Community Ranger - Bristol and Savernake
Forestry Commission
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 20th October 2024
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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 Community Rangers use their broad skills and ongoing training to directly engage the community in the work of Forestry England. Our Community Rangers are also key in helping to ensure our woodlands are safe for the public to enjoy. The work is varied and would suit a person who is self-motivated and well organised to undertake tasks in a safe and efficient manner.
Background
Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission. West England Forest District is responsible for the sustainable management of over 36,500ha of the public forest estate in the west and south-west of England. 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 local Forest Beat or Recreation Hub delivery teams dispersed across the Forest District. These local teams are responsible for the delivery of agreed work programmes.
The Bristol & Savernake beat is diverse in composition and setting, from conifer plantations in the Mendips to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated ancient woodland in Savernake and Bristol. The beat includes a range of facilities, from small carparks with desire lines to established recreation areas with ANPR. The high public access at many of these sites presents challenges and opportunities in the delivery of multifunctional forestry. The team are based in the Leigh Woods office in Bristol. The Beat is led by a Beat Forester, supported by a team of four staff, including the community ranger, who together, are responsible for all aspects of woodland management, including timber sales, tree safety, community engagement and wildlife management.
The post-holder will support the Beat Forester in communicating with and engaging the public to explain a wide range of forestry operations, recreational activities, and work to overcome antisocial behaviours in our woodlands. An average week could include working in multiple locations on the beat, carrying out trail and safety inspections, following up on reported incidents of antisocial behaviour, writing letters and signs to explain forestry operations to the local community, leading a community group or carrying out conservation work with volunteers.
Job description
We are looking for an individual who has good communication and planning skills, resourcefulness, and an ability to work safely and productively as part of a team and independently. The role requires driving to site regularly and being outdoors in all weathers. There may be some occasional weekend or out-of-hours working.
Key Work Areas:
Communication and Engagement
Develop new and alternative ways of engaging with local people to ensure there are different opportunities for people to hear about and get involved in our work, particularly those hard-to-reach audiences who may not use the typical or traditional ways of engaging.
Feed into social media and Telling our Story. Sharing your work through internal channels, e.g. articles for our District newsletter and attending local meetings as appropriate.
Interact with our visitors in a positive way (either face to face or through digital channels such as social media) to help them understand and connect to our forests and woodlands.
Partnership working
Initiate and lead or support partnership projects ensuring joint positive outcomes.
Develop and maintain an up to date, growing network of contacts across the communities in the beat, representing a cross section of the people living, working and using our woodlands.
Proactively tell the story of how we manage forests, including local engagement about proposed and active forestry operations on the beat.
Volunteering
Encourage the development of meaningful volunteering opportunities on the beat for individuals, groups and companies, and facilitate first time visits by hard to reach or otherwise under-represented groups to encourage greater use of their woods.
Recreation
Review and provide feedback for Permissions consultations.
Undertake regular safety inspections, ensuring that defects are properly recorded and rectified in a timely manner. Undertake minor maintenance tasks as required. Record incidents and accidents into Airsweb, collating all relevant information.
Inspections will include walking trails, cycling trails and car parks, management of unauthorised trails, litter and fly-tip clearance reports.
Management of ANPR on sites.
Annual Risk Assessment reviews for recreation facilities across the beat.
Challenge antisocial behaviour in the woodlands we manage, from littering to unauthorised trail building, documenting issues and working with the community to change behaviours.
Respond quickly to unexpected incidents (lost children, cycle accidents, antisocial behaviour) providing first aid assistance and support to emergency services when required.
Person specification
Essential Professional and Technical experience:
- Practical experience of working with community groups and/or volunteers in an outdoor environment.
- Experience of communicating key information through a range of methods.
- Experience in planning and leading community projects to achieve joint positive outcomes.
- A proven track record inspecting, assessing and maintaining both safe facilities for visitors, and safe working conditions volunteers and contractor.
- Competence with a wide range of IT applications including Microsoft Office Applications.
- Excellent communication skills.
Desirable Professional & Technical experience:
- Ability to find and map trails in woodlands on rough terrain.
- An understanding of outdoor recreation.
- A practical understanding of digital channels for engagement.
- A practical knowledge of the application of safe guarding policies.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
Across Forestry England, we are focused on ensuring that our staff are respected, included, supported and engaged. We love difference and know that every single person is unique. We encourage an environment that values the uniqueness in everyone.
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.
- 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
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
This role is full-time, 37 hours per week.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement as follows:
- 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 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the person specification.
The anticipated shortlisting and interview timetable is noted below. Please note that these dates are subject to change.
Application Sift: From W/C 14th October 2024
Interviews will likely be in the week commencing: W/C 21st October 2024
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview
Candidates who progress past the sift stage will be offered an interview date.
Interviews will be face-to-face at the Leigh Woods office and will involve you being assessed against Behaviours, Experiences, and Strengths listed in the advert.
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Should you wish to discuss the role in more detail please contact: Nikki Morgans on nikki.morgans@forestryengland.uk
Further Information
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 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 here
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.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Nikki Morgans
- Email : nikki.morgans@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
