6916 - Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Co-ordinator - Crewe

6916 - Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Co-ordinator - Crewe

Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.

Strategic Outcomes for Nature

Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.

Recovering Nature– Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives.

Building Better Places– Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us.

Improving Health and Wellbeing– Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live.

Delivering Security through Nature– Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at:

Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK.

The Team

Catchment Sensitise Farming is a part of NE’s farm advice service and a partnership with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission. CSF operates through a network of locally based farm advisers and partner organisations to deliver DEFRA’s EIP ambitious for Water Quality, air quality (ammonia) and sustainable water management through nature– based solutions. In additional, CSF works with farmers to help them make decision through the Agricultural Transition. We make a significant contribution to nature recovery through helping farmers to take environmental action.

The need for advice to help farmers and land managers has never been greater or more urgent. As a Delivery Co-ordinator (DCO) for CSF, you will have a key role in helping the team deliver support and advice to farmers, including advising on Agri-Environment schemes and supporting agreement holders to deliver more for nature recovery. The role is based in the Cheshire to Lancs area team

The purpose of this role is to support the delivery of Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) objectives by providing advice, coordination and project management support to help farmers and land managers deliver environmental improvements. The role contributes to nature recovery, water and air quality improvements, flood risk mitigation, net zero ambitions and wider carbon management. The role supports the delivery of advice programmes, Agri-environment schemes and capital grants, ensuring customers receive effective guidance and support.

As a Delivery Co-ordinator within Natural England, the role plays an important part in enabling the successful delivery of CSF and Natural England priorities. It works closely with national CSF Delivery Co-ordinators, local CSF advisers and partner organisations. The role provides key support through project coordination, customer engagement, grant administration and the application of relevant processes and regulations, helping agreement holders maximise environmental outcomes and contribute to local nature recovery.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

As a Natural England DCO, you will have an important project management role in enabling NE and CSF to deliver its core objectives around advice and capital grant approvals. You will develop knowledge and project management skills including scheme knowledge, customer service skills, the regulations and processes that underpin them, and how they come together to help farmers and land managers deliver public goods:

• Act as the first point of contact for CSF teams, potential Countryside Stewardship (CS) applicants, agents and other stakeholders.
• Manage the North West CSF Mailbox.
• Triage and assess technical requests for Capital Grants from farmers and agents across Cheshire to Lancs, recommending appropriate actions with support from CSF RBCs, Senior CSFOs and CSFOs, including requests for CSF approvals against relevant criteria.
• Explain the role of CSF within Countryside Stewardship, including farm prioritisation, the CSF scoring system and the application process managed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
• Manage CSF Hub requests for advice and support.
• Functionally manage Assistant Delivery Co-ordinators (ADCOs) if required.
• Maintain, monitor and update the shared CSF spreadsheet for each RBC area.
• Provide applicants and agents with updates on progress, decisions and the reasons for those decisions.
• Assess and countersign, where appropriate, approvals completed on behalf of CSF by external suppliers appointed through ETAFF (Farm Advice Contracts), and forward outcomes to applicants and agents.
• Provide progress updates and reports as required for national Delivery Co-ordinator meetings.
• Support other CSF Delivery Co-ordinators as required and participate in national networks and workshops to ensure consistency of delivery across CSF areas.
• Contribute ideas and recommendations to improve customer service, efficiency and future ways of working.
• Attend relevant meetings and training to remain up to date with Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund (CSF) technical requirements, delivery issues and policy developments.
• Support wider CSF work as required, including occasional farm visits and site meetings.
• Support farmers and landowners to improve water quality, promote sustainable food production and agricultural transition, and deliver natural flood management outcomes.
• Take responsibility for personal health, safety and wellbeing in accordance with corporate guidance.
• Participate in a structured training programme to develop knowledge and skills within the role.

Excellent records management skills including use of computer databases and Excel.Good IT Skills including, Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams and SharePoint.Good communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to use clear and appropriate language adapted to the audience.Good customer service.Awareness of Data Protection (GDPR) and its application.Basic knowledge of countryside stewardship schemes. Training can be given.Basic knowledge of ArcGIS or of using similar GIS software. Training can be given. An understanding of the role and remit of CSF and CS.A basic understanding of agriculture and the farming industry.