Horticultural Grounds & Contracts Worker Vacancy – Closing Oct 15th 2021:
We’re hiring and so could you be our next Horticultural Grounds & Contracts Worker? We provide horticulture-based sessions for our wonderful Members (adults with learning disabilities). We work in partnership with Missenden Abbey to manage their beautiful, centuries old 10-acre grounds. To do this with our Members, we also have help from a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Would you like to join us? If so, please read on…
Role: Horticultural Grounds & Contracts Worker
Reports to: Operations Manager
Purpose:
To lead and enable a small group of adults with learning disabilities and or mental health issues in gardening and maintenance work, both in the Abbey and out in the wider community.
Specific Responsibilities:
The post holder will be responsible for fulfilling our horticultural contracts onsite (10 acres), along with a handful of small grounds maintenance jobs within the local community.
This work includes:
- Identifying, implementing, and troubleshooting onsite horticulture maintenance requirements.
- Carrying out horticultural maintenance to a defined standard. This will include grass cutting with both ride-on and other motorised grass cutting equipment, along with the use of other maintenance equipment including, but not exclusively: blowers, strimmers, hedge trimmers, pole and chainsaws.
- Overseeing the maintenance, servicing, and repair of all our horticultural equipment.
- Supporting on schedules for contracted work, including our planning and design planting programmes.
- Delivering gardening and other activities, as defined by the Operations manager.
- Helping and encouraging our members in their work, training, education, and social interaction both onsite and within the local community.
- Offering our members opportunities for regular access to the local and wider community.
- Supporting our volunteers, supported internships and work experience programmes where necessary.
Skills and Experience:
The role requires someone with horticultural experience in a small business, charity, or care setting.
Essential:
- Friendly and approachable with an empathy for the needs of adults with disabilities.
- Passion for and experience in horticulture – as this drives our work.
- Commercial horticultural grounds maintenance contract delivery experience.
- Practical skills, along with experience of facilities and site maintenance.
- Skills in effective management of people, and resources.
- Flexibility to meet changing priorities and manage any issues in a considered way.
- Health and safety knowledge in horticultural practices.
- Willingness to undergo LANTRA equipment training if required.
- Full clean driving licence.
Desirable:
- Experience working within social care, ideally within the field of learning disability.
- Knowledge and skills in Social Therapeutic Horticulture.
- PA1 and PA6 herbicide application certification.
Salary:
This is a permanent full-time role with a salary of £19,500-21,500, dependent upon experience.
Benefits include 25 days annual leave and a stakeholder pension.
Information and applications:
Further information about the work and aims of our charity can be found at:
www.facebook.com/MissendenwalledGarden
Applications are by email or post, sending a covering letter and CV to Clare Lawson, Operations Manager, Missenden Walled Garden.
Email: clare@missendenwalledgarden.org
Postal Address: Missenden Walled Garden, Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Bucks. HP16 0BD
The deadline for applications is Friday October 15th, 2021.
(Nb. There is scope in this recruitment process for an additional part time post too.)