Seasonal Park Ranger

Austin Fraser; Watford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

First Call are recruiting for a Seasonal Park Ranger to assist the Park Ranger Service in parks across Watford from May to mid September 2025.

Why work with First Call?

• Working with First Call Contract Services gives you many additional benefits!
• Money saving offers and discounts at your fingertip
• 24/7 GP helpline
• Discounted Gym membership in over 2500 gyms
• Online Payslip Access
• Personal Insurance

The Seasonal Park Ranger will be required to work a rota system to ensure maximum coverage during the week and at weekends, consisting of 2 weeks on, including weekends, and one week off.

The Service is multi-functional; their primary role is described as "patrolling the town's parks and open spaces providing a visible presence, responding positively to enquiries and resolving issues and incidents".

The Ranger Service is driven by the needs of the local community. They are a flexible resource and have undertaken a diverse range of tasks from assisting with emptying overflowing bins, making safe damaged play equipment, to helping staffing public events, to working with Authority's enforcement teams who issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN).

Duties of a Seasonal Park Ranger:

Parks Patrol:

• Patrolling of all parks, play areas, open spaces, playing fields, cemeteries and allotments
• Visible deterrent and face to face contact with park users (and abusers) and stakeholders within
• ASB deterrent - "Soft" enforcement of bylaws
• Patrols of hot spots
• Engagement with children and young people
• Key holding duties - unlocking and locking areas as required

Combating anti-social behaviour:

• Vandalism
• Dog Fouling issues
• Rough sleeping
• Youths gathering
• Litter issues
• Working with ECO issuing FPN's
• Motorbikes and Cycling issues
• Partnership working with Police, PCSO's, Anti Social Behaviour Advisory Group (ASBAG)
• Car Parking duties at North Watford Cemetery when required
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Drinking in parks

Partnership work:

• Police work is significant and lots of work on joint patrols, intelligence sharing and joint operations.
• New Hope Trust
• Community Payback and Probation Services
• Youth Offenders (YOTs)
• West Herts College
• Anti Social Behaviour Advisory Group (ASBAG)
• Friends of Parks
• Residents Associations
• Local Schools
• Local businesses - volunteer days
• Works experience

Additional Responsibilities:

• Locking and unlocking facilities
• Friday prayers "stewarding" at North Watford Cemetery
• Woodside late evenings to lock up after late night functions
• Providing cover for Cheslyn Gardens
• General site inspections
• Safety checks - basic tree inspections, play areas
• Reports on vandalism and reacting
• Carrying out minor repairs
• Minor cleansing tasks at short notice
• Graffiti removal
• Updating noticeboards
• Attending Friends events and picking up their rubbish after "clearances"
• Events management and attendance
• Fly-tip reporting and evidence gathering
• Working at Community Days
• Reports on homeless
• Green Flag input
• Reporting dead animals
• Working with Play Rangers

Pay Rate for Seasonal Park Ranger:

• £14 per hour
• Weekly Pay

Working Pattern for Seasonal Park Ranger:

• 56 hours per week - Monday to Sunday inclusive Hours 11:30 to 20:00 with one 30min unpaid break midway through shift
• Two weeks on and one week off

The right person will need to be flexible and able to assist with cover during periods of leave.