Forestry Commission Looking for Recreation Craftsperson – Moors Valley at Fort Wayne, IN Full Time

Location

Moors Valley Country Park & Forest, Ashley Heath, Dorset

About The Job

Job summary

Moors Valley country park & forest is situated on the Hampshire / Dorset border and is part of the South Forest district, which manages some 46,000 hectares of the nation’s forests across West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire Hampshire, Isle of White, Dorset and South Wiltshire. The area receives over 20 million day visits each year and operates two major Forest Centres at Moors Valley and Alice Holt.

Moors Valley country park receives nearly 1 million of these visits, who are attracted by our fantastic range of facilities including play equipment, cycle and walking trails, Go-Ape, events and much more. The site is run in partnership with Dorset Council, working together to ensure the success of the site as a whole. The majority of services are provided through business partners, volunteers and stakeholders; however key programmes such as play, cycling, site entry, facility maintenance are led by ourselves.

This role is a key member of the Forestry England Moors Valley team and we are looking for someone who can work with drive and motivation to improve the site, with a focus on delivering a high quality visitor experience.

Job Description

Key Work Areas

• Promote enjoyable visits to the site by ensuring a clean, safe and welcoming environment for visitors.
• Inspect and maintain recreation facilities, such as formal play structures, walking and cycling trails to a high standard and in line with District and National policies.
• Carry out a range of practical maintenance tasks throughout the forest estate.
• Form good working relationships with key stakeholders and external partners (e.g. Go Ape and Dorset Council).
• Assist in the operation and maintenance of the car parking pay on exit system.
• Help to maintain and develop safe facilities whilst balancing recreational activity with other forest activities.
• Work a 7 day rota (37 hours per week) to help the team deliver all year round staff cover and keeping the site operational. You will be expected to work regular weekends and public holidays.
• Provide front of house service to visitors, assisting them by providing information about the park in a friendly and accurate manner.
• Support the team in any emergency procedures subject to appropriate training.

Person specification

Essential:

• Have experience of dealing with customers or visitors face to face in a professional and friendly manner.
• Relevant experience of working within practical management and maintenance of a park and/or a countryside environment.
• An understanding of the role that effective communications play within team work and also in dealings with the public.
• Competent IT user experienced in the use of Microsoft office applications

Desirable:

• Use of chainsaws and strimmer / brushcutters.
• Experience in working with volunteers.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Technical Skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Assessment day – a practical exercise to demonstrate previous experience. No specialised tickets or PPE is required for this.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,098, Forestry Commission contributes £6,236 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Here at Forestry England we offer:

• Flexible working to support a healthy work/life balance.
• 25 days holiday pa with an extra day’s holiday entitlement each year over the first 5 years up to a maximum of 30 days per year, plus bank holidays and 2.5 extra days leave. (all pro-rata)
• 3 days paid volunteering leave every year (once you have passed probation). (pro-rata)
• Access to technical and personal development training and qualifications that are tailored to your role.
• 5 days dedicated to your self-driven development each year. (pro-rata)
• Extensive opportunities for further learning through Civil Service Learning.
• Reimbursement of any professional membership fees.
• Employee benefits that include (but are not limited to) the Cycle to Work scheme, free high-street and online discounts and offers through ‘STaR’, and the opportunity to join the Civil Services Sports Council.
• The brilliant Civil Service Pensions scheme.
• Access to our dedicated Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that gives free, confidential and independent support – whether it is personal or work-related.
• Free eyesight tests and £100 voucher for glasses for visual display usage.
• Pay advances of up to £5,000 for computers, sports equipment, or training costs.
• Free parking at all Forestry Commission sites (including Moors Valley Country Park and Alice Holt Forest) and free entry into our National Arboretum in Westonbirt.
• Up to 15% discount at Forest Live Events, Forest Holidays cabins, and Go Ape outdoor activity centres.
• Numerous retail discounts including 10% off at Forestry Commission shops and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

This is a 12 month fixed term appointment with possibility of permanency but it is not guaranteed.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement of up to 750 words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words. Please include supporting examples on how you meet the essential and where possible desirable criteria listed in the responsibilities section. Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie break situation.

Candidates successful at sift will be invited to a face to face Interview. At interview candidates will be assessed on the listed Behaviours and a practical exercise.

We aim to complete the sift on 29th November 2023 and interview in the week commencing 4th December 2023 but these may be subject to change.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period o f 12 m onths 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 schem es, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department an enhanced criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending an enhanced Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance 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.

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.

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

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.

A total of 37 hours per week will need to be covered. Applicants who wish to work less than 37 hours per week or an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply, however your preferred working pattern may not be available if the remaining hours cannot be filled, and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Calum Laird
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.