Community Ranger - Exmoor & Quantocks Over, East of England, England
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About the job
Job summary
Join the West England team of community rangers who champion community engagement, expanding opportunities for communities to become involved with their local environment and take part in activities that improve their quality of life, health and learning.
We are Forestry England. We are the country’s largest land manager, caring for the nation’s forests for people, nature and the economy. The foundation of our organisation is our world-class sustainable management of the nation’s forests.
West England Forest District is responsible for the sustainable management of over 36,500ha of the public forest estate in the west and south-west of England. The District extends from the Shropshire Hills AONB south to the majestic oak and beech woods of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire and south-west to Idless Woods near Truro in Cornwall. The District is managed from the District Office at Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, supported by 13 local delivery teams in the forest beats and recreation hubs.
We are looking for a Community Ranger to join our Exmoor and Quantock team. The Beat team is made up of the Beat Forester, a Works Supervisor, a Community/Recreation Ranger, and a part time Recreation Ranger shared with the Quantock Hills AONB.
This post involves frequent travel including to remote areas, therefore applicants need to have a full driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, Forestry England is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means.
This role is 15 hours per week. Possible weekend working.
Job description
Evolve our operational delivery.
Advise and support beat staff, ecologists and wildlife staff on engaging with local communities.
Support the beat in providing safe and welcoming woodlands, including safety inspections, management of unauthorised trails, litter and fly-tip clearance reports.
Take opportunities to continually evaluate community work and projects
Embed a safety-first culture in our teams.
To be responsible for working within the Forestry England’s health and safety policies and guidelines ensuring that the health, safety and wellbeing of yourself and others is an integral part of how you work.
Widen participation in woodland recreation for all abilities.
Develop and lead the delivery of a community plan for the beat to deliver a step-change in both the numbers and quality of dialogue with local people both using and engaged in the management of their local woodlands.
Develop new and alternative ways of engaging with local people to ensure there are different opportunities for people to hear about and get involved in our work, particularly those hard-to-reach audiences who may not use the typical or traditional ways of engaging.
Increase our capacity and effectiveness through partnership working.
Initiate and lead or support partnership projects ensuring joint positive outcomes.
Develop and maintain an up to date, growing network of contacts across the communities in the beat, representing a cross section of the people living, working and using our woodlands.
Raise awareness and understanding of sustainable forestry.
Proactively tell the story of how we manage forests, including local engagement about proposed and active forestry operations on the beat.
Collaborate with Forestry England colleagues to deliver forestry-related sessions to Sixth Form, Further Education students and adult special-interest groups.
Interact with our visitors in a positive way (either face to face or through digital channels such as social media) to help them understand and connect to our forests and woodlands
Increase volunteering opportunities across a diverse community.
Encourage the development of meaningful volunteering opportunities on the beat for individuals, groups and companies, and facilitate first time visits by hard to reach or otherwise under-represented groups to encourage greater use of their woods.
Use internal communications channels to inform the whole team on where the business is.
Ensure you are engaged with Forestry England’s internal communication channels keeping yourself informed and up to date with the progress that the organisation is making and the work that we undertake in the nation’s forests.
To share your work through internal channels, e.g. articles for our District newsletter and attending local meetings as appropriate.
Person specification
- Practical experience of working with community groups and/or volunteers in an outdoor environment.
- Experience of communicating key information through a range of methods.
- Experience in planning and leading community projects to achieve joint positive outcomes
- A proven track record inspecting, assessing and maintaining both safe facilities for visitors, and safe working conditions volunteers and contractors
Desirable
- Ability to find and map trails in woodlands on rough terrain.
- An understanding of outdoor recreation with experience of working with the Mountain Biking community.
- A practical understanding of digital channels for engagement.
- A practical knowledge of the application of safeguarding policies.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Benefits
Our wide range of Staff Benefits helps us to achieve this:-
- A great environment with flexible working options and a range of family friendly benefits.
- Generous annual leave allowance starting at 25 days per year (pro-rata for part time). After 5 years’ service, you'll receive an additional 5 days’ holiday. After 20 years’ service you will receive a one-off award of 5 extra days’ holiday. On top of this, you'll receive all public holidays plus an additional 2.5 ‘privilege’ days (pro-rata for part time).
- A Civil Service pension, with the opportunity to choose from two pension schemes, one Career Average (Alpha) or a Defined Contribution Scheme (Partnership). If you join the Civil Service Career Average Scheme, we will contribute at least 26% of your salary towards your pension membership every month. Further details can be found at Civil Service pension
- A range of wellbeing benefits, including access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme plus many more.
- A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment.
- Free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums.
- Three paid volunteering days per year (pro-rata for part time).
This is a fantastic learning opportunity, working with skilled and experienced colleagues across the organisation. Forestry England is committed to lifelong learning and we will support your career development in a variety of ways, including:-
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- Continual Professional Development: support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies .
- 5 dedicated learning days a year (from e-learning to traditional training, team activities to coaching and shadowing), to target the skills you need to take your career forward.
- Civil Service Learning (CSL) online platform provides access to a host of high quality training courses on a variety of useful and relevant subjects.
- Dedicated Technical Training in support of our operational functions, ensuring that keeping people safe is central to everything we do.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This role is part-time 15 hours per week, with possible weekend working.
To apply for this role, your application should be submitted via Civil Service Jobs and be completed no later than Thursday 20th April 2023 at 23.:55 pm.
The anticipated shortlisting and interview timetable is noted below. Please note that these dates are subject to change.
Application Sift: Friday 21st April 2023.
Interview: Monday 15th May 2023.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement as follows:-
1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Personal Statement (no longer than 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the person specification.
At interview you will be assessed against Behaviours and Strengths.
Should you wish to discuss the role in more detail please contact: [email protected]
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at here
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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