our ref
your ref
please ask for
direct dial
01473 433402
email
[email protected]
Date as postmarked
Grafton House
15-17 Russell Road
Ipswich Suffolk
IP1 2DE
www.ipswich.gov.uk
Dear Applicant
RE: Assistant Play Area Inspector
Post Ref: 1682
Thank you for your interest in the above post. Please find enclosed in this application pack the following
documents:
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

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Application Form and Guidance Notes
Job Description
Person Specification
Structure Chart
Service Overview
Application Form:
The application form plays a key part in our selection process. We use the information you provide to
shortlist for interview.
You are urged to ensure that all the information contained in your application is relevant and that you
demonstrate how you meet the criteria on the person specification. Please use the person specification
for guidance when filling in the application form.
References: If successful at interview, Ipswich Borough Council will seek to obtain two employment
references. Wherever possible the name of your first referee must be from current
employment/education and the second from either current or former employment/education. If you
cannot provide an “employment” reference please contact the HR Team at Ipswich Borough Council for
further assistance.
For your information, the salary for this post is: £9.57 per hour
The closing date is 5pm 22nd January 2016. Please send your completed application form to Human
Resources, 2nd Floor – West, Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DE or email it
to [email protected].
If you have any recruitment queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01473 433402. Please
leave your name, number and brief details of your question and a member of the recruitment team will
call you back.
Yours faithfully
Recruitment Team
Human Resources
Ipswich Borough Council
Job Description: B98a
Assistant Play Area Inspector
Main Purpose of Job
To check the condition of all play areas maintained by the Borough Council, opening
and closing play area gates, carrying out minor repair works and maintaining general
cleanliness of all play areas.
Main Duties
1.
To be present on parks, open spaces and play areas and to carry out visual
checks of all play equipment, furniture and landscaping within the play areas.
2.
To complete the inspection records for each play area site visited, highlighting
all defects present.
3.
To secure play area and lock and unlock gates as necessary.
4.
To discourage adverse behaviour, ensure all byelaws and criminal laws are
observed, where necessary removing offenders from the park, and use
enforcement powers to issue fixed penalty notices for littering and dog fouling,
and to make reports to the Council’s Legal Services in relation to offences
under the Bylaws
5.
Receive, investigate and respond to complaints from members of the public
and colleagues on the use of the parks, open spaces and play area.
6.
Carry out minor repairs to play equipment and make safe equipment until it
can be repaired.
7.
Remove graffiti from equipment, sweep play areas, remove litter and rake
loose fill surfaces as necessary.
Such variations as may be required from time to time without changing the general
character of the duties shown above or the level of responsibility entailed.
Job Title: Assistant Play Area Inspector
Person Specification
ATTRIBUTES
Qualifications
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
Educated to GCSE level in
Maths and English or
relevant experience
First Aid Certificate
Experience of using a wide
range of hand & power tools
Certificates
Application
Form/Interview
Practical carpentry and
metalwork skills
Experience of using
Microsoft Office
Experience of undertaking
inspections of play
equipment and undertaking
minor repair work
Relevant
experience
METHOD OF
ASSESSMENT
Certificates
Experience of dealing with
the public
Experience of using a radio
handset
Experience of issuing penalty
notices
Knowledge of the parks and Application
open spaces in Ipswich
Form/Interview
Knowledge of the relevant
standards applicable to play
equipment and the relevant
bodies concerned with the
provision of children’s play
Specialist
knowledge
Knowledge of various types
of outdoor play equipment
Knowledge of byelaws &
criminal laws
Deals with other people in a
respectful and positive
manner at all times
Personal skills
Application Form/
Interview
Ability to organise & prioritise
workload
Ability to work alone and as
part of a team
Able to work evenings and
weekends
Must be willing to litter pick
all areas
Valid Driving Licence
Special working
Willing to work outside in all
conditions
weather conditions
Willing to wear a uniform
Due to the nature of the job,
be confident working at
heights and able to bend
down and lift objects
Application
Form/Interview
Ipswich Borough Council
PARKS & OPEN SPACES
Vision Statement
The service is incredibly diverse as illustrated in the diagram below. The ability to
provide the Council with a ‘one stop shop’ for all parks and open space related
functions, offers considerable benefits, these includes; being able to respond quickly
to instructions and requests, especially important when dealing with emergency
situations; the capacity to prioritise at short notice in order to meet changing
circumstances, without necessarily incurring additional expense, and having a range
of in-house skills and knowledge available at all times in order to be able to defend
and safeguard the Council’s interests.
The desire to continuously raise performance and efficiency is firmly embedded
within the culture of the service area. National and inter-national accreditation to ISO
9001, (Management process), ISO 14001 (Environmental process) and ISO 18001
(Health & Safety process) bears witness to this fact.
The Parks and Open Spaces Service undertakes the strategic and day to day
operational management of over 518 hectares of parks and open spaces including
English Heritage listed historic parks to green flag standards. This includes policy
and strategy development, formulation and implementation of site based
management and maintenance plans.
Although having had some success in securing various grant awards, there is
general recognition among staff and others that more could be done to raise the
profile of the service and promote the town’s parks and open spaces.
The process of reaching out to and engaging with local communities and relevant
user groups is widely accepted as one of the cornerstones of effective and
sustainable management of urban green space. The Service encourages community
ownership, is able to provide expertise and offer appropriate support to individuals
and groups that show an interest in either improving or managing their local open
space.
A well trained and competent workforce is essential to the success of any
organisation and in this regard the Parks and Open Spaces Service is no different.
Continuous staff development remains a priority for the service and natural
progression through the career structure is encouraged.
Current Management Arrangements
Staff structure
The Council’s Parks
and Open Spaces
service is probably
one of the largest
organisations in
Suffolk providing a
landscape
development and
maintenance service
The Service supports the
Council’s underlying
principle for the citizens of
Ipswich as set out in its
Corporate Plan ‘Building a
better Ipswich’.
In general this includes:

Improving the health
and well-being of the
people of Ipswich

Reducing the levels
of crime in the town

Improving the quality of life of the people of Ipswich

Enhancing the self-esteem of the people of
Ipswich

Giving the people of Ipswich the opportunity
to take part in a wide variety of cultural and
sporting activities
The Parks & Open Spaces ‘Operational Plan’ will
contribute directly to these principles.
The Service Offered
The multi-disciplinary team
of professionals that are the
Council’s Parks & Open
Spaces Service is able to
offer a range of services (see
opposite), which sets it apart
from other local authorities
in Suffolk. The range of
services offered and
delivered is equal to and
perhaps surpass those in
many local authorities
nationally. It is precisely the
range of skills and
experience possessed by the
Parks & Open Spaces Team
that make it possible to
deliver the high quality / low
cost service provided.