Land Based Activities - Specialist Production Instructor(SPI): Commercial Horticulture -HMP Ranby

General Information

Salary
£34,440
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
Retford
Region
East Midlands
Closing Date
18\-Jun\-2026
Business Unit
Ranby
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
EO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
18359

Descriptions \& requirements

Job description
Job Title SPI : Commercial Horticulture \- Gardens and Horticulture.

Group Profile Specialist Production Instructor

Organisation Level Delivery

Band 4

Overview of the job

This is a non\-operational instructional job in an establishment.

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for the day\-to\-day maintenance, harvesting and cultivating of the establishments gardens, ensuring protected cropping is grown and harvested to the highest standards and assess accredited vocational qualifications to prisoners.

This is a non\-operational job in an establishment with no line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Maintain correct field\-scale soil husbandry, ensuring all stages of crop development are followed in accordance with good horticultural practice.


• Maintain the growing plant/crop to ensure optimum development and/or cropping, ensuring that the plants needs are fully met.


• Maintain effective biological pest control measures and any necessary chemical crop protection programmes.


• Resolve any prisoner work issues, setting task to match their ability whilst ensuring safety and production is maintained at all times.


• Ensure produce grown on\-site is prepared and packaged appropriately, taking into consideration appropriate labelling, grading and overall presentation.


• Maintain sports fields as per agreed plan with both the Farms and Gardens Manager and PE Department.


• Carry out preventative pest control measures across area of responsibility.

Undertake other instructor tasks including:

• May participate in the selection process of prisoners for the workshop/area of work.


• Induct prisoners to the workshop/area of work and train them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage.

Provide support for prisoners w* required; tailor learning and training requirements to individual needs.

• Set work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements.


• Assess and evaluate skills of prisoners up to national qualification standards.


• Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners within workshop/area of work, responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners.


• Maintain regular communications via radio net in accordance with Local Security Strategy (LSS).


• Open and complete Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports.


• Will conduct a metal detector scan or rub down search of prisoners attending and leaving their own workshops.


• Provide quality assurance against product specification.

Log attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages including recording piece work w* appropriate.

• Carry out fabric and tool checks of workshops and maintain security of areas, logging any tool/equipment faults. Undertake planned maintenance programme on machinery.


• Contribute to prisoner reports including parole and sentence planning.


• Complete regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records.


• Contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments relating to the workshop/work of area and specialist areas.


• Request materials and estimate usage in order to meet work targets.


• Initiate product development reviews to maintain workshop/area of work output levels, and to provide variety of work and experience for prisoners.


• Participate in self\-audit and in achieving Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs).


• Complete administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re\-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (w specified in Wales) Welsh.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions


• Communicating and Influencing


• Working Together


• Managing a Quality Service


• Developing Self and Others

Essential Experience

• Must have experience in a supervisory role.


• Must be conversant with soil and growing medium husbandry, crop protection, crop production technology, plant protection technology options, preparation of fresh produce for sale, including: grading, labelling and presentation.


• Should have experience of using industrial standard machinery and equipment.

Technical Requirements

• Staff must hold a Level 3 qualification in horticulture or a recognised horticultural industry equivalent, or be trained to the appropriate level within two years.


• Holding PA2 and PA6 pesticide qualifications would be a requirement.


• Must have current knowledge of all relevant Health and Safety and Control of Substance Hazardous to health (COSHH) regulations.


• May be required to be an accredited Assessor.


• Must hold a full current United Kingdom (UK) driving license to enable tractor and other vehicle driving operations in the course of the post holder’s duties, in addition to prisoner instruction duties on farm vehicles.


• When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job holder will be required to successfully undertake an assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young People.

Ability

• IT Skills


• Basic Maths


• Basic English

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week (standard).

Additional Information
Working Arrangements \& Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements w business need allows. This is an informal, non\-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre\-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part\-time, flexible and job\-sharing working patterns, w they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part\-time, flexible and job\-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

• The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro\-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

• You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. T is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

• The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison \& Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wver managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

• After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer\-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development

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