Wellness Officer - Horticulturist

🌿 Wellness Officer – Gardening & Horticultural Programs

Bring your passion for gardening to life and make a difference to the wellbeing of older people.

Location: Various Uniting Aged Care services across Sydney North
Employment Type: PPT
Classification: Leisure and Wellness Officer

Do you have a passion for gardening and horticulture and love sharing that passion with others?

Uniting is looking for a Wellness Officer – Gardening & Horticultural Programs to join our Leisure and Wellness team and deliver meaningful, engaging gardening and horticultural activities across our aged care communities in Sydney’s North.

This is more than just a gardening role. You’ll use gardening, nature and creativity to support the physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing of older people, helping residents maintain interests, develop new skills, connect with others and enjoy meaningful moments every day.

🌱 About the Role

As a Roaming Wellness Officer, you’ll travel between Uniting services across the North Shore, Northern Beaches and surrounding areas, bringing innovative gardening and horticultural programs directly to our residents.

Our services include locations such as:

• Ryde
• St Ives
• Turramurra
• Lane Cove
• Mosman
• Manly
• Belrose
• North Sydney and surrounding areas

You’ll work closely with our Leisure and Wellness teams, adapting activities to suit residents with different interests, abilities and needs, including people living with dementia.

🌻 What you’ll be doing

You’ll plan and deliver a variety of gardening and horticultural activities designed to create meaningful experiences and positive wellbeing outcomes.

This could include:

• Creating and delivering engaging gardening and horticultural programs
• Supporting residents to reconnect with gardening interests and hobbies
• Planting, propagating, potting and caring for plants
• Creating sensory and therapeutic gardening experiences
• Encouraging social connection, creativity and self-expression
• Using gardening activities to support reminiscence and life stories
• Adapting activities for different physical and cognitive abilities
• Helping residents participate in seasonal celebrations and special events
• Creating beautiful displays and horticultural projects within our services
• Building connections with local gardening groups, community organisations and external providers
• Managing supplies, equipment, set-up and pack-up of activities
• Encouraging residents to participate in the gardening process wherever possible
• Reviewing programs to ensure they continue to meet residents’ needs and interests
• Recording relevant information and contributing to resident wellbeing outcomes

💚 Why this role is different

Imagine helping a resident who used to love gardening reconnect with something they haven't done for years.

Imagine watching residents work together to plant a vegetable garden, care for flowers or create something beautiful for a seasonal celebration.

That’s the difference you can make.

Your knowledge of horticulture will become a tool for connection, confidence, reminiscence, creativity and wellbeing.

🌿 About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Genuinely passionate about gardening and horticulture
• Enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with older people
• Creative and full of ideas for new activities and programs
• Warm, patient and able to build genuine relationships
• Comfortable working with people with different physical and cognitive abilities
• Confident working independently while also being a strong team player
• Well organised and able to manage multiple locations and priorities
• A confident communicator who enjoys working with residents, families, colleagues and community partners
• Comfortable using email, mobile technology and electronic documentation systems
• Committed to providing person-centred care and supporting resident choice and independence
• Understanding of WHS and safe work practices
• Flexible and willing to travel between Uniting's aged care services

Most importantly, you’ll have a genuine desire to use your passion for horticulture to make someone's day a little brighter.

🌱 Qualifications & Experience

You will ideally have:

• A qualification in a relevant field, such as Certificate II or higher in Horticulture or Certificate IV in Leisure and Health, and/or equivalent experience
• A current First Aid certificate, or willingness to obtain one
• A current Australian Driver’s Licence
• A reliable registered vehicle
• Experience developing or delivering activities in aged care, health, disability or community services is desirable

Even better if you have:

• Certificate III in Aged Care, or a willingness to study with support from Uniting
• Previous gardening or horticultural experience
• Experience working with older people
• Knowledge of dementia and the needs of older people
• Experience with client management/documentation systems
• Experience connecting with community groups or developing partnerships

💚 Why Uniting?

At Uniting, our purpose is to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice.

We are Imaginative, Respectful, Compassionate and Bold, and we believe everyone should be welcomed exactly as they are.