22707 - Horticulturalist/Gardens Manager - SPI: Commercial Horticulture


Company:	Ministry of Justice
Salary:	from £34,440 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Milton Keynes, MK4 4DA
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	25 Sept 2026
Closing date:	14 Oct 2026

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Summary

Job Title: SPI: Land Based Activities and Horticulture

Group Profile: Specialist Productions Instructor

Organisation Level: Delivery

Band: 4

Overview of the job

HMPPS is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) responsible for managing prison and probation services in England and Wales. Its mission is to help prison and probation services work together to manage offenders through their sentences.

HMPPS aims to rehabilitate individuals in its care through employment, skills and education activities. We are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.

The job holder will be responsible for providing supervision, knowledge and skills to prisoners in a specialist work area so they can improve their skills and future employment prospects with a view to reducing reoffending.

This job description is not for use by job holders in basic assembly/packing workshops, instead Mentor: Instructor should be used. However, on an exceptional short term basis job holders can supervise prisoners in more basic workshops.

This is a non-operational job in an establishment with no line management responsibilities. This role is non-rotational.

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of prisoners in the Land Based Activities and/or Horticulture work area, ensuring that targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment.

The job holder will provide knowledge and skills so that prisoners are engaged in purposeful activity, developing their skills and preparing for release. All services are to be provided to a high standard and security and control maintained at all times. They may teach prisoners towards achieving nationally recognised

qualifications and may be supported by external organisations such as local colleges.

The job holder will be relied upon to maintain the prison grounds and oversee planting, cropping, harvesting, and conservation in the establishment. The job holder may also assess accredited vocational qualifications.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Horticulture

Carry out a full range of horticultural activities, giving instruction to prisoners on all land-based activity duties including use of machinery.

Ensure good horticultural practice.

Land based activities

Maintain the establishments grounds and conservation areas including maintenance of lawns, ponds, water features, hard and soft landscaping (including laying paving and turf) and external grounds to the establishment including woodland (where appropriate).

Deliver the relevant actions from the MoJ's Biodiversity Strategy and to develop and create the establishments conservation areas.

Undertake small project work as advised.

Undertake other instructor tasks including:

You will be responsible for supervising prisoners in the work area, ensuring that work targets are met, discipline is maintained, and the work area remains a safe and positive working environment at all times. This may involve the selection process of prisoners and managing their pay.

Inducting prisoners and training and training them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage within your area of work.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

Making Effective Decisions

Communicating and Influencing

Working Together

Managing a Quality Service

Developing Self and Others

Experience

Must have relevant work experience in Horticulture, including use of horticultural machinery/tractors.

Must be conversant with grounds maintenance practices in areas of grass maintenance, turf culture, drainage, soil husbandry, areas of ornamental horticulture including aquatics, bedding, perennial, tree and shrub culture and a working knowledge of different types of habitats and the support each provides for: insects, creatures and animals.

Supervisory experience is desirable.

Technical requirements

Must possess a full current United Kingdom (UK) driving license.

Currently hold or be prepared to work towards Level 3 qualification or equivalent in horticulture.

Currently hold or be prepared to work towards PA1 PA6 spray certification.

Currently hold or be prepared to work towards a recognised workplace assessor qualification.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

Unsocial Hours Working

This role may require working regular unsocial hours and a payment at the current approved organisation rate will be made in addition to your basic pay to recognise this.

Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/Public Holidays.

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