Ground and Gardens Maintenance Operative

The Ground and Gardens Maintenance Operative role involves the day-to-day maintenance of the grounds and gardens across the Isle of Wight NHS Trust estate. Please see the 'main duties of the job' section and the attached job description for a list of further responsibilities. Isle of Wight NHS Trust (IWT) and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) have a shared vision of a single corporate service across our two organisations, supported by a single set of identical systems and processes, under joint leadership, to drive significant efficiencies, improve employee experience, and return time to patient care., The post holders' main duties and responsibilities are as follows:

• To undertake unsupervised general grounds and gardening duties which will include grass cutting, hedge cutting, border maintenance, weed control, sweeping etc. This is not an exhaustive list but provides examples of the type and range of works to be undertaken.
• Be competent in the use of the machinery and tools necessary to carry out no. 1 above, e.g. tractors/mowers, dumpers etc.
• Maintain competency through appropriate training/qualifications to enable safe application of pesticides etc for effective weed control on site.
• Clean, safety check and reporting of defects to tool and machinery.
• Carry out minor adjustments to machines, e.g. replace strimmer cords, wheel change to tractor when tyre punctured, change and sharpen blades etc.
• Undertake maintenance which will include application of wood preservative/protective coatings to garden furniture during periods of bad weather.
• To keep the site clean and free from debris. This will include emptying bins, removal of general rubbish, cigarette ends, animal droppings, animal carcasses, e.g. ducks, birds, fish etc.
• To demonstrate a basic knowledge and practice of health and safety practices applicable to all duties. Responsible for security of garden store and equipment used, e.g. ensure they are kept secure or locked.
  
  Working for our Trust brings a variety of benefits, including an onsite day nursery, cycle-to-work scheme, discounts at local businesses and gyms, and the opportunity to hire Trust's beach hut in Ryde. We offer many flexible working opportunities, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement for you and if it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
The Isle of Wight is a unique and stunning gem located off the South Coast of England, a short ferry journey from Portsmouth and Southampton, with journey times taking from as little as 10 minutes. London can be reached in 90 minutes by rail from Southampton or Portsmouth. The island offers an amazing coastline with beautiful countryside, year-round events, festivals and award-winning attractions. Our 2020-2025 strategy sets out to ensure that we continue to be a provider of excellent and compassionate care. As part of this strategy, we are proactively taking steps to ensure that we recruit and retain the highest quality of talent to provide CARE and we would welcome applications from under-represented groups to ensure our Trust is an inclusive and diverse employer.