Experienced Landscape Operative, CF14

Experienced Landscape Operative Job Title - Landscape Operative Responsible to - Your immediate Foreman or Chargehand and ultimately to your Contracts Supervisor/Contracts Manager/Director. Working Hours - The basic working hours are 08:00 to 16:30 Monday to Friday with a half an hour lunch break (unpaid) and a 15 minute paid morning break. We do however normally meet in our yard at Lisvane at 07:15 each morning for which you would be paid overtime. We would normally leave site at 16:30 and so if you were working locally you may be back in the yard before 17:00. If you are working further afield you may not get back to the yard until 17:30 - 18:00 and so again you would be paid overtime after you have worked your basic eight hours. Weekend overtime is normally available should you wish to work. At times when we are particularly busy we may insist on some weekend working but this is unlikely to exceed four Saturdays within a 12 month period. Qualifications Required - No formal qualifications are required. If however you have gained relevant qualifications such as those listed below you may be entitled to an enhanced pay rate: * Current Skilled CSCS Card or ideally LiSS/CSCS card * Current CPCS Qualified Plant Operator card for 360° excavator (either greater than or less than 10t), forward tipping dumper, telehandler or ride on roller. * NVQ in horticulture, bricklaying, carpentry or similar. * Pa1 & Pa6w Pesticides Certificate. * Current Streetworks Certificate. * Category B + E driving licence (or pre 1997 full driving licence) giving the entitlement to tow trailers. * Category C1 driving licence entitlement (or pre 1997 full driving licence) to drive a 7.5t lorry. * Category C1 + E driving licence giving entitlement tow a trailer with a 7.5t lorry. * NPTC Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Chainsaw & Related Operations. Experience Required - The successful applicant will have gained a minimum of three years previous experience within the landscape industry. If you can demonstrate that you have the following skills you will be entitled to an enhanced pay rate: * Able to operate a mini excavator competently and efficiently. * Able to operate a telehandler competently and efficiently. * Able to operate a dumper or ride on roller competently and efficiently. * Can demonstrate good hard landscape, paving, walling or carpentry skills etc. and be able to use such skills at a commercial work rate. * Can demonstrate good fencing skills and a commercial work rate. * Can demonstrate good horticultural skills and plant knowledge. JOB SUMMARY You would generally be working on large commercial, industrial or housing sites throughout South Wales and on occasions in South West England, travelling to site in company vehicles. We do not undertake any domestic landscaping work for private individuals. Our landscape contracts are typically associated with new commercial buildings, roads or reclamation sites, or they involve carrying out environmental improvements to established town centre, residential or industrial areas. In addition to maintaining schemes that we have put in place our grounds maintenance teams are responsible for maintaining a large number of housing association sites. As a Landscape Operative you would be responsible for carrying out a wide range of manual landscaping duties under the guidance and direct supervision of your Foreman. Whilst you will generally be working with others you will at times need to work under your own initiative without close supervision. The work is physically demanding and you would be working outside in all weathers. We have teams that undertake hard landscape works, soft landscape works and grounds maintenance operations. We will try to accommodate any preference that you may have for instance to work with our hard landscape teams. The contracts that we undertake are very varied and the industry seasonal by nature and so you are likely to be involved in all aspects of landscape work. KEY TASKS At all times: Promoting the company's professional image on site and working in accordance with the Company Health and Safety Policy. The key tasks of the position can be broadly summarised as Hard Landscape Works * Undertaking minor demolition works. * Assisting in the construction of stone or brick walls, retaining structures, laying kerbs, timber edgings, concrete block paving, setts, slabs, stone paths/surfacings etc. * Erection of street furniture/play equipment. * Assisting in the erection of various types of fences. Soft Landscape Works * The cultivation and preparation of ground for turfing, seeding or planting. * Taking delivery of and planting trees, shrubs, ground cover and herbaceous plants. * Mulching planted areas with bark, mushroom compost peat or similar materials. * Completing turfing and seeding works. Grounds Maintenance Works * Grass cutting/strimming. * Litter picking/sweeping up (powered blowers or broom). * Maintaining planted/hard areas weed free through hand weeding and the use of herbicides under the direct supervision of a qualified member of staff. REMUNERATION Wage - We offer a basic starting wage of £9.00/hour if you are over 21 years old and have industry experience. Staff who have good qualifications and/or proven experience (please refer to page 1) are entitled to enhanced rates of pay and so your potential basic starting rate of pay could be up to approximately £12.25 per hour. Wage rates are reviewed annually in September. Overtime is payable at time and a quarter on week days and time and a half at weekends. Holidays - The holiday year runs from the 1st of January to the 31st of December. In the case of a normal working week of five days, the entitlement to annual holiday relating to each holiday year, which is given as well as eight Bank/Public holidays, is 21 days, increasing by 1 day from the holiday year following completion of 10 years? continuous employment and then by a further 1 day from the holiday year following completion of 15 years? continuous employment to a maximum of 23 days from the holiday year following completion of 15 years? continuous employment. Clothing - After you have been employed for a period of 3 months you would be issued with staff clothing. You will be immediately issued with all necessary protective equipment including wet weather clothing, boots, gloves etc. and provided with a storage bag for your own personal use. Accident Benefit Scheme - After you have been employed for a period of 6 months you would be entitled to join the Accident Benefit Scheme at the company?s discretion. The scheme provides for up to 2 years pay should you suffer an accident either at or away from work after an initial qualifying period of 3 days. Pension ? If you are aged between 22 and the State Pension age, you will be eligible to join the company pension scheme to which we will make a 3% contribution. The scheme includes access to an independent financial advisor for regular investment reviews to help you to ensure that your pension funds are invested wisely to maximise your investment returns