Gardener / Horticulture Operative - 12 Month FTC

Overview

The Forward Trust are a leading provider of Information, Advice and Guidance services (careers advice) in prisons to the Matrix Standard  delivering a wider range of vocational training, apprenticeships, enterprise and employability services in the community and prisons.

Amenity Landscaping is a social enterprise owned by the Forward Trust and within our Employment Services Division.  We also own Blue Sky Services, which also undertake Ground Maintenance work.

Amenity Landscaping delivers gardening and horticultural services on behalf of domestic property owners, social property owners and other partners.

Amenity Landscaping employs people with lived experience including ex-offenders, people in recovery and the unemployed or NEET. All staff are employed on Forward Trust terms and conditions.

The successful candidate may be offered an opportunity to undertake the Level 2 Horticultural Apprenticeship Standard with our chosen ROATP training provider.

What you will be doing?

As a Gardener/Horticulture Operative, you will undertake your duties and day-to-day activities under close supervision. These will include:

• All general gardening and horticulture activities as they relate to the season, to include:
• Border maintenance: Weeding, dead-heading, reducing foliage, turning soil;
• Hedge and shrub pruning and maintenance;
• Lawn care: Mowing, edging, raking/scarifying.
• General maintenance of external spaces: Blowing/sweeping, weeding, tidying
• Assisting your team with fulfilling customers’ gardening requests
• Using the knowledge from your course to improve the teams’ gardening capability
• Assist the Team Leader with customer interaction; learning good customer service
• Maintaining tools and equipment: Keeping tools clean and in good working order, oiling, sharpening, re-fueling, etc.
• Seasonal activities such as lifting & splitting herbaceous perennials, mulching, etc.
• Lawn care
• General gardening activities at your Team Leader’s discretion, giving you the flexibility and to use and further develop your skill as a Horticulture Operative/Gardener.

What we are looking for?

We are looking for people who are interested in working outdoors, with an interest in the environment and working as part of a team.  The post holder will enjoy undertaking manual work in different types of weather and starting work early (often by 7.30am) and finishing by 3.30pm.

The successful applicant must be interested in committing to and completing a 24 month Apprenticeship delivered by an approved ROATP Apprenticeship provider chosen by the Forward Trust.

The work can be hard but you will be working with an experienced team of colleagues and we work on different sites in North London and Hertfordshire, so every day is a bit a different.  We expect all staff to start work by 7.30am Monday to Friday and on time.   This post is 37 hours per week.

We encourage applications from either ex-offenders, those at risk of offending or have been in trouble with the police or in recovery and unemployed.

Below is a list of the qualities that we are looking for in applicants for this post.  Please address these points in your application.

The successful candidate must have the following qualifications & skills:

• Highly desired: A full UK driving license
• Be motivated to learn the gardening profession and have a keen interest in horticulture.
• Be reliable, self-motivated, and shows initiative while working; be a good team player.
• Respectful of customers and team members with a mature attitude to receiving feedback
• Be able to successfully complete the assessment for the Horticulture Operative Apprenticeship Standard (Level 2)

What we offer

Alongside Simply Health coverage and a contributory pension scheme to assist employees with their general health and well-being. We offer:

• Training opportunities and career development
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Person specification

Job Description - Gardener