Horticultural therapist Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

You could work with a wide range of clients, including:

• people with physical disabilities, mental health problems and learning difficulties
• elderly people
• offenders and ex-offenders
• people recovering from drug or alcohol abuse, major injuries or illnesses.

Your work would vary depending on your client group, but could include:

• developing clients' practical or social skills, confidence or self-esteem
• adapting projects to the needs of individual clients
• helping clients to learn or re-learn basic skills, including numeracy and literacy
• providing supportive outdoor activity and exercise to restore strength and mobility after injury or illness
• supporting and encouraging clients, and monitoring their progress
• supporting clients in gaining horticultural qualifications or going on to employment
• working closely with other professionals such as psychologists and social workers.

Your work would also include managing staff and volunteers, drawing up proposals for projects, setting out training and work programmes, and applying for funding.

Hours

Your working hours would be variable, and could include weekends and evenings. There could be opportunities for part-time work.

You would work mainly outdoors and in buildings like greenhouses.

Income

Horticultural therapists can earn from £17,000 to over £25,000 a year.

There are no national scales, and salaries vary between employers.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

If you have qualifications and experience in horticulture or in jobs such as social work, occupational therapy, nursing or teaching, you can gain skills in horticultural therapy by:

• attending short courses and volunteering on social and therapeutic horticulture projects, or
• completing a course leading to a qualification in social and therapeutic horticulture – available at a small number of colleges.

Short courses

You can attend a variety of short courses run by the national charity, Thrive. You can complete Thrive courses both as a new entrant and once you have experience.

Volunteering

Voluntary opportunities are available with Thrive if you live within travelling distance of their gardens in Hackney (North London), Battersea (South London), Beech Hill (near Reading), Rotherham (South Yorkshire) and Perth (Scotland). Thrive also has details of other projects around the UK.

You can find out about other volunteering opportunities in your area by visiting do-it.org.uk.

• do-it.org.uk

Qualifications

Courses leading to qualifications in social and therapeutic horticulture include:

• Professional Development Certificate and Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture at Coventry University
• Professional Development Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture at Askham Bryan College, York
• Social and Therapeutic Horticulture foundation degree at Writtle College
• BSc (Hons) in Horticulture and Environmental Management at the University of Reading – includes a unit in Horticultural Therapy
• Diploma and MSc in Horticulture at the University of Reading – with the option to specialise in social and therapeutic horticulture.

You may be accepted on some of these courses without qualifications in horticulture, social care, health care or teaching if you have experience in one of these areas, perhaps gained through volunteering. Please check with individual colleges or universities for details of entry requirements.

• Coventry University
• Askham Bryan College
• Writtle College
• University of Reading

As you will be working with vulnerable people, you will need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance before you start a course or job.

• Criminal Records Bureau (Home Office website)

See the Thrive website for information on courses, volunteering opportunities and working in social and therapeutic horticulture.

Training and development

Once you are employed as a horticultural therapist, you may receive on-the-job training.

You could also develop your skills by attending short courses (such as those run by Thrive), or by working towards qualifications in horticulture, like the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Diploma in Horticulture. Visit the Thrive and RHS websites to find out about courses and qualifications.

• Thrive
• Royal Horticultural Society

Skills and knowledge

To be a horticultural therapist you should have:

• a keen interest in horticulture
• patience, tolerance and understanding
• the ability to relate positively and respectfully to all clients
• an enthusiastic, encouraging and motivational approach
• the ability to teach a wide range of skills
• awareness of health and safety issues
• the ability to make the most of limited budgets.

More information

Lantra
Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
www.lantra.co.uk

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
www.rhs.org.uk

Thrive
The Geoffrey Udall Centre
Beech Hill
Reading
RG7 2AT
Tel:0118 988 5688
www.thrive.org.uk

Grow Careers
www.growcareers.info

Institute of Horticulture
www.horticulture.org.uk

Opportunities

As horticultural therapy is fairly new, you will find relatively few vacancies advertised. Some organisations may offer relevant jobs under different titles such as project manager or horticultural trainer. Thrive employs therapists in four gardens around the UK.

You could find work on organised projects for particular client groups (such as offenders and ex-offenders), or use horticultural therapy as part of a wider role, like occupational therapy. You could work for a number of different organisations, including:

• day services or community-based projects
• rehabilitation units
• hospitals
• prisons
• charitable and voluntary organisations
• schools and specialist colleges.

See the Grow Careers website for information on careers in the horticultural sector. Check the Thrive website for job opportunities.

• Grow Careers
• Thrive

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