Castle Howard Estate Limited
Job Description
House/Outdoor Tour Guide
(Skills Framework Level 1)
Staff guiding in any of the following roles either House guide or outdoor
tour guide offer the visitor an informative and entertaining view of the
House and Grounds. They are the public face of the Howard family and the
Estate as a whole and as such must offer universal and exceptional customer
service and be of smart appearance at all times. They are also expected to
provide a security presence within the House and are an integral part of the
evacuation procedure for visitors.
Job Title:
Guide
Job Requirements:
 Excellent communication and listening skills.
 Demonstrable & consistent quality customer
service
 Ability to engage children
 Ability to work within a team or under own
initiative as required
 Honesty and a high level of integrity
 Enthusiasm and capacity for hard work
 Systematic and cheerful approach
Remuneration:
£6.65 per hour (aged 18 years and over)
Hours of work:
To be confirmed, however, hours of work will normally
fall between 10.45am to 4.45pm. Guiding rota covers
week days, weekends and bank holidays.
Reports to:
Duty Manager & Visitor Services Manager
Main Objective:
To ensure visitors are offered a warm welcome and a
unique view of Castle Howard as a home, its history and
its future. To provide a security presence and
evacuation assistance.
Key Tasks:
CASTLE HOWARD YORK YO60 7DA www.castlehoward.co.uk
Registered Office: Castle Howard Estate Limited, The Estate Office, Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA
Registered in England and Wales No. 480214
 Working within the House, addressing visitors with a contextual view of
the House, its history, contents, stories and future.
 Working outside, to conduct Outdoor Tours on a variety of subjects in a
lively and informative way.
 To inform the Duty Manager of any first aid or other incident as
appropriate.
 To accurately undertake set procedures in the event of an evacuation,
ensuring the safe evacuation of visitors from the House.
 To provide a security presence within the House, alerting the Duty
Manager or Caretaker as appropriate.
 To greet visitors at the entrance and provide any necessary information.
 To collect the Desk float from the Duty Manager, administer the sales of
upgrade tickets and guide books and return any monies to the Duty
Manager.
 To assist wheelchair users and to operate the stair lift as required.
 To provide any general information that will assist visitors to make the
most of their day.
 Any other reasonable duties as requested by the Duty Manager or
Operations Manager.
CASTLE HOWARD YORK YO60 7DA www.castlehoward.co.uk
Registered Office: Castle Howard Estate Limited, The Estate Office, Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA
Registered in England and Wales No. 480214
CASTLE HOWARD – SKILLS FRAMEWORK
The Castle Howard Skills Framework is used for a number of personnel management
purposes including recruitment and selection, the appraisal process, as well as for longer
term training and development needs. The Framework should not be seen as a tick list,
rather it is indicative of the types of behaviour that should be observed at a particular
level of competence. Further guidance can be found in the Skills Framework booklet,
which is available from the Estate Office or via the intranet.
As a Level 1 employee you are expected to demonstrate the following skills and
behaviours:
Teamworking - Supporting each other to produce better results
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Is tactful, patient and courteous with others irrespective of their status
Listens to others and tries to see things from their point of view
Recognises when help is needed and offers support to others
Helps colleagues to understand the department’s role and activities
Understands and applies the principles of health and safety both for self and for others
Leadership - Taking personal responsibility and empowering others
 Adopts a positive approach to work
 Knows own objectives fit in with the Estate’s activities
 Reliable under pressure and remains calm and tactful when dealing with difficult
situations
 Challenges unacceptable behaviours or discrimination
 Is able to state own positions and views
 Readily accepts responsibility for own and delegated work
 Adapts to suit different situations and responds constructively and flexibly to change
Building Relationships - Working in co-operation across the Castle Howard Estate
 Knows who the internal and external customers are and what service they require
 Takes responsibility for finding solutions to customers, referring up the line if
necessary
Communicating - Sharing information and opinions to achieve understanding
 Chooses content, language, style and medium to suit the audience/recipient and
context
 Communicates accurately and to the point, avoiding jargon
 Pays careful attention and asks questions to check detail or understanding remains
clear
 Is calm and persuasive even when dealing with difficult people
 Contributes to team meetings when there are opportunities to do so
 Records messages and information accurately and passes them on promptly
CASTLE HOWARD YORK YO60 7DA www.castlehoward.co.uk
Registered Office: Castle Howard Estate Limited, The Estate Office, Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA
Registered in England and Wales No. 480214
Delivering a Quality Service - Focusing on results
 Organise workload to meet deadlines and objectives
 Understands the main functions of one’s own department and how it affects the work
of other departments
 Knows and applies rules and legislation relevant to one’s own department
 Focuses on priorities and is not easily distracted or put off by minor set backs or
interruptions
 Applies Castle Howard’s financial, personnel and resource management rules and
procedures
 Recognises problems and alerts those likely to be affected
Developing and Applying Expertise - Making the most of our own and others’
personal qualities and contribution
 Asks questions and is not afraid to admit to mistakes or lack of knowledge
 Takes an active interest in matters affecting the work of their department
 Willing to learn new skills as the job changes
 Identifies own development needs and agrees a development plan with line manager
 Keeps relevant knowledge and expertise up to date
 Applies previous experience to new situations
Thinking and Decision Making - Making sound operational and policy decisions
 Identifies the essential information needed to do the job and knows when and where to
seek additional information and advice.
CASTLE HOWARD YORK YO60 7DA www.castlehoward.co.uk
Registered Office: Castle Howard Estate Limited, The Estate Office, Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA
Registered in England and Wales No. 480214