Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Horticulture Skills Coach

Little Gate Farm
Beckley, East Sussex

Posted: 3 Oct 2024

Deadline: 22 Oct 2024

Compensation: £24,960 per annum

Disability Confident scheme

Paid Full-time Permanent

Job description

Job title: Horticulture Skills Coach

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemptions) Order 1975 applies to this post.  Disclosure and Barring Clearance is required prior to employment to this post.

Main purpose of job: At Little Gate Farm, we provide employment training to adults with learning disabilities  and autism. As a skills coach, you will be working within our cut flower social enterprise,  on our farm in Beckley, supporting our trainees to develop both the practical skills and  employability skills required for paid work – helping the trainees to reach their full  potential and transforming lives! Within our cut flower social enterprise, our trainees, with staff support, grow, harvest  and sell quality cut flowers to local florists, markets and local events. We help trainees  to build a wide range of horticultural and employment skills, while supporting them to  achieve their individual work and life goals. This work not only forms the basis of  supporting trainees into paid work, but raises aspirations and confidence, and improves  the health and wellbeing of both the trainees and staff that work within the project.

Main Aims

• To enable adults with learning disabilities and autism (trainees) to make  significant personal progress in preparation for paid employment. 
• To identify trainees’ skills and aspirations to successfully place them into paid  employment. 
• To communicate plans effectively and consistently within the garden team. 
• Support our trainees in growing high quality cut flowers and preparing them for  sale. 
• Running workshops with trainees in all areas of horticulture, problem solving,  customer service skills in preparation for paid work.

Your passion for horticulture and growing cut flowers will be invaluable in this role. Join  us in making a positive impact! 

• Job Description Position reports to: Head of Little Gate Farm
• Staff who will report to this job title: N/A
• Location: Little Gate Farm, Horseshoe Lane, Beckley TN31 6RZ
• Salary: £24,960 per annum
• Probationary period: 6 months
• Holiday Entitlement: 5.6 weeks
• Contract type: Permanent. 40 hours per week  Monday – Friday, 8 hours per day between 9am - 5pm. You may be asked occasionally to work outside of these hours, with agreement.
• Safeguarding requirements: All employees and volunteers, regardless of their posts, share in the  responsibility for protecting our work trainees, young rangers and students,  keeping them safe from harm whilst they are attending Little Gate and for  reporting concerns about any person’s welfare and safety. The post holder will be engaging in regulated activity with young people and/or  adults at risk. Initial and ongoing safeguarding training will be provided as part of the role. 
• DBS requirements: Enhanced with Barred list check

Main tasks of job:

Responsibility to the flower enterprise

• Planning and selecting seeds/flowers to grow and sell alongside staff and trainees. 
• Working within the cut flower enterprise, undertaking all practical tasks within flower  farming, such as planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, record keeping, seasonal  maintenance, research and propagation.
• Taking responsibility for scheduling jobs and tasks for the week ahead. 
• Work flexibly and creatively to develop new activities and goals that are engaging  and motivating and work towards meeting the overall aims of the enterprise.
• Constantly strive to improve quality within the social enterprise. Support the  development and improvements of systems and practices, including, most  importantly, improving trainee learning and development and increasing their ownership within the overall business.
• Responsible for keeping a consistent level of communication within the garden  team, day to day and across the seasons. 

Responsibility to trainees

• Ensure trainee learning is focused on developing employment skills, particularly those that may act as a barrier to employment. 
• Ensure trainees are kept safe and adequately supervised and supported to achieve  their potential. 
• Support the trainees to build their overall levels of confidence, Independence,  Communication, and work skills.
• Encourage trainee participation and motivation in activities and reduce learned  helplessness. 
• Create a goal-focused, positive environment where achievements are celebrated,  and mistakes are learnt from.
• Record and monitor progress through our online CRM system. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties, and different tasks may be required as  necessitated by the changing role within the organisation and the overall business  objectives of the organisation. Person Specification: Essential
• Experience in growing cut flowers.
• Experience in, and a passion for horticulture.
• Aspiration to support autistic and learning disabled adults into paid employment.
• Propagation experience.
• The candidate must be able to get themselves to the farm, transport cannot be  provided by Little Gate.
• Good communication skills.
• Candidate must be able to demonstrate the Little Gate Values.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: able to navigate and thrive in a fast-paced and everchanging environment.
• Positive Attitude: a can-do attitude that fosters collaboration and a positive work  culture.
• Independent Problem-solving: proven ability to independently resolve complex  issues.
• Skills to think creatively, researching and exploring opportunities.

Desirable

• Experience supporting adults with learning disabilities or autism.
• Experience teaching/coaching.
• Knowledge and experience in Excel and Word
• An interest in floristry

Application deadline: 22nd October 2024

Interview date: 4th November 2024

Our Commitment Little Gate is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Please see our application  form for more information regarding guaranteed interviews for candidates choosing to share that they have a disability. Our application and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any  reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve  and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups. Little Gate implements safeguarding protocols in all aspects of their working practices  and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people  and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced and  barred DBS check, and this may include social media checks. For further details please  contact Sally Moseley via email at hrsally@littlegate.org.uk. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemptions) Order 1975 applies to this post.  Disclosure and Barring Clearance is required prior to employment to this post. Please note, due to a high volume of applications, we are not always able to feedback if  you have been deemed unsuccessful upon review. We apologise in advance should  you not be contacted.

Application information

To register your interest in the role and request an application form please email julieryder@littlegate.org.uk prior to 12noon on 22nd October 2024.

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