Specialist Production Instructor: Land Based Activities and Horticulture

Ministry of Justice; Wrexham; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Justice's HMPPS is seeking a qualified horticulture instructor to supervise prisoners in land-based activities and/or horticulture workshops. The role focuses on delivering practical horticultural training, maintaining grounds and conservation areas, and ensuring safety and discipline within a controlled environment.

You will instruct prisoners, assess progress, and support biodiversity initiatives while adapting to hybrid working arrangements and fluctuating shifts, including some

Qualifications

• Experience in supervising horticultural activities with prisoners or similar groups.
• Ability to train and supervise in Health and Safety, COSHH, and machinery/tool usage.
• Capability to maintain grounds and conservation areas and contribute to biodiversity initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Carry out a full range of horticultural activities and instruct prisoners in land-based duties.
• Supervise prisoners, ensure targets are met, maintain discipline and a safe working environment.
• Induct prisoners in HSE practices, COSHH, and operation of machinery and tools.

Job description

HMPPS is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) responsible for managing prison and probation services in England and Wales. Its mission is to help prison and probation services work together to manage offenders through their sentences. HMPPS aims to rehabilitate individuals in its care through employment, skills and education activities. We are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive. The job holder will be responsible for providing supervision, knowledge and skills to prisoners in a specialist work area so they can improve their skills and future employment prospects with a view to reducing reoffending. This job description is not for use by job holders in basic assembly/packing workshops, instead Mentor: Instructor should be used. However, on an exceptional short term basis job holders can supervise prisoners in more basic workshops. This is a non-operational job in an establishment with no line management responsibilities. This role is non-rotational., The job holder will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of prisoners in the Land Based Activities and/or Horticulture work area, ensuring that targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment. The job holder will provide knowledge and skills so that prisoners are engaged in purposeful activity, developing their skills and preparing for release. All services are to be provided to a high standard and security and control maintained at all times. They may teach prisoners towards achieving nationally recognised qualifications and may be supported by external organisations such as local colleges. The job holder will be relied upon to maintain the prison grounds and oversee planting, cropping, harvesting, and conservation in the establishment. The job holder may also assess accredited vocational qualifications.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

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

• Carry out a full range of horticultural activities, giving instruction to prisoners on all land-based activity duties including use of machinery.
• Ensure good horticultural practice.
• Maintain the establishments grounds and conservation areas including maintenance of lawns, ponds, water features, hard and soft landscaping (including laying paving and turf) and external grounds to the establishment including woodland (where appropriate).
• Deliver the relevant actions from the MoJ's Biodiversity Strategy and to develop and create the establishments conservation areas.
• Undertake small project work as advised.
• Undertake other instructor tasks including: You will be responsible for supervising prisoners in the work area, ensuring that work targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment at all times. This may involve the selection process of prisoners and managing their pay.
• Inducting prisoners and training and training them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage within your area of work.

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.

This role may require working regular unsocial hours and a payment at the current approved organisation rate will be made in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/Public Holidays.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This