Caretaker - Hamsterley

We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and make a positive difference to our visitor experience.
Together we are using our expertise to grow the nations forests for everyone. We are adapting our landscape for tomorrow, creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We are providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air clean to breathe and producing sustainable timber.
As a caretaker you will be outgoing, dynamic, problem solving and passionate about day-to-day maintenance and minor repairs.
You will work as part of the Hamsterley Recreation Team to manage and maintain buildings and facilities to give the best possible visitor experience and customer service.
Your work pattern will be annualised hours working at least one weekend day a week and more days in the holidays. (averaging 12 hours per week).
The post will be responsible for carrying out day to day maintenance and minor repair on buildings and facilities (but not limited to):
+ Visitor Centre Maintenance minor repairs and booking contractors when larger repairs needed.
+ ANPR daily checks on cameras and pay stations minor repairs and booking engineers and replacement parts when needed.
+ Toilets and Sewerage Works ensuring working, undertaking minor defect repairs booking contractors for larger repairs.
+ Cleaning, litter removal, waste monitoring and recycling.
+ Vegetation management around Visitor Centre e.g. removing weeds, trimming hedges.
+ Formal Inspections e.g. play equipment, natural play areas, visual buildings inspection., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Seeing the Big Picture, As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
+ 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.
+ A Personal Statement (no longer than 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the Person Specification. (See responsibilities section)
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application responses.
Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
Interviews will be held at Hamsterley Forest Visitor Centre, Co Durham DL13 3NL. At Interview you will be assessed against the behaviours listed in the advert. There will be an informal task following the interview.
Further Information
A reserve list may 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
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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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 fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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.

+ Proven experience in buildings maintenance.
+ GCSE (Grades A-C or 4 and above) or equivalent in Maths and English.
Desirable Experience
+ Problem solving.
+ Communication.
+ IT., GCSE (Grades A-C or 4 and above) or equivalent in Maths and English.

Forestry England is an organisation like no other. Our strong values and shared ambition to connect everyone with the nation’s forests underpin all that we do.
North England Forest District is the largest in England, with 130 staff helping care for 61,000 ha of forest and 25,000 ha of open land in Northumberland, Cumbria, County Durham and Lancashire. We operate in some of England’s most remote areas, generating significant economic and environmental benefits, and we are important stakeholders in many regional initiatives.
North England Forest district is also home to 45 Sites of Special Scientific Interest covering over 10,000 ha and is a major contributor to nationally significant biodiversity projects supporting red squirrels, water voles, ospreys, red kites, forest rewilding, limestone woodland and blanket bog restoration.
Our visitor offer and experience is focused on five Forest Centres; Hamsterley, Grizedale, Gisburn, Kielder and Whinlatter. In total, the nation’s forests in North England District attracts over one million visits per annum.
The Hamsterley Beat comprises 3,200 hectares of diverse woodland and forest located in County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear and includes mature mixed woodlands on the urban fringe at Chopwell and conifer dominated upland forests at Slaley and Hamsterley Forest. There is a staff team of 11.5 full time equivalent roles, supported by volunteers and on-site business partners.
Hamsterley forest is an important regional outdoor recreation destination, with visitor numbers growing year on year and the potential to reach 300,000 in the next 5 years. The site is popular with families who enjoy our play offer and family campaign trails; and mountain bikers, who benefit from a strong intermediate offer and the advanced offer at the Descend Bike Park. The forest also hosts a weekly Parkrun event plus many other activities and cultural events. We are currently developing plans to refresh the visitor offer with a new visitor centre, café and bike hire, plus working with Forest Holidays to introduce overnight stays in the forest.

Alongside your salary of £24,323, Forestry Commission contributes £6,567 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role.
+ An environment with flexible working options.
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
+ A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.