Location Worthing, Hove and Arundel Vacancy Type Full Time/Permanent Pay Range Grade 4 – £28,026 Pro rata for part time roles Contracted Hours 37.5 hours per week Application Deadline Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Job Profile Job Profile document
Job Summary
As a Lead Gardener at Southern Hospice Group, you will play a vital role in shaping and maintaining welcoming, peaceful outdoor environments that offer comfort, reflection, and calm for patients, families, and staff. Our hospice grounds provide a highly varied and rewarding setting, from propagation in the polytunnel to kitchen gardens, wildflower meadows, woodland walks, wildlife ponds, private contemporary patient gardens, and expansive green spaces.
About the role
In this role, you will take both a hands‑on and supervisory position, leading garden staff and volunteers while maintaining the highest horticultural standards across all areas. Your work will directly contribute to wellbeing, offering a strong sense of purpose, pride, and job satisfaction.
You will be responsible for planning and coordinating workloads, ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards, and working collaboratively with the Grounds Manager to deliver high-quality outcomes. Alongside practical gardening duties, you will guide and support volunteers and corporate groups, creating a positive and well‑organised experience for everyone involved.
If you are an experienced gardener with strong leadership skills, a passion for horticulture, and a desire to make a meaningful difference, this is a rewarding opportunity to combine responsibility, creativity, and purpose.
You’ll be
- Supervisinggarden staff and volunteers, providing clear directions, guidance, and support to maintain high standards across all sites
- Ableto carry out a full range of horticultural and grounds maintenance tasks independently, without the need for supervision or ongoing guidance
- Ensuringcompliance with health and safety regulations
- Carrying out maintenance of lawns, flower and vegetable gardens, including watering, fertilizing, and caring for trees, shrubs, turf, and associated hard landscaping features such as irrigation systems and water features
- Managingteams of volunteers and corporate groups on a weekly basis, ensuring guidance and support are effectively provided, while also supporting gardening staff to deliver the same high standards of supervision and assistance
- Working with external suppliers
- Takingresponsibility for the upkeep of garden sheds, workshops, tools, and machinery, overseeing garden staff to ensure high standards of cleanliness, organisation, and safety are consistently maintained
- Leading on grounds compliance checks, including daily and monthly playground inspections and routine water feature treatments, ensuring accurate documentation while overseeing and supporting garden staff to carry out these responsibilities effectively
- Identifying and treating pests, diseases, and plant health issues
- Reporting and updating the Grounds Manager with any progression or issues
- Responsible for seasonal growing, vegetables and plants
- Developing and coordinatingwork schedules for the gardening team, working closely with the Grounds Manager to incorporate wider operational input, set priorities, and ensuringtasks are allocated efficiently and effectively
About us
Southern Hospice Group is the largest group of hospices in Sussex and one of the largest in the UK. We are committed to providing exceptional and compassionate care to adults, children and their families across Sussex. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our workforce.
St Barnabas House provides specialist palliative care to adults in the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas through a range of services, including in‑patient care and community living well services.
Chestnut Tree Houseis the children’s hospice for East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life‑limiting conditions.
Martlets provides essential care to people affected by terminal illness in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. Our expert teams provide the very best care and support, helping patients and their loved ones to live life to the full during the precious time they have together.
Benefits
- Company pension scheme or NHS pension scheme for eligible employees
- Up to 35 days’ annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
- On‑site education support and study leave opportunities
- Option to access Bupa and cover your everyday cost of healthcare for less
- Free parking, subsidised meals and various social activities
- Corporate rate gym membership, discounts with local complementary therapies and Blue Light Card
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Death in Service
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for an Enhanced submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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