Job Application Pack: Sydenham Garden Assistant (SGA)2015
Sydenham Garden Assistant (SGA)
Thank you for your interest in this post. This pack aims to provide all the information that you need to make an application. However, if you would like to talk to someone about your application please call: 020 8291 1650, or email:
Closing Date:
The closing date for applications is 09:00 on Monday 27th July 2015. In the interests of fairness and equal opportunities, applications arriving after this deadline will not be considered.
We look forward to hearing from you.
David Lloyd
Growing Lives Project Coordinator
Contents
PageAbout us
Advert
How to Apply / 2
3
4
Job Description / 5-6
Person Specification / 7
Application Form8-10
Equality & Diversity11
Monitoring Form
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About Us
Sydenham Garden is a charity that aims to help people recover from mental illness and other significant illnesses through an inclusive and welcoming environment that offers a range of therapeutic creative activities. We provide a variety of services for the community. This is currently done through 4 focused projects; Gardening, Art & Craft, Growing Lives and Sow & Grow (for people in the early stages of dementia).These sessions support individuals to engage with each other, the environment around them and the wider community, whilst enabling them to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, quality of life and opportunities for social interaction in a supportive community setting.
In addition, Sydenham Garden offers a range of complementary activities, services and opportunities such as a choir group, Tai Chi and Mindfulness, specialist activity days and community events.
For more information about Sydenham Garden and the work that we do please visit our website
Growing Lives, a new project of ours,is a therapeutic programme designed for people living with or recovering from mental ill health. Participants will have the opportunity to be involved with all aspects of running a market garden from growing, marketing and selling crops, as well as working towards Open College Network qualifications.
Growing Lives is based on a one acre site in the South of Lewisham - A London borough with some of the highest incidence of mental ill health.
Drawing on our 12 years of experience we will help over 30 people suffering from mental ill health improve their confidence, wellbeing, self-esteem andcareer prospects as they pass through the programme each year.
As well as improving community resilience through our workshops, open days and community workdays we also hope to help make it easier for people to eat a healthy diet by supplying fresh and naturally grown produce to local markets and through a veg box scheme.
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Advert
SECTOR: Mental Health/Community
JOB TITLE: Sydenham Garden Assistant
LOCATION: London Borough Lewisham, SE23 2LW
SALARY: £18,000
HOURS: 37.5 per week
COMPANY NAME: Sydenham Garden
CHARITY NUMBER: 1108100
Are you ready for something truly rewarding? We are looking for a versatile and enthusiastic person to assist us with the delivery of our therapeutic market garden project: Growing Lives, on our new site, as well as maintaining the resource centre and gardens of our more established site. As an entry level role this is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to further their carer in social and horticultural therapy or social enterprise.
Sydenham Garden has been leading the field in creative and community based activities that aid people’s recovery from mental ill-health and other significant illnesses for over 10 years now. These range from innovative projects like Sow & Grow which underpins these creative activities with cognitive stimulation for people recently diagnosed with dementia, to gardening sessions in our nature reserve and restored Victorian gardens. There are also art groups in our environmentally friendly resource centre and our newest project, Growing Lives, which combines therapeutic horticulture with vocational training.
To apply for this brilliant opportunity please click here to download the application pack, or call 020 8291 1650 to request a pack through the post.
The closing date for applications is Monday27th July 2015 at 09:00am.
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How to apply
The deadline for applications is 09:00 on Monday 27th July 2015.
Please post your completed application to:
David Lloyd
Sydenham Garden Resource Centre
28A Wynell Road
London SE23 2LW
Or email to:
- stating your name and the post you are applying for in the subject line
Interview
The interviews and additonal practical tasks will take place on Monday 3rd August 2015. The inerviews at the Sydenham Resource Centre, SE23 2LW and the practical task at De Frene, Up track between 35 and 37 De Frene Road, Sydenham, SE26 4AB. Brief feedback may be made available afterwards at Sydenham Garden’s discretion.
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Job Description – Sydenham Garden Assistant
Reports to: The Growing Lives Project Co-ordinator (3 days) & The Director (2 days)
Responsible for: Volunteers, co-workers and sessional staff
Salary: £18,000 per annum
Hours: Full Time - some evening and weekend work will be required
Contract length: Initial 12 month contract.
Based at: De Frene, De Frene Rd SE26 4AB (3 days) and Sydenham Garden Resource Centre SE23 2LW (2 days)
Holiday: 25 days plus 8 Bank Holidays
Main purpose of job: The Sydenham Garden Assistant will work with the Co-ordinator as part of the Service Delivery Team and with other key staff, volunteers and trustees to:
- Assist in all aspects of the Growing Lives Project.
- Cover therapeutic and educational sessions as required.
- Maintain the garden, growing areas, environmental areas and buildings at both De Frene and the Resource Centre.
- Ensure Sydenham Garden is a welcoming and inclusive environment.
- Promote recovery from mental and physical ill health.
Main duties include:
1: Maintaining the garden, environmental areas, buildings and sites.
2: Assisting the Growing Lives Project Co-ordinator in all aspects of the Growing Lives programme.
3: Delivering practical gardening sessions for people with a range of mental and physical health problems on the Growing Lives Project.
4: Growing and producing a range of crops and products to sell locally.
5: Marketing and selling a range of products.
6: Carrying out Health & Safety checks, ensuring the highest levels of safety and understanding and working with risk assessments and procedures.
7: Providing support, guidance and supervision for co-workers (clients) and volunteers.
8: Hosting community workdays and events.
1: Maintaining the garden, environmental areas, buildings and site:
-Keeping all areas in good condition.
-Carrying out maintenance.
-Implementing garden and environmental plans.
2: Assisting the Growing Lives Project Co-ordinator in all aspects of the Growing Lives Programme.
-Implementing plans.
-Covering leave and sickness.
-Managing Volunteers.
3: Delivering gardening sessions for people with a range of mental and physical health problems:
-Helping with delivery of practical gardening sessions.
-Train co-workers effectively.
-Understanding and helping co-workers work towards Open College Network Qualifications.
4: Growing and producing a range of products:
-Using the beds, polytunnels, greenhouses, beehives and other areas and resources to grow and produce a range of products including fruit, vegetables and honey.
-Using the appropriate tools and resources to maximise production.
-Assisting the Co-ordinator to produce and implement planting plans.
5: Marketing and selling a range of products:
-Liaising with third parties to sell produce.
-Helping co-workers to work with third parties.
-Raising Sydenham Garden’s profile.
6: Carrying out Health & Safety checks, ensuring the highest levels of safety and understanding and working with risk assessments and procedures.
-Understanding and being able to assess risk.
-Carrying out daily, weekly and monthly health and safety checks.
-Ensuring the safety of all participants.
7: Providing support and guidance for co-workers and volunteers.
-Providing a “listening ear”.
-Demonstrating an understanding of the issues faced by co-workers and volunteers.
-Giving guidance where needed.
-Interviewing co-workers about their mental health and wellbeing. Storing collected data in the correct format.
8: Hosting community workdays and events
-Organising and promoting weekend community workdays and events.
-On-the-day delivery of events: leading activities for the general public, running stalls, Health and Safety checks, etc.
-Collecting attendance data and reporting as required.
General duties:
-Provide administrative support as required.
-Assist with marketing and promotion of the charity e.g. newsletter, leaflets, presentations, website.
-Work effectively with different stakeholders such as referred clients, staff, trustees, funders, volunteers and visitors to the project.
-Work within the policies and procedures at Sydenham Garden and in a way that meets legal, statutory and best practice requirements.
-Participate in and suggest appropriate personal development and training.
-Work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
-Undertake any other duties as reasonably required.
Person Specification
E / DQualifications and Training
NVQ 2 Horticulture or Agriculture or Equivalent / X
Evidence of continuous training & professional development. / X
Health & Safety and First Aid trained / X
Experience
Minimum of 1 year’s experience of working in horticulture or agriculture / X
Working with and managing volunteers. / X
Experience and knowledge of using Microsoft Office / X
Experience working or volunteering in a community focused project or setting / X
Abilities
Ability to use the site, facilities and resources creatively in order to maximize production / X
Ability to guide volunteers / X
An understanding of confidentiality, risk management and equal opportunities principles particularly with vulnerable people / X
Ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team / X
Ability to relate and welcome people / X
Ability to use appropriate tools and equipment / X
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Applicant No (Office use)
Job Application Form
Please complete all sections of the form, and type or write clearly in black ink. Please only use the boxes and spaces provided.
Title of post applied for:
Your name in full:
Address:
Post Code:
Email: Phone: Mobile:
Do you have any criminal convictions? Yes☐No☐
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If you have any criminal convictions, please include details in a separate letter and send this with your application form in an envelope marked ‘Confidential’ addressed to David Lloyd.
Referees: Please give details of two people we can approach for references. One should be your current or most recent employer. We will not contact referees without checking with you first.
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Applicant No (Office use)
Referee 1 – Name:
Job Title:
Address inc Postcode:
Email:
Phone:
Relationship to you:
Referee 2 – Name:
Job Title:
Address inc Postcode:
Email:
Phone:
Relationship to you:
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Applicant No (Office use)
Declaration: I confirm that the information provided above and in the application form is complete and correct. I understand that I may be asked to provide evidence to support the information, and if I have given any false information, I may face disciplinary action.
Signature of applicant: Date:
For applications sent by email type name: Type date:
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Applicant No (Office use)
A. Education, qualifications and training
School/College/University / Qualifications gained and level / From date / To dateClick here to enter text. / Click here to enter text. /
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Other qualifications gained or non qualification training:
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Membership of professional bodies, including registration number:
Click here to enter text.
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B. Employment
Current or most recent post:
Your job title:
Employer name:
Salary:
Hours per week:
Employed from: To:
Notice period:
Reason for seeking other employment:
Responsibilities:
Other previous employment: Please list and describe your previous posts and/or voluntary work commencing with the most recent and use up to 3000 characters as necessary
C. Supporting Statement
We use a scoring system to shortlist applicants for interview, based on the person specification. Look carefully at the Person Specification and Job Description, then describe in the space below how your knowledge, skills, experience and achievements are relevant to this post. These may have been acquired through voluntary work, education, home life or hobbies, as well as paid work. Pleasegive supporting evidence and use examples to demonstrate the statements you make, and use up 4000 characters as necessary.
D. General – please answer all of these questions.
Are you eligible to work in the UK? (You will be asked to prove this if offered a job)
YES ☐NO ☐
Are you able to attend evening and weekend meetings when the need arises?
YES ☐NO ☐
Do you have a full valid driving licence?
YES ☐NO ☐
Which computer software programmes you are familiar with? (Please list):
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Assistant ‘15 Recruitment equality and diversity monitoring form
Please complete this form and return it to the office, or you can always pop it in the Growing Lives in-tray. Having this data is crucial for us to keep making sure our service reflects the communities need.
The data will not be kept in your file and will have no impact on your time at Sydenham Garden. In fact, equality and diversity monitoring takes place to ensure that everyone receives the same treatment regardless of this data.
Gender / Male☐ Female☐Transgender☐Prefer not to say☐Do you consider yourself to have a disability? / Yes☐ No☐Prefer not to say☐
Marital status / Married☐ Single☐ Divorced/separated☐ Widowed☐
Civil Partnership☐ Prefer not to say☐
Other (please specify):
How would you describe your sexual orientation? / Heterosexual☐Lesbian☐Gay☐Other☐Bisexual☐ Prefer not to say☐
What is your age? / Under 12 years old☐12-17 years old☐18-24 years old☐
25-34 years old☐35-44 years old☐45-54 years old☐
55-64 years old☐65-74 years old☐75 years or older☐
Prefer not to say ☐
How would you describe your ethnic origin? / White English☐Welsh☐Scottish☐Northern Irish☐
Irish☐Gypsy or Irish traveller☐White Other ☐
Mixed White & Black-Caribbean☐ White & Black-African☐White & Asian☐Mixed Other☐
Asian Indian☐Pakistani☐ Bangladeshi☐
Chinese☐Asian Other☐
Black or Black British Caribbean☐African☐Black Other☐
Other ethnic group Arab☐Other (please specify):
Prefer not to say ☐
How would describe your faith or religious beliefs? / Buddhist☐Christian☐Hindu☐Jewish☐Muslim☐Sikh☐No religion☐Other (please specify):
Prefer not to say ☐
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