42802 -SPI Commercial Horticulture Part Time

£24,619 - £27,381 (pro rata)
1
12 Months
North West
Warrington
HM PRISON RISLEY WARRINGTON, WA3 6BP
EO
Band 4
Permanent
Part Time
Industrial

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Overview of the job

This is a non-operational instructional job in an establishment.

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance, harvesting and cultivating of the establishments gardens, ensuring protected cropping is grown and harvested to the highest standards and assess accredited vocational qualifications to prisoners.

This is a non-operational job in an establishment with no line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

  • Maintain correct field-scale soil husbandry, ensuring all stages of crop development are followed in accordance with good horticultural practice.
  • Maintain the growing plant/crop to ensure optimum development and/or cropping, ensuring that the plants needs are fully met.
  • Maintain effective biological pest control measures and any necessary chemical crop protection programmes.
  • Resolve any prisoner work issues, setting task to match their ability whilst ensuring safety and production is maintained at all times.
  • Ensure produce grown on-site is prepared and packaged appropriately, taking into consideration appropriate labelling, grading and overall presentation.
  • Maintain sports fields as per agreed plan with both the Farms and Gardens Manager and PE Department.
  • Carry out preventative pest control measures across area of responsibility.

Undertake other instructor tasks including:

  • May participate in the selection process of prisoners for the workshop/area of work.
  • Induct prisoners to the workshop/area of work and train them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage.
  • Provide support for prisoners where required; tailor learning and training requirements to individual needs.
  • Set work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements.
  • Assess and evaluate skills of prisoners up to national qualification standards.
  • Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners within workshop/area of work, responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners.
  • Maintain regular communications via radio net in accordance with Local Security Strategy (LSS).
  • Open and complete Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports. 
  • Will conduct a metal detector scan or rub down search of prisoners attending and leaving their own workshops.
  • Provide quality assurance against product specification.
  • Log attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages including recording piece work where appropriate.
  • Carry out fabric and tool checks of workshops and maintain security of areas, logging any tool/equipment faults. Undertake planned maintenance programme on machinery.
  • Contribute to prisoner reports including parole and sentence planning.
  • Complete regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records.
  • Contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments relating to the workshop/work of area and specialist areas.
  • Request materials and estimate usage in order to meet work targets.
  • Initiate product development reviews to maintain workshop/area of work output levels, and to provide variety of work and experience for prisoners.
  • Participate in self-audit and in achieving Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs).
  • Complete administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Behaviours

  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Developing Self and Others

Essential Experience

  • Must have experience in a supervisory role.
  • Must be conversant with soil and growing medium husbandry, crop protection, crop production technology, plant protection technology options, preparation of fresh produce for sale, including: grading, labelling and presentation.
  • Should have experience of using industrial standard machinery and equipment.

Technical Requirements

  • Staff must hold a Level 3 qualification in horticulture or a recognised horticultural industry equivalent, or be trained to the appropriate level within two years.
  • Holding PA2 and PA6 pesticide qualifications would be a requirement.
  • Must have current knowledge of all relevant Health and Safety and Control of Substance Hazardous to health (COSHH) regulations.
  • May be required to be an accredited Assessor.
  • Must hold a full current United Kingdom (UK) driving license to enable tractor and other vehicle driving operations in the course of the post holder’s duties, in addition to prisoner instruction duties on farm vehicles.
  • When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job holder will be required to successfully undertake an assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young People.

Ability

  • IT Skills
  • Basic Maths
  • Basic English
The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s, including HMPPS, terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

-HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

-HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provide a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

Eligibility

-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which HMPPS considers to be racist

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

WEEK COMMENCING 03/05/2021

19/04/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference - 42802.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
Technical Skills
HORTICULTURE - 250 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Delivering at Pace
Technical Skills
HORTICULTURE
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.