Natural England
Education Warden - ( Ref : 6810 )
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Job Summary
This position is based at Reading
Job Description
PLEASE NOTE: Office Location – Heathland House, Heather Farm, Woking, Surrey GU21 4XY. You must be able to travel to the Thames Basin Heaths SPA daily, with the role requiring occasional weekend/early morning and evening work. The TBH SPA and local partners fall within parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.
The team provides an on-the-ground wardening service on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBH SPA). Working closely with the Special Protection Area (SPA) landowners and managers and other key partners (including local authorities, Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Ministry of Defence, Forestry Commission, and The Crown Estate), the team engages directly with the public through engagement and education to raise awareness amongst visitors of the importance and sensitivity of this internationally important heathland site.
The Thames Basin Heaths Partnership (TBHP), hosted by Natural England’s Thames Solent Area Team, is fully funded from developer contributions, and is overseen by the Thames Basin Heaths (TBH) Joint Strategic Partnership Board (JSPB), a body comprising eleven local authorities, and Hampshire and Surrey County Councils.
Responsibilities for this Education Warden role are primarily providing support to the Education & Engagement Officer in the day-to-day delivery of the ‘Our Amazing Heathlands’ education programme, assisting with the planning and the delivery of curriculum-linked education sessions in schools and other education settings, across the TBH area.
Secondarily, engaging with the public on the SPA and at events, to raise awareness about the SPA's importance, spreading wildfire awareness and promoting Suitable Accessible Natural Greenspace (SANG) sites as alternatives.
Additionally, this role will provide support to the team’s warden and communications functions, through providing social media content, writing articles, and collecting data through surveys.
The role requires some involvement with the Heathland Hounds project – a sub team of the TBH SAMM project, focused on interacting with dog walkers – who are a key audience to which the projects key message ‘paws on paths’ is aimed, to encourage behaviour change and ultimately protect the SPA and reduce disturbance to its protected species.
Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities
- Deliver inspiring educational sessions to children and young people, in a variety of settings, including in school and on heathland.
- Warden the SPA and engage and educate the general public about the ground nesting birds and to promote the use of SANGs.
- Organise and run events and popups onsite and run and facilitate events during Heath Week (supporting delivery of a wider engagement programme).
- Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders, partners and landowners to support and run events, pitstops and popups.
- Help with social media posts, website blogs and articles for newsletters.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) level qualification in countryside management, nature conservation, environmental science or a related discipline, or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
- Experience of delivering educational activities to children and young people in an outdoor setting.
- Experience of developing positive relationships with schools and community groups.
- Ability to design, develop and deliver engaging and interactive educational sessions.
- Experience of, and confident in engaging with the public, particularly where this experience has been gained from having worked outdoors in a nature conservation/ countryside access-related role.
- Knowledge of Natural England’s purpose and how this work will contribute to its aims and objectives.
- Good written and verbal skills to enable effective communication with a range of internal and external partners.
- Warden must have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the SPA at landscape level, including the lowland heathland habitats/species and the development, access issues and recreational pressures issues affecting it.
- Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail & digital images.
- Experience of, and confidence in engaging with dogs and dog walkers.
- Knowledge of countryside access/ rights of way, and nature conservation issues.
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How To Apply
We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.
This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:
- Personal Effectiveness
- Work Delivery
- Working Safely
- Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
- Technical Skills & Knowledge
When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your Action.
Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.
Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.
As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time – one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.
Competencies
Competence 1
Professional competency
Technical Skills and Knowledge - Heathland, Connecting People with Nature (primarily children)
- Experience in inspiring children to engage with and learn how to protect the natural environment. (Essential)
- Knowledge of heathland habitats, associated species and the pressures on local heathland sites from recreational use. (Essential)
Competence 2
Professional competency
Work Delivery
- Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)
- Understand and apply relevant policy, legislation, governance frameworks and strategies to your work. (Basic)
Competence 3
Professional competency
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Working Safely
- Apply the principles of risk management and adopt safe working practices for yourself and the people you work with in everything you do. (Basic)
- Understand the duty of care owed to all visitors, contractors or others on the SPA, and adhere to appropriate legislation and Natural England policies and procedures. (Basic)
Competence 4
Professional competency
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
- Understand the importance of people accessing and engaging with the natural environment, and how to balance their needs with nature conservation objectives. (Basic)
- Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature. (Practitioner)
Competence 5
Professional competency
Personal Effectiveness
- Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
- Respect the diverse needs and experience of other people, be inclusive in everything you do. (Basic)
Description
Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
Respect the diverse needs and experience of other people, be inclusive in everything you do. (Basic)
Person specification
Qualifications
Please refer to Job Description
Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) level qualification in countryside management, nature conservation, environmental science or a related discipline, or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £28,910, Natural England contributes £8,375 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Please Refer To Job Description
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-
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