Specialist Production Instructor - Land Based Activities and Horticulture

HMPPS is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) responsible for managing prison and probation services in England and Wales. Its mission is to help prison and probation services work together to manage offenders through their sentences. HMPPS aims to rehabilitate individuals in its care through employment, skills and education activities. We are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.

The job holder will be responsible for providing supervision, knowledge and skills to prisoners in a specialist work area so they can improve their skills and future employment prospects with a view to reducing reoffending. This is a non-operational job in an establishment with no line management responsibilities. This role is non-rotational.

The job holder will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of prisoners in the Land Based Activities and/or Horticulture work area, ensuring that targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment. The job holder will provide knowledge and skills so that prisoners are engaged in purposeful activity, developing their skills and preparing for release. All services are to be provided to a high standard and security and control maintained at all times. They may teach prisoners towards achieving nationally recognised qualifications and may be supported by external organisations such as local colleges. The job holder will be relied upon to maintain the prison grounds and oversee planting, cropping, harvesting, and conservation in the establishment. The job holder may also assess accredited vocational qualifications.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

• Horticulture: Carry out a full range of horticultural activities, giving instruction to prisoners on all land-based activity duties including use of machinery. Ensure good horticultural practice.
• Land based activities: Maintain the establishments grounds and conservation areas including maintenance of lawns, ponds, water features, hard and soft landscaping (including laying paving and turf) and external grounds to the establishment including woodland (where appropriate). Deliver the relevant actions from the MoJ's Biodiversity Strategy and to develop and create the establishments conservation areas. Undertake small project work as advised.
• Undertake other instructor tasks including: You will be responsible for supervising prisoners in the work area, ensuring that work targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment at all times. This may involve the selection process of prisoners and managing their pay. Inducting prisoners and training them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage within your area of work.

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.

This role may require working regular unsocial hours and a payment at the current approved organisation rate will be made in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/Public Holidays.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information: The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre‑employment checks.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS' Flexible Working policy. 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.

Behaviours:

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

Must have relevant work experience in Horticulture, including use of horticultural machinery/tractors. Must be conversant with grounds maintenance practices in areas of grass maintenance, turf culture, drainage, soil husbandry, areas of ornamental horticulture including aquatics, bedding, perennial, tree and shrub culture and a working knowledge of different types of habitats and the support each provides for: insects, creatures and animals. Supervisory experience is desirable.

Technical requirements:

• Must possess a full current United Kingdom (UK) driving license.
• Currently hold or be prepared to work towards Level 3 qualification or equivalent in horticulture.
• Currently hold or be prepared to work towards PA1 PA6 spray certification.
• Currently hold or be prepared to work towards a recognised workplace assessor qualification.

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.

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 provides 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 the HMPPS considers to be racist.

Recruitment process escalation: To Transformative Business Services (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email; To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team; To the Civil Service Commission (details available here).

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion: The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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.

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