Vacancies - Site Warden / Caretaker

Location: Barley Court, Highgrove Estate
Department: Highgrove Traditional Crafts
Reports to: Senior Education Manager
Salary: National living wage
Contract: Permanent, Shift Patterns

The Prince's Foundation

The Prince’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today. We champion a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities, we run a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, and we regenerate and care for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy.

We work nationally and internationally but at the heart of our organisation is the heritage-led regeneration of the Dumfries House estate and its wider community, where our principles and philosophies are explored and put into practice.

The work of The Prince’s Foundation is inspired by The Prince of Wales’s philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future.

What you'll be doing

Reporting directly to the Senior Education Manager at Highgrove while working closely with other staff, you will be responsible for making sure that the residential block, Barley Court farm house and workshops and studios remain secure. You will also manage the welfare of the residents in the evenings and throughout the night and provide support to the crafts centre team, carrying out additional host duties as well as administrative tasks and caretaking duties such as emptying bins, sorting recycling, and helping with workshop set up for courses.

Your shifts will include night time and weekend daytime.

We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic and approachable individuals to join our team. People who can build rapport with ease and continue to give our guests confidence in the fact that every element of their stay is being delivered by people that care. The accommodation block, the kitchen and other communal areas cater for up to 8 students, the vast majority being at post graduate level or adults on professional training courses.

Main areas of responsibility

• Conduct regular checks throughout the night to ensure the facilities are secure
• Lock and unlock any security gates at agreed times
• Provide access to the kitchen and communal areas during the weekend within agreed opening hours
• Grant evening or early morning access to the communal kitchen and dining area within agreed opening hours
• Respond to any emergencies that occur in a timely professional and confident manner
• Demonstrate excellent overall knowledge of the Princes Foundation work within education
• Carry out regular inspection checks of shared equipment and resources
• Prep the kitchen for breakfast access
• Ensure students have completed end of evening clear up of communal areas, including washing up/loading dishwasher
• Follow health and safety procedures for any emergency or relevant situations as they arise
• Report repairs through the appropriate channels
• Maintain familiarity with The Prince’s Foundation staff handbook
• Carry out weekly fire alarm and monthly emergency lighting checks
• Carry out light site caretaker/maintenance duties (during weekend shifts only)
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required of you in the post

What you'll need

The essential skills, knowledge and experience required are:

• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to use your initiative and to follow written/verbal instructions
• Able to remain calm should an emergency situation arise
• Able to deal politely and calmly to guest requests
• Organised and punctual
• Independent, but also happy to work with a team
• Approachable, welcoming, professional and enthusiastic
• Highly motivated and flexible
• Knowledge to undertake light maintenance duties
• Clean and tidy appearance
• You will need the ability to cope with unsociable hours and working alone
• Able to deal with customers in both a friendly and authoritative manner

Hours of work

The working hours are variable depending on residential course requirements. Typical shift patterns will be around 12 hours onsite from 8pm till 8am, or weekend days 8am to 8pm, over a 7 day period up to a maximum of 48 hours per week.

Other requirements

You must have the legal right to work in the UK.

This post is considered to be a regulated activity therefore any offer will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

If you would like to apply, select 'Apply Now' above and send your CV (stating 'Site Warden/Caretaker Vacancy' as the subject line) together with your covering letter and completed Application Form as soon as possible. Please note one A4 page maximum each for CV and cover letter.

Download Application Form

Closing date for applications: 8th September 2023