Grounds Person (Parks Litter Picking)

Reading Borough Council; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in the UK is seeking a Grounds Person to maintain cleanliness in parks and open spaces. This role involves conducting cleansing duties, inspecting playground equipment, and ensuring public safety. Applicants should hold a full UK driving licence and be prepared for physical outdoor work in all weather. The position offers a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and various benefits, fostering a supportive and innovative work environment.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Local Government Pension Scheme

Life Assurance

On-site day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice scheme

Qualifications

• Basic understanding of manual handling or grounds maintenance is helpful.
• Full UK manual driving licence (Cat: C1 + E) is essential.
• Experience in basic children’s playground inspections is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform cleansing duties to maintain cleanliness standards.
• Inspect playground equipment and report defects as necessary.
• Ensure public safety and enforce regulations.

Skills

Basic understanding of manual handling

Dependable and safety conscious

Ability to work independently

Team collaboration

Education

Full UK manual driving licence (Cat: C1 + E)

Experience in children's playground inspections

Job description

About the role

We are looking for a self-motivated, enthusiastic individual to join our Streetscene Team responsible for the day to day cleansing (Litter Picking) of our Parks and Open Spaces. Parks Cleansing is a key role within our Streetscene Team providing high quality, effective and consistent services to residents, businesses and partners both internal and external.

Are you passionate about keeping our community green and pristine? Do you take pride in maintaining beautiful outdoor spaces? If so, we want you to join our team as a Grounds Person.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

The working pattern is Saturday to Wednesday (Thursday and Friday off) with a 7.30am start. You will be based from our Bennet Road Depot – 19 Bennet Road, Reading, RG2 0QX.

Duties include

• Undertake cleansing duties using established work schedules to maintain high standards of cleanliness in accordance with industry standards.
• Visual inspection of children’s playground equipment and safety surfacing to ensure high standards of safety are maintained. Report defects to Playground Technician.
• Working with other operational teams at times of peak work e.g. inspection of children’s playground equipment.
• Ensuring the general safety of the public and enforcement of byelaws and regulations with tact and diplomacy.
• Drive vehicles as required to transport materials, equipment and personnel to site and for removal of arisings and waste for disposal.
• Carry out routine maintenance of equipment in his/her control in accordance with established checklists or schedules.

About you

You’ll be someone who enjoys physical outdoor work in all weather conditions and takes real pride in keeping public spaces clean and welcoming. You’ll be dependable, safety conscious, and able to work well both independently and as part of a team.

Key requirements

• A basic understanding of manual handling or grounds maintenance is helpful, but full training will be provided.
• Full UK manual driving licence (Cat: C1 + E) is a requirement for the role and you are comfortable driving small vans or tippers.
• Ideally you would already have experience in basic children’s playground inspections such as ILAM or ROSPA, although training will be provided for the right candidate.
• A high degree of physical effort is required along with the ability to carry out visual inspections of children’s playground equipment and safety surfacing.

Our vision and values

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

• Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do.
• Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
• Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
• Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement – 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays – rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS).
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted.
• Season Ticket Loan – a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work.
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.

Contact & application details

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Chris Camfield – Streetscene Manager - [e-mail].

Closing Date: Sunday 4th January 2026.

Interview Process: To be confirmed.

Interview will take place at 19 Bennet Road, Reading, RG2 0QX.