Permanent
Full Time
Hours: 37.5 – Monday – Friday (08.30 – 16.30)
Salary: 25,000 to 27,000 depending on qualification and experience
Do you want to be part of a unique Community where people live, work, learn and celebrate life together?
We are seeking a Head Gardener (Day Opportunities Workshop Coordinator) to lead our fantastic team of horticulturists. You will have a passion for environmentally friendly and therapeutic horticulture activity and have experience managing green spaces and edible plant production. Working with a dynamic group of people with mixed ability to maintain and develop our garden workshop activity as part of our growing strategic development plan. The candidate will be passionate about leading a staff team and volunteers in this hybrid role, supporting people with learning disabilities and autism with horticulture management to enable them to engage in meaningful activities.
About the Role:
To plan and manage a variety of existing and new horticultural and landscaping activities, support adults with learning disabilities and autism to undertake all elements of work in the gardens. Have hands on responsibility for day-to-day management of the garden workshop to ensure environmental kind methods of working are maintained and ensuring the overall health and safety of the team.
About Us:
Camphill Milton Keynes Communities is a charity providing unique person centred support, based on a modern view of the Camphill movement, for adults with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum condition, as well as a number of people living in the Milton Keynes area who have a learning disability.
Key Responsibilities:
- To provide a safe, secure, and healthy working environment for service users with learning disabilities and autism, support staff and volunteers in accordance with CMKC policies and procedures.
- To adhere to and update risk assessments, train staff, service users and volunteers to work within individual safe limits. Ensure safety checks are maintained and comply with health and safety audits.
- To maintain the greenspaces and orchards at CMKC and continue to develop existing garden projects.
- To plan, implement and develop environmentally sound new landscape gardens and propagation areas in like with CMKC strategic development plans.
- Work alongside the team to perform duties to ensure a high standard of work and environmentally kind practices are maintained in the workshop.
- To liaise with the facilities manager regarding site maintenance work and contractors.
- Regularly monitor all pathways/entrance and exit point allowing for unobstructed and safe movement around the site/grounds including the carpark, including assisting with snow clearance, and gritting when needed.
- Maintaining/managing suitable PPE for all staff, service users and volunteers.
- Maintain/manage boundaries with assistance/coordination of any third parties and facilities team.
- To maintain machinery and garden equipment and to ensure appropriate training is given.
- To plan and prepare individual and group projects for service users, day, and corporate volunteer groups according to their abilities.
- To provide training, support, and line management to the staff team and volunteers.
- To carry our well-being reviews and record activity and achievement of service users. Handover any care and support concerns via the internal Nourish system.
- To allocate daily tasks to the group according to their abilities.
- To liaise with the café to ensure effective distribution of edible crops to the café and houses. Raise plants for sale visa the café.
- To ensure all edible crops are harvested or preserved to prevent food waste.
- To contribute to Camphill community projects and celebrations, to work collaboratively with other workshops for special occasions.
- On occasions support the team in settings outside Camphill.
- To ensure all incidents and accidents are reported and recorded according to CMKC’s policies and procedures.
Staff Training and Personal Development:
- Participate in supervision and staff appraisal.
- Attend staff meetings when required.
- Participate in ongoing in-house and external professional and personal development activities.
General:
- Build a professional working relationship with residents, colleagues, and relevant professionals.
- Represent CMKC in a positive and professional manner.
- Adhere to confidentiality procedure.
- Comply with CMKC and Code of Conduct for Adult Social Care Workers in England
- Comply with CMKC policies and procedures.
- To work in accordance with CMKC mission and vision statements and statements of values.
The above list of duties is indicative only and not exhaustive. You are expected to carry out all such duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.
The most important thing is a caring attitude, genuine interest in people and willingness to work in accordance with our Mission and Vision Statement.
Why Join Us?
We are keen on staff development! We offer excellent professional and career development and training opportunities, including professional qualifications.
We promote a diverse, friendly and high-quality working environment.
We offer the opportunity to work amongst a team of dedicated, creative and supportive colleagues.
We provide a fully paid DBS, generous holiday and work pension scheme.
If you are interested in this unique opportunity, then please apply by submitting your CV and a short supporting statement.
If you are interested in this unique opportunity, then please apply by submitting your CV and a short supporting statement, outlining:
“What is it about working with us in this position that interests you and what skills, experience and values can you bring”?
Please Note: we review applications frequently and interviews will take place shortly after we shortlist them. If we feel we have received a sufficient number of applications, we reserve the right to close the advert early. Don’t hesitate and apply as soon as possible.
We are an equal opportunities employer that promotes diversity within our workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, gender, disability, religion or belief.
All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check and eligibility to work in the UK.
Registered Charity 283556
