SESSIONAL GARDENER JOB DESCRIPTION

CONDITIONS OF WORK

Salary: £11.75 / hour

Contract: This position is for occasional cover days in the garden as and when needed offered on zero hours contract basis. We cannot guarantee regular or frequent hours. The duration of the contract is one year, subject to funding. There will be a three month probation period.

Days: Our garden working days are Wednesday and Friday at the garden in Hainault, plus occasional weekend days or Mondays.

Accountable to: Project Manager

Responsible for: Volunteers in the garden including mental health service users and buddy volunteers

Works alongside: Head Gardener, Ecotherapy Worker and Project Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE

The role of the sessional gardener is to support other staff in running ecotherapy garden sessions and community days at FFPG. You will help to supervise activities and volunteers in a way that creates a welcoming, safe and therapeutic space for all, particularly those with mental health support needs.

 Duties

  • Supervising activities in the garden – being friendly and supportive, making sure that volunteers have enough direction and guidance with tasks and are enjoying their volunteering.

  • Helping staff members with set up and clearing up of the activities.

  • Helping to plan gardening tasks in consultation with staff and volunteers.

  • Feeding back suggestions, concerns and problems to other staff.

  • Understanding our Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities policies, and setting a good example for other volunteers.

  • Maintaining professional boundaries when working alongside adults at risk and other volunteers.

 PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience:

  • Experience of working with people with mental health needs (or other support needs) in a community and/or formal context.

  • Experience of providing one-to-one support for volunteers with a range of needs and abilities, including high support needs due to mental health or learning disabilities.

 Education/Knowledge:

  • Good practical knowledge of organic gardening and conservation, and of the benefits of outdoor volunteering in a community setting.

  • Understanding of Safeguarding and of risk assessment and management, both in terms of practical outdoor work and of working with mental health service users.

  • An interest in and knowledge of social and therapeutic gardening or ecotherapy approaches, and permaculture, is desirable.

 Skills and Abilities:

  • Good oral communication skills

  • Ability to work in a team.

 This role is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).

APPLICATON PROCESS

To apply for this position please send your up-to-date CV with a covering letter, of maximum 1-side A4, outlining your experience and skills that are relevant to the role. Please also download and complete an Application Form and Equal Opportunities monitoring form. Please email all four documents as .doc or .pdf files to: kate@forestfarmpeacegarden.org

Download Job Description & Person Specification

Download Application Form

Download Equal Opportunities Form

The closing date for applications is 5pm Wednesday 30 June 2021 and interviews will be held on Monday 12 July 2021.

If you have any questions about the role or application process please contact, Kate Allardyce (Project Manager) at: kate@forestfarmpeacegarden.org / 07525 131996