Gardener

Warwick College Group; Moreton Morrell; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Warwick College Group is seeking a Gardener to join a mobile grounds maintenance team serving the Moreton Morrell campus and other sites in the region. The role involves maintaining grasslands and ornamental plantings across five centres, including site visits to Leamington and Rugby.

Occasional driving may be required, with a requirement for a Level 2 horticultural qualification, driving licence, and a clean record. DBS checks and safeguarding compliance are mandatory.

Qualifications

• A recognised horticultural qualification at Level 2.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining the grounds to the college standard.
• Maintain shrubberies, rose beds, bedding schemes and other ornamental areas including hand weeding, hoeing, digging, forking, laying, edging.
• Prune shrubs, roses, perennials and trees under the Head Gardener.
• Assist in planting trees, shrubs and ornamental bedding; ensure survival.
• Support grass mowing and turf care: aeration, scarification, rolling, top dressing, fertiliser, weed control.
• Operate equipment like pedestrian lawn mowers, hedge cutters, strimmers; perform daily maintenance checks.
• Assist in sport maintenance: erect/dismantle goalposts, marking pitches, end-of-season renovations.
• Assist interior planting and hard landscaping (fencing, slabs, decking, terracing).
• Litter picking as needed.

Job description

This role is based in the UK and will be working on site in our UK based College. In order to comply with our mandatory pre-employment checks, the successful candidate will be required to provide original identification documents in person to our UK based People Services Department. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS (THE CHILDREN'S ACT 1989) Any offers of appointment will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (formerly CRB), a certificate of good conduct if applicable, plus receipt of satisfactory references, Occupational Health clearance, an understanding of safeguarding and qualifications verification. An Enhanced DBS check is required for this position as you will be working within 'Regulated Activity' within a specific place (i.e. the College). This role is classed as working within Regulated Activity. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. By applying for this position, you agree to an Enhanced DBS check in line with DBS regulations. https://blob.wcg.ac.uk/pdf/child-protection-procedure-a5e67894d353c2adb6ac53c08ce6e758.pdf ROLE SUMMARY As one of the largest further and higher education colleges in the UK, with unique colleges across two counties, we aim to deliver learning experiences which lead to the development of wider skill bases and improved destinations for all of our students. Our recent Ofsted inspection highlights our success and strong focus both on students and on meeting industry needs. We are also one of only five colleges in the UK to be granted Foundation Degree Awarding Powers by the Privy Council - meaning our higher education academic quality and standards are equal to any university. The College requires a Gardener to work in a mobile grounds maintenance team across five of the WCG centres. The team is based at the Moreton Morrell Campus, but regularly tends the grounds at the Leamington and Rugby sites. Moreton Morrell is a land-based campus with large areas of grassland. Leamington, and Rugby are technical sites and therefore are predominately clothed with shrubberies. It is anticipated that the Gardener will spend equal amounts of time on each of these sites developing and maintaining the grasslands and ornamental plantings.,

• To assist in maintaining the grounds to the college standard.
• To assist in maintaining shrubberies, rose beds, bedding schemes and other ornamental areas which will include hand weeding, hoeing, digging, forking, raking and edging.
• To assist in pruning of shrubs, roses, perennials and trees under the direction of the Head Gardener.
• To assist in the planting of trees, shrubs and ornamental bedding and to ensure their survival.
• To assist other members of staff with grass mowing and all aspects of turf care including: aeration, scarification, rolling, top dressing, fertiliser application, weed control and repair work as required on amenity and fine turf areas.
• To use various types of mechanical equipment, under direction from the Head Gardener i.e. pedestrian lawn mowers, hedge cutters, strimmers etc. and to carry out daily maintenance checks, such as oil levels and cutter adjustments.
• To assist in all forms of sport maintenance including:
  • The erection and dismantling of goalposts
  • Initial marking football, rugby, hockey pitches
  • Over marking with dry powder, wet line aerosol paint additives
  • End of season renovations
  • Drag matting / brushing artificial surfaces
• To assist in the installation and maintenance of interior planting.
• To assist in all forms of hard landscaping including; fencing, slabbing, decking, terracing and gravelling.
• To assist in litter picking as and when the need arises.

OFFERS OF WORK

For the successful candidate a conditional offer of work will be made. Our offer of work will be conditional upon a number of mandatory pre-employment checks, to include but not limited to: DBS, Barred List check, right to work check, internet search, TRA check (academic posts).

• A recognised horticultural qualification at Level 2.
• Experience of grass mowing with a range of machinery and a good understanding of its uses.
• A current clean driving licence and access to your own means of transport