Forest Craftsperson: East Forest of Dean United Kingdom
Job description
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Fixed Term
Loan
Secondment
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Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
What could be better than working outdoors in the nation’s vast and varied forests, taking on challenging tasks, and making a tangible difference. Our Forest Craftspeople use their broad range of skills and ongoing training to directly shape the land we manage building the future for wildlife, for people and for the climate. The work is varied and would suit a person who is self-motivated, well organised and able to demonstrate initiative to undertake tasks in a safe and efficient manner.
You can expect to spend nearly all of your working time outdoors and will usually be expected to manage your own time to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
Background
Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission. West England Forest District is responsible for the sustainable management of over 38,200ha of the public forest estate in the west and south-west of England. The North of the District extends from woodlands just to the north of Shrewsbury, southwards to the majestic oak and beech woods of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire and south-west as far as 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 Forest Beat or Recreation Hub delivery team members dispersed across the Forest District covering specific territories. These local teams are responsible for the delivery of agreed work programmes assisted by a team of business support staff.
The Forest of Dean is a historic forest with its origins as a royal forest pre-dating the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Forest has been historically isolated and bypassed, sitting as it does between the Rivers Severn and Wye, on the border of England and Wales. The Forest has long been used for its timber as well as its rich mineral resources of iron ore, sandstone and coal. While the industrial nature of the Forest was at its height during the late 19th and early 20th Century, quarrying of stone and timber production are still important aspects of the local economy today.
The East Dean team cover the central and eastern side of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and are based at the main office in Coleford. The Beat is led by a Beat Forester supported by a team of eleven staff who are responsible for all aspects of woodland management, timber sales & contract management, community engagement and wildlife management.
We are recruiting for two jobs, a permanent Forest Craftsperson and a fixed term (12 month) Forest Craftsperson, the fixed term role is to cover for a member of the team who will be on secondment for the same period.
Job description
The role of the Forest Craftsperson will be to support the Beat Forester in shaping the land we manage by using their broad range of practical land management skills. The work is varied, requires self-motivation, organisation and initiative to safely and efficiently undertake practical tasks including:
- Restock and establishment work - hand planting, tree guard construction, repairing fences and controlling vegetation
- Tree clearance and maintenance - high pruning, cutting back and tree felling
- Tree safety work – surveys, erecting safety signage and safety fencing
The work forms a key part in protecting and enhancing the forest landscape we look after. It can be physically challenging, and you will be working outdoors in all weather conditions using a variety of equipment including vibrating tools. Appropriate on the job training and formal qualifications as well as Personal Protective Equipment will be provided.
The Forest Craftsperson will be responsible for ensuring that work undertaken meets contract requirements & industry standards, satisfies the relevant health & safety standards, is completed on time whilst satisfying the requirements of the business & responding to local stakeholders as work programmes are developed & delivered.
Person specification
Key work areas
Operational Responsibility
- Tree survey work related to the management of potentially hazardous trees.
- Estate maintenance work such as high pruning operations to maintain access and the management or clearance of trees or other vegetation.
- Support the forest establishment work, by hand planting, tree guarding, fence repairs and maintaining newly planted areas by controlling competing vegetation by machine or by hand.
- Undertaking stocking surveys
- Ensure the effective delivery of work programmes.
- As required, gather operational data accurately and efficiently and maintain appropriate up to date records to the standard required.
Stakeholder Engagement, Representation and Communications
- Through effective liaison with other staff and stakeholders, plan, implement and deliver efficient work programmes that satisfy the aims of Forestry England.
- Engage proactively and respond constructively to existing and prospective customers and present the highest standards of professionalism when representing Forestry England in the marketplace.
Health and Safety
- Ensure that all work programmes undertaken meet appropriate standards of health and safety, operational efficiency and quality of output.
- Support the work of the Beat Forester to ensure harvesting sites are compliant and safe, by erecting signage, relocating of herras fencing, carrying out banksman duties and traffic management.
Person Specification – we are looking for practical people with a passion for woodlands and forests who have:
Essential Experience:
- Experience of working in a forest or equivalent land-based environment.
- Awareness of Health & Safety in the workplace.
- Ability to work effectively both alone and as part of a team.
- Good numerical and written communications skills.
- Basic computer skills
Desirable Experience:
- Experience in fencing, planting and weeding.
- NPTC or equivalent certification in chainsaw use.
- Strimmer & Brush cutting certification.
- Experience in timber measurement.
As we have two posts we are recruiting for and one is permanent and the other is fixed term, the candidate who scores highest at interview will be offered the permanent role and the fixed term role will be offered to the second highest scoring candidate.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Changing and Improving
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- On the day of the interview, candidates will be asked to carry out a practical task that is relevant to the role.
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 of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro rata based on part time hours). 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 Pensions;
- 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; and
- 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 (such as the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management);
- 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; and
- 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
To apply for this role, your application should be submitted via Civil Service Jobs and be completed no later than 23.55 on Sunday 11 June.
The anticipated shortlisting and interview timetable is noted below. Please note that these dates are subject to change.
Application Sift: From Monday 12 June to Wednesday 14 June.
Provisional Interview dates: WC 26 June
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.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Interview
Candidates who progress past the sift stage will be offered an interview/assessment date.
Interviews will be face-to-face and will involve you being assessed against Behaviours, Experiences, Strengths and Technical skills listed in the advert. The practical assessment will be ‘hands-on’ so candidates will need to wear suitable clothing for practical outdoor tasks, but any necessary equipment & PPE will be provided by Forestry England.
Should you wish to discuss the role in more detail please contact: [email protected]
Further Information
The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving license 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 any other means.
(FTA position only) Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
All Forestry England staff are required to complete a medical questionnaire as part of the pre-employment checks and, if needed, you may be referred to our Occupational Health provider for a further assessment prior to formal appointment.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 6 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
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.
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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
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.
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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