our ref
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01473 433402
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recruitment@ipswich.gov.uk
Date as postmarked
Grafton House
15-17 Russell Road
Ipswich Suffolk
IP1 2DE
Dear Applicant
www.ipswich.gov.uk
RE: Gardener/Operatives
Post Ref: 1683
Thank you for your interest in the above post. Please find enclosed in this application pack the
following documents:
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



Application Form and Guidance Notes
Job Description
Person Specification
Structure Chart
Service Overview
Application Form:
The application form plays a key part in our selection process. We use the information you
provide to shortlist for interview.
You are urged to ensure that all the information contained in your application is relevant and
that you demonstrate how you meet the criteria on the person specification. Please use the
person specification for guidance when filling in the application form.
References: If successful at interview, Ipswich Borough Council will seek to obtain two
employment references. Wherever possible the name of your first referee must be from current
employment/education and the second from either current or former employment/education. If
you cannot provide an “employment” reference please contact the HR Team at Ipswich
Borough Council for further assistance.
For your information, the salary for this post is: £17,785 - £19,128 pro rata per annum
The closing date is 5pm Friday 22nd January 2016. Please send your completed application
form to Human Resources, 2nd Floor – West, Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich,
Suffolk, IP1 2DE or email it to recruitment@ipswich.gov.uk.
If you have any recruitment queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01473 433402.
Please leave your name, number and brief details of your question and a member of the
recruitment team will call you back.
Yours faithfully
Recruitment Team
Human Resources
Ipswich Borough Council
Job Description: L31
Operative - Parks and Open Spaces
(Gardener, Grasscutter, Public Convenience Cleaner)
Main Purpose of Job
Assist with parks and open spaces horticultural maintenance and improvement
operations to achieve high quality standards throughout all areas maintained and
with due regard to relevant statutory obligations e.g. Health & Safety, environmental
protection, and biodiversity.
Main Duties
1. To assist with parks and open spaces horticultural maintenance and
development tasks in various locations in accordance with computer
generated work schedules or as directed. E.g. Routine - general grass
cutting / strimming, shrub / rose bed maintenance, attendant duties, leaf
clearance etc.
2. To follow instructions and schedules, and assist Technical Operative.
Complete all paperwork relevant to the job e.g. task tickets and timesheets,
monitoring sheets in an accurate and timely fashion.
3. To carry out all operations in accordance with current health and safety
requirements following safe systems of work and risk assessments at all
times, including routine daily checks and basic maintenance to any plant and
machinery allocated as required and report defects.
4. To deliver high standards of customer care to parks and open space service
users.
.
5. To participate, as required, in the service area emergency response plans,
including out of hours working.
6. Such variations as may be required from time to time without changing the
general character of the duties shown above or the level of responsibility
entailed.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Parks & Open Spaces Operative
ATTRIBUTES
ESSENTIAL
Health & Safety
Certificate
Qualifications
Relevant
experience
DESIRABLE
METHOD OF
ASSESMENT
Certificate/
Application Form
Experience of working in a public facing
environment
Experience in amenity
Application form/
horticulture, including the Interview
use of associated
machinery
Good knowledge of
plants and their
maintenance needs
Specialist
knowledge
Application form/
Interview
Manual Handling
Ability to communicate effectively
Application form/
Interview
Ability to work as part of a team
Personal skills
Demonstrate good customer care skills
Ability to follow procedures and
instructions
Valid Driving Licence (write on the form
Special working if you do not have a driving licence due
to disability. This will not stop you
conditions
getting an interview. If you get an
interview we will see if we need to
make changes so you can do the work)
Must be 18 or over (use of powered
machinery unsupervised)
Ability to work outside in all weathers
Ability to carry out manual tasks such
as considerable bending, lifting and
walking
Application form/
Interview
Ipswich Borough Council
PARKS & OPEN SPACES
Vision Statement
The service is incredibly diverse as illustrated in the diagram below. The ability to provide the
Council with a ‘one stop shop’ for all parks and open space related functions, offers
considerable benefits, these includes; being able to respond quickly to instructions and
requests, especially important when dealing with emergency situations; the capacity to
prioritise at short notice in order to meet changing circumstances, without necessarily
incurring additional expense, and having a range of in-house skills and knowledge available
at all times in order to be able to defend and safeguard the Council’s interests.
The desire to continuously raise performance and efficiency is firmly embedded within the
culture of the service area. National and inter-national accreditation to ISO 9001,
(Management process), ISO 14001 (Environmental process) and ISO 18001 (Health &
Safety process) bears witness to this fact.
The Parks and Open Spaces Service undertakes the strategic and day to day operational
management of over 518 hectares of parks and open spaces including English Heritage
listed historic parks to green flag standards. This includes policy and strategy development,
formulation and implementation of site based management and maintenance plans.
Although having had some success in securing various grant awards, there is general
recognition among staff and others that more could be done to raise the profile of the service
and promote the town’s parks and open spaces.
The process of reaching out to and engaging with local communities and relevant user
groups is widely accepted as one of the cornerstones of effective and sustainable
management of urban green space. The Service encourages community ownership, is able
to provide expertise and offer appropriate support to individuals and groups that show an
interest in either improving or managing their local open space.
A well trained and competent workforce is essential to the success of any organisation and
in this regard the Parks and Open Spaces Service is no different. Continuous staff
development remains a priority for the service and natural progression through the career
structure is encouraged.
Updated 2015
Current Management Arrangements
Staff structure
The Council’s
Parks and Open
Spaces service is
probably one of the
largest
organisations in
Suffolk providing a
landscape
development and
maintenance
service
The Service supports the Council’s underlying principle
The Service Offered
The multi-disciplinary
team of professionals that
are the Council’s Parks &
Open Spaces Service is
able to offer a range of
services (see opposite),
which sets it apart from
other local authorities in
Suffolk. The range of
services offered and
delivered is equal to and
perhaps surpass those in
many local authorities
nationally. It is precisely
the range of skills and
experience possessed by
the Parks & Open Spaces
Team that make it
possible to deliver the
high quality / low cost
service provided.
Updated 2015
for the citizens of Ipswich as set out in its Corporate Plan ‘Building a better Ipswich’.
In general this includes:

Improving the health and well-being of the people of Ipswich

Reducing the levels of crime in the town

Improving the quality of life of the people of Ipswich

Enhancing the self-esteem of the people of Ipswich

Giving the people of Ipswich the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of cultural
and sporting activities
The Parks & Open Spaces ‘Operational Plan’ will contribute directly to these principles.
Updated 2015
Updated 2015