Are you a “people person” who is good at propagating plants?

Maybe this is the perfect job for you. We are looking for a new horticultural therapist to join our

small, passionate team at Grow for Life, to help us grow and provide greater provision of high

quality therapeutic horticulture to individuals experiencing low self-esteem, depression, anxiety

and isolation. We offer sessions in our Walled Garden at Newton St Loe, just outside of Bath as

well as within the Royal Botanical Gardens, Bath and a variety of other locations within and

around the city.

We are looking for someone with:

● excellent interpersonal and communication skills

● patience, understanding, tolerance and the ability to work with a range of people

● the ability to motivate and encourage others

● an aptitude for leadership, and collaborative working

● analytical skills and the ability to make accurate assessments

● a strong interest in and aptitude for horticulture

● the capacity to use your initiative and work independently

● good organisational skills

The position is paid for 10 hrs/week - to be worked flexibly over the course of the week.

The salary is £14.50/hr.

Please see attached Job description for details of the role. For further details please contact us

at: info@growforlife.org.uk or 07729 906223

To apply please submit your CV with a covering letter demonstrating how you meet the person

specification to alex@growforlife.org.uk by 3/4/25

Interviews will be held in the week commencing 14/4/25.

Job to commence ideally 22/4/25 - but with some flexibility.

Job Title: Therapeutic Horticultural Practitioner

Salary: £14.50 / hour, FTE £28,275

Hours: 10 hours/week to be worked flexibly across the week

Location: Leading groups at a variety of sites across Bath including at the Walled Garden,

Newton St Loe, BA2 9BZ

Responsible to: Eleanor Carr, Horticultural Therapy Lead

About us:

Grow for Life is looking for a therapeutic horticultural practitioner to join our team in nurturing

individuals so that they can flourish and live life to the full. We do this by welcoming them into

the safe space of a garden, inspiring, creating connections, building confidence and skills and

providing a pathway to work.

What we are looking for:

Someone who is passionate about people and what we do, and who has experience in social

therapeutic horticulture and supporting individuals with mental health conditions.

The job will be 10 hours a week initially with the possibility of increasing as we expand and are

able to offer more therapeutic groups.

Job description and roles:

1. Delivering horticultural therapy:

● Lead sessions for up to 10 gardeners supported by volunteers. This will include:

○ Liaising and coordinating with volunteers to ensure appropriate ratios in each

session.

○ Supporting people to settle into their sessions at the garden and throughout their

time with the charity.

○ Facilitating and guiding small groups carrying out horticultural tasks land based

activities appropriate to the group’s needs

○ Actively creating and supporting an inclusive environment where people can

develop self-confidence and self esteem.

● Liaise with Horticultural Therapy Lead regarding referrals, initial assessments and

development reviews.

● Use agreed methods to assess and measure outcomes, record, monitor and evaluate

progress including self-reported outcomes.

● Maintain written records.

● Liaise with external agencies, professionals, other services and carers as appropriate.

● Share feedback on daily activity in the garden with other members of the team, both staff

and volunteers

2. Looking after the garden sites

● Assist the Horticultural Therapy Lead and other members of the team in the weekly

planning and delivery of activities and maintenance of the sites.

● As part of the garden team contribute to annual planning of site and garden maintenance

including planting plans, cleaning and maintenance of equipment.

● Maintain oversight of the additional needs for the garden to include ordering compost,

soil enhancers, woodchip & hardware needed for the development of the garden.

● Arrange & take delivery of these and plants for the garden.

● Maintain relationships with BANES tree surgeons for woodchip as required

3. Additional roles:

● Cultivate coppice.

● Liaise with Ted Litchfield (co-founder & trustee) regarding Orchard maintenance and

development

● Foster links with More Trees BANES regarding the top-fruit nursery.

● Support promotion of GFL to potential partners.

4. Develop new partnerships:

● Alongside the director work to develop new relationships with local schools (primary &

secondary)

● Assist in the creation and development of new garden sites.

5. Support and Training:

● Guide and advise our core volunteers.

● Be available to support our teaching within sessions held in the Parks Department as

part of our Herbs & Nature sessions.

● Maintain own competencies in Thrive and mental health awareness training.

Person Specification

Essential:

● Previous experience of working in a mental health environment or supporting people

who have experienced mental ill-health

● The skills needed to look after yourself and others in these contexts

● Understand the need for and have the ability to maintain professional boundaries in a

mental health setting

● Have a clear understanding and experience of the role of the therapeutic relationship.

● Excellent communication skills - including the ability to communicate effectively and

sensitively with a wide range of people from different backgrounds

● Enthusiastic and positive attitude and the ability to motivate and encourage others

● The ability to work with a range of people with patience and kindness

● The ability to make accurate assessments of individuals and gardens using analytical

skills and the ability to report on and record case notes both verbally and in writing

● Ability to work under own initiative

● Good organisational skills

● Excellent team working skills within a small team

● A passion for nature, gardening, or working in the outdoors and ability to build your

knowledge with strong interest in and aptitude for horticulture

● Horticultural qualifications at a minimum of RHS Level 2

● Physical fitness and the ability to work in physically demanding environments.

Desirable:

● Experience of social and therapeutic horticulture, ideally Thrive trained

● Obtained or working towards Level 3 RHS training

● In date emergency First aid at work trained

● Car, full driving licence and full insurance cover.

● Sympathetic to the charity's Christian ethos.

The job is subject to a DBS check and references.

Applications to be sent with CV and covering letter demonstrating how you meet the person

specification to Dr Alex Eldridge, 548, Wellsway, Bath, BA2 2UE, or alex@growforlife.org.uk by 3rd April 2025