Specialist Production Instructor: Land Based Activities and Horticulture (HMP Hollesley) in Woodbridge

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 job description is not for use by job holders in basic assembly/packing workshops, instead Mentor: Instructor should be used. However, on an exceptional short term basis job holders can supervise prisoners in more basic workshops.

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

Summary

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

The job holder will be required to carry out the following 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.

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 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.

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

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

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

Experience

• 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.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

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

The Bay Open Community and Warren Hill Progressive and Therapeutic Community form HMP Hollesley, successful candidates may be required to work at either site.

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 aMoJoffice 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.

Some of MoJ’s 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 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 withthe 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.

-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