Senior Cemeteries

_Our Organisation
- Centrally located in the Thames Gateway, Gravesham Borough Council provides a range of services to over 106,000 people and 4,000 businesses.

The Borough of Gravesham, situated in the northwest corner of Kent, covers 25,000 acres of the most varied countryside in southeast England.

Bordered by the River Thames to the north, it is at the heart of Thames Gateway and has a significant role to play in the regeneration of a major government growth area.

Gravesham Borough Council is committed to delivering to the community and working with us means you are part of delivering the level of growth and improvement our community needs and deserves.
- The role
- To provide day to day planning, control, operation, and supervision of the Cemeteries grounds team duties also include officiating funerals and the associated administrative functions.

**Main responsibilities**

Undertake a range of specialist tasks including:

- The day-to-day planning, control, operation, and supervision of Cemeteries & Grounds Maintenance Operatives and ensuring that all work is carried out to a high standard using safe work practices.
- Allocation of staff to sites according to workload.
- Production and monitoring of worksheets.
- Excavate and backfill graves using the appropriate plant or by hand as required.
- Prepare and dress the grave ready for burial and assist at the graveside as necessary (removal of putlogs, arrange floral tributes, lowering of cremated remains into a grave if required).
- To carry out grave maintenance including but not limited to the topping up of graves, ensuring that the grass seeding of new graves and other areas is carried out as appropriate and to programme the work accordingly.
- To carry out grave maintenance including but not limited to the topping up of graves, ensuring that the grass seeding of new graves and other areas is carried out as appropriate and to programme the work accordingly.
- To carry out all aspects of gardening work including but not limited to, mowing and strimming of grassed areas, clearing weeds and other growth from memorials, planting and weeding of graves and ornamental beds, trimming hedges, clearing leaves etc all to be done to schedule and to a high standard.
- To ensure that floral tributes are respectfully removed from graves and disposed of at the appropriate time.
- Assist in the preparation of landscape improvement schemes in the Cemetery grounds implementing and maintaining such schemes where appropriate.
- To deal with enquiries from members of the public liaising with the Cemeteries Officer as and when needed.
- To ensure the public safety of all persons using the Cemeteries, and other Health & Safety matters and keeping of all Health and Safety records.
- Maintaining all appropriate administrative records in respect of Cemeteries duties. To include operation of any associated computerised record systems.
- Maintain and prepare public accessed buildings (toilets and chapel) where other personnel provision is not available.
- To maintain operational oversight of all contractors working within the Cemetery areas.
- Responsibility for the security and usage of all consumable items, stores, tools, plant, equipment, buildings, and furnishings in the Cemeteries.
- To ensure that adequate stocks of topsoil and other materials are maintained, and the excess subsoil and other waste is disposed of as appropriate.
- Assist in the preparation of plant and vehicle requirements always ensuring safe and efficient utilisation of machinery and arranging for repairs as necessary.
- To develop the skills and experience of the staff in the team and to make appropriate recommendations for further training of staff in the team.
- To undertake further training as required by the Cemeteries & Allotments Manager.
- Maintain regular contact with the Cemeteries & Allotments Manager and appropriate Council staff and officials on all issues affecting the team’s operations.
- To maintain the security of the site and report any problems with gates, fences, and boundaries. To monitor the condition of the buildings and report any concerns to the Cemeteries and Allotments Manager including reporting graffiti.
- To carry out works to paths and other areas such as concrete rafts for memorial support. To report damage to sites/features, memorials, etc and initiate immediate remedial action if required.
- To generally manage the grounds and report any matters such as wasps nests, dangerous trees, etc and take any immediate action required.
- To be responsible for authorising Cemeteries & Grounds Maintenance Operatives annual leave whilst considering future workloads and commitments.
- Fostering and maintaining good public relations by liaison with grave owners, Funeral Directors, Ministers of Religion, mourners, stonemasons, general public, etc in a professional and sensitive manner always.
- Provide cover for the cemeteries officer as required in relation to burial administration