Senior Gardner

Oxford Health NHS Trust

The closing date is 07 May 2025

Job summary

Do you know your roses from your daffodils?! Are you passionate about maintaining large areas of grounds and gardens?

We are recruiting for a Senior Gardener to join our estate management team at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust where you will be leading on a full range of grounds maintenance and landscaping across our site, ensuring we provide a safe and well-maintained environment for our patients, staff and visitors.

This role is based at our HQ site in Littlemore and you'll also be working at our community grounds in Wantage, Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford & Swindon. Read more about our wildflower meadows and other green spaces here.

This is a full time role (37.5 hours per week) at various sites across the Trust so you'll need a full valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. Adjustments can be considered in line with the Equality Act 2010 where required. You'll need to be familiar in the use and maintenance of grounds maintenance hand and powered tools (petrol driven) including mowing machines (pedestrian mowers and ride-on mowers), strimmers and clippers.

If you're passionate about horticulture, landscaping and grounds maintenance and you'd like to make a difference to our NHS sites, we would love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

Undertaking the ground maintenance at designated sites, involving maintenance of grassed areas, trees, shrubs, floral beds and other general areas including paths and roadways
Maintain planted areas, shrubberies, verges: carrying out digging, raking, edging, pruning, hedge trimming and all relevant seasonal gardening activities
Ensuring maintenance paths and roadways providing gritting and snow clearance during frost/ice and snow conditions to enable the Trust to meet its duty of care under Health and Safety legislation and ultimately ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors.

Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties

About us

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

o Excellent opportunities for career progressiono Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and developmento 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous serviceo NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailerso Competitive pension schemeo Lease car schemeo Cycle to work schemeo Employee Assistance Programmeo Mental Health First Aiderso Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)o Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Date posted

23 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum | pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

267-CS6988369

Job locations

Littlemore Mental Health Centre

Sandford Road

Oxford

OX4 4XN

Job description

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Previous Groundsperson experience
Experience in maintaining, driving, and ride on grass cutters, driving tractors, driven /push mowers
Managing large areas of grounds and gardens

Desirable

Experience working in a similar Hospital, Mental Health or Prison Environment

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ Level 2 Award in Amenity Horticulture (Landscaping) or equivalent experience

Desirable

Spraying and maintenance of equipment certificates

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Good communication skills
Significant knowledge of pesticides and COSHH legislation
Extensive knowledge of plants and flowers

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Previous Groundsperson experience
Experience in maintaining, driving, and ride on grass cutters, driving tractors, driven /push mowers
Managing large areas of grounds and gardens

Desirable

Experience working in a similar Hospital, Mental Health or Prison Environment

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ Level 2 Award in Amenity Horticulture (Landscaping) or equivalent experience

Desirable

Spraying and maintenance of equipment certificates

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Good communication skills
Significant knowledge of pesticides and COSHH legislation
Extensive knowledge of plants and flowers

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.