Specialist Production Instructor (SPI): Amenities and Conservation - HMP Wormwood Scrubs

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Responsibility for the maintenance of grounds and conservation areas at a prison is just the beginning of this important role. You will also help prisoners to develop skills, confidence and employability by delivering and assessing accredited vocational qualifications.

In this people-focused role, you will play a key part in rehabilitating prisoners so they do not offend again in the future. You will do this by instructing and guiding them in every aspect of gardening duties. Under your careful guidance, they will take responsibility for their own environment - maintaining everything from lawns, to water features, to woodland.

If the difference you can make every day was not reward enough, you will enjoy the potential to enter our annual best kept prison garden competition, judged by the Royal Horticultural Society.

You will also enjoy excellent scope to develop your career with us.

As well as your horticulture, maintenance and habitats skills and knowledge, you will need a caring and resilient approach, with strong leadership and communication skills.

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 of the grounds and conservation areas within an establishment and will deliver and assess accredited vocational qualifications to prisoners.

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

Responsibilities,

Activities and Duties

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

• Carry out a full range of gardening activities, giving instruction to prisoners on all gardening duties including use of machinery

• Carry out soft landscaping - turf laying and hard landscaping – laying patio stones

• Maintain establishments grounds and conservation areas including maintenance of lawns, ponds, water features and external grounds to the establishment including woodland

• Deliver all actions in the establishment’s bio-diversity action plan with reference to the development of the conservation area

• Monitor flora and fauna work within the establishment

• Work inside/outside establishment grounds, cutting, mowing and maintaining areas in accordance with accepted practice

• Submit surveys for Land Based Activities specific to site

• Carry out preventive pest control measures across area of responsibility

• Act on wildlife and conservation group’s recommendations and implement these within the establishment’s grounds

• Undertake small project work as advised/requested including soft and hard landscape development including erection of horticultural support structures where the situation warrants

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 & Influencing

• Working Together

• Managing a Quality Service

• Developing Self & Others

Essential Experience

• Must have relevant work experience in Horticulture.

• 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.

• Must have experience of using horticultural machinery/tractors.

• Preferable for candidate to have some supervisory experience.

• Must have current knowledge of all relevant Health and Safety and Control of Substances Hazardous to health (COSHH) regulations.

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

Ability

• IT Skills

• Basic Maths

• Basic English

Minimum 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 consider to be racist.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week (standard).

Unsocial Hours Working will be confirmed by the Recruiting Manager and only paid where applicable:

Unsocial Hours Working:

This role requires working regular unsocial hours as part of the normal shift commitment and a 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 ‐ 1900hrs Monday to Friday and including working evening, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays