Care worker

Northumberland County Council; Hepscott; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

26 days annual leave

Job summary

Northumberland County Council is seeking a Care Worker for the Horticultural Skills Unit at Hepscott Park. This full-time role is 37 hours per week, with day shifts supporting adults with learning disabilities through horticulture and practical activities within a small, friendly team.

You will be a key worker, helping participants access community opportunities, grow plants, and gain confidence while maintaining care records and working in outdoor and greenhouse settings.

Qualifications

• Has a good standard of education with strong literacy and numeracy skills.
• Positive, flexible attitude and genuine passion for supporting others.
• Can work effectively as part of a team and build positive relationships.
• Willing to undertake training and uphold high standards of care.
• Interest in horticulture and willingness to work outdoors in varied settings.

Responsibilities

• Support individuals with growing plants in greenhouses and gardens and with selling plants to customers.
• Help people access and enjoy opportunities within their local community.
• Promote independence and personal development, and facilitate positive interactions with the public.
• Act as a keyworker and maintain accurate, professional records.

Skills

Literacy and numeracy

Teamwork

Positive attitude

Willingness to undertake training

Driving licence

Education

Good standard of education

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Horticultural Skills Unit, Hepscott Park

Closing Date:

28/09/2026

Job Category:

Social Care - Adult Service

Region / Division:

UK Region

Directorate:

Adults, Ageing and Wellbeing

Job Introduction

Care Worker (full time – 37 hours per week)

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people's lives?

The Horticultural Skills Unit (HSU) is looking for a caring, enthusiastic and green fingered Care Worker to join our small, friendly and supportive team. We provide a vibrant, person-centred service for adults with learning disabilities, offering training and work experience in horticulture and other practical skills. We are open Monday to Thursday, 8.45am to 4.15pm, Friday, 8.45am – 3.45pm

Permanent | Full time (37 hours per week)

About the Role

As a Care Worker, you will play an important role in promoting the wellbeing, confidence and independence of the people we support. Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting individuals with growing plants in greenhouses and gardens and with selling plants to our customers.
• Helping people access and enjoy opportunities within their local community.
• Promoting independence, creating opportunities for personal development, and facilitating positive interactions between those who use the service and members of the public.
• Acting as a keyworker and maintaining accurate, professional records.

Why Work at the HSU?

The HSU at Hepscott Park is long established (1985) and well known within the Morpeth area. We are next door to the very popular Garden Café. We are a small service with a family atmosphere and with strong links to the wider community.If you like flowers, vegetables, gardens, the outdoors and helping people, then this job could be for you. We would love you to have horticultural skills and qualifications, but if you don’t, some of our best horticulturalists are home grown, learning their skills on the job.

You will support people to take part in a wide range of horticultural and other practical work, including:

• Growing plants from seeds and cuttings in potting shed, greenhouses and polytunnels and selling our plants to our customers
• Growing vegetables and soft fruit in our allotment area.
• Planting and maintaining our gardens and managing our small wild woodland
• Making things with wood in our small workshop, making kindling
• Social events including summer fair, cricket, BBQs and Christmas wreath workshops
• Cooking with our home grown produce.
• Visiting gardens and other places of interest

The HSU is all about co-production – working together with people. Every morning, in a short meeting, everyone chooses the work they are going to do that day. Every year, the people who use our service help shape what we do, and we encourage staff to bring their own interests, skills and ideas.

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who:

• Has a good standard of education, with strong literacy and numeracy skills.
• Has a positive, flexible attitude and a genuine passion for supporting others.
• Can work effectively as part of a team and build positive relationships.
• Is willing to undertake training and uphold the highest standards of care.
• Has a passion for growing plants, with some working knowledge and experience of horticulture, particularly glasshouse work, and is happy to work outdoors and in a wide range of horticultural settings (desirable but not essential).
• Has DIY / woodworking skills (desirable but not essential)
• Holds a full driving licence and can drive the HSU people carrier (desirable but not essential).

What Our Team Says:

"The HSU is a wonderful place to work. It’s more than just a job. No two days are the same. I wish I had known about this job years ago!."

Current Care Worker

Why choose us?

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.

We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:

• 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A collaborative, supportive and forward-thinking environment where your leadership will have a lasting impact.
• Employee Wellbeing support for mental and Physical Health

Stay connected with us on social media to keep up to date with Northumberland County Council’s latest job opportunities.

For guidance on completing your application and for information about our Equality and Diversity principles, please see the attached guidance notes.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.

For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930