Therapeutic Garden Lead Co-worker

Tigh a’Chomainn Camphill

**Role description**
Therapeutic Garden Lead

Co-worker (employed)

Title of Post**:Therapeutic Garden workshop leader**

**Purpose of Job**:
To provide meaningful gardening and land based work opportunities for the residents and day participants of Tigh a’Chomainn,

To be be responsible for taking a lead in developing our outdoor and garden provision,

To be co-responsible for the wellbeing and development of residents,

To take an active interest in issues regarding the whole Community,

To support the ethos and ecological aspirations of Tigh a’Chomainn by working to organic and bio-dynamic standards,

To engage with members of the public in order to support our public education strategy.

Responsible to: Senior co-worker team, answering to the development manager.

Responsible for: Residents and volunteers

**Major Tasks**:
1. To be co-responsible for the safety and welfare of all living and working at

Tigh a’Chomainn.

2. To uphold and contribute to the social/therapeutic impulse, as part of the
Camphill philosophy. To be present and actively participate in the annual festivals.

3. To develop the garden and land based work in accordance with the ethos and strategic aims of Tigh a’Chomainn Camphill.

4. To communicate with members of the public the aim and practice of our land work and in particular to support the public through education, advice and guidance.

5. To support and promote other public activities such as participating in farmers markets or similar.

6. To help support and supervise the co-worker volunteers and employed staff at Tigh a’Chomainn who are delegated to work as part of the day workshop and in particular while those people are undertaking a garden/ land based activity.
To facilitate and support members of the public who may volunteer with Tigh a’Chomainn in our landbased projects.

7. To co-ordinate the working arrangements in particular as they pertain to garden/ land work.

8. To ensure a safe workshop environment for all

9. To provide meaningful land based work opportunities for residents and day participants according to their abilities and skills. The resident’s work plan should be based on encouraging the development of dignity, self-esteem and independence as well as the development of knowledge and skills in gardening, all within the structure of equal opportunities.

10. To liaise with other members of the workshop team and the Senior
Management Team to ensure that Residents’ needs are met within their work environment.

11. To identify and work with the Senior Management Team to ensure that the training needs of volunteers and employed staff in the workshop are met.

12. To participate in any other reasonable duties, as and when required, to meet Tigh a’Chomainn Camphills’ needs.

13. To participate in training for your own personal and professional development.

14. To support the senior team with budgeting and other financial decision making.

**Activities**

**Safety, Welfare and Quality of work.**

Ensure that all co-workers uphold the dignity of residents working in the
Garden workshop, so that all are able to play an active part in the workshop.

Be responsible for the care and upkeep of all tools, equipment and machinery in the workshop.

Support all at Tigh a’Chomainn to be involved in decision making in a meaningful and constructive manner regardless of ability and using appropriate communication tools. Ensuring that residents are encouraged and enabled to express their opinions and wishes.

Actively encourage participation with others in the wider community.

Ensure that matters of Health and Safety are accorded the highest priority and that all requirements in terms of the law and policies are met.

Contribute to the development and implementation of individual Support Plans and Risk Assessments.

Work in conjunction with and attend Environmental Group and Workshop meetings. Attend and contribute to the Community Meeting.

**Public facing**

Answer questions relating to horticulture and sustainable practice and engage with members of the public to disseminate and encourage public participation in ecologically sustainable practices.

Provide information and training that fosters the promotion of socially and ecologically resilient communities with a focus on promoting the benefits of gardening for individual health, nutrition, wellbeing and personal action on environmental sustainability.

**Support and Supervision**

Support and supervise the land and gardenworkers and ensure that their training needs are met, delivering on the job training as required and ensuring inductions are completed and recorded.

Take an active part in Environmental Group and Workshop meetings.

Take part in your own regular support and supervision sessions and one annual appraisal.

**Co-ordination of Working Environment**

Ensure that at all times there is sufficient cover in the workshop to meet the staffing standards.Ensure that