday under the NES.