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Job summary

Main area
Gardener
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (Requirement to work 1 weekend day per 5 week period with day off in lieu the following week)
Job ref
179-8016997-F
Employer
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
West Suffolk Hospital
Town
Bury St Edmunds
Salary
£25,760 - £27,476 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
02/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust logo

Estates Gardener

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

Join the Grounds Maintenance Team and play a key role in maintaining the high standards of the West Suffolk Hospital and its surrounding sites. You will help ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of grounds maintenance services, supporting the team to remain focused, responsive, and customer-oriented at all times.

Working closely with Departmental Managers, you will assist in coordinating work programmes and schedules to ensure services are delivered effectively and efficiently. You will also help identify and communicate any day-to-day staffing or operational issues to Estates Officers and Team Leaders, contributing to the continued success and performance of the team.

Main duties of the job

·         Provide notices to warn public and staff of work activity.

·         To ensure effective communication with other members of the team and to participate in team meetings and briefings. 

·         To contribute to the continual improvement of gardens and grounds on the West Suffolk Hospital and outlying sites.

·         Control of garden machinery in a safe manner, reporting any faults to the Team Leaders.

·         To contribute to safe and secure pathways and to carry out maintenance as required on the West Suffolk Hospital and outlying sites. 

·         Use the 7 Zone system to organise and plan duties out-with PPM and reactive tasks issued by Managers.  

·         Ability to maintain good communications with Team Leaders and Managers resulting from fault finding, planned maintenance tasks and H&S or compliance issues.

·         Ability to recommend any management efficiencies or schedule changes to Managers that would benefit the Trust and site appearance.

·         To develop ward garden areas for the benefit of all patients, visitors and staff.

·         To take part in the maintenance and upkeep of plant containers and watering bedding plants (weekend watering could be required).

·         Plan and organise to work in a safe manner that does not endanger other persons on site.

·         Planning, measurement and execution of seasonally changing work routines. 

·         To weed flowerbeds and shrubbery etc. 

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

 

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification attached for more details on the job role. 

Person specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Recognised Trade Apprenticeship in gardening or associated trade
  • City and Guilds Craft Certificates / NVQ in Horticultural Crafts (or equivalent qualification) or in the process of
Desirable criteria
  • Chain Saw certificate

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Experience in the maintenance of grounds and gardens in a commercial environment
  • Competent in the safe use of pesticides

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Good organisational skills and the ability to plan effectively and efficiently
  • Ability to address and develop solutions to problems
  • Strong communication skills for effective working relationships throughout the organisation
  • Disciplined approach to schedules and tasks.
  • Ability to work on own initiative
Desirable criteria
  • To be qualified and competent in the safe operation of gardening machinery, including chain saw.
  • Chemical spraying to a standard of PA-06 certificate
  • Basic knowledge of tractor and petrol mower handling

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to travel to other sites as and when required
  • Ability to cope with demanding and stressful scenarios
  • Proven track record of reliability, punctuality and trustworthiness
  • Professional appearance appropriate to front of house role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardDisability confident employerArmed Forces Covenant

Application numbers

Please note that this advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Shaun Rose
Job title
Estates Officer
Email address
[email protected]
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