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Although gardeners and grounds staff often join the NHS fully qualified and experienced, it may be possible to train in gardening and grounds maintenance. Employers usually ask for GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and maths. Where employers are seeking qualified staff, they usually expect a qualification in horticulture or landscaping, such as an NVQ, certificate or diploma. They may also expect some experience of horticulture work (eg from paid or voluntary work, an apprenticeship or through experience at home). When you start work in gardening or grounds maintenance, you will get the training you need and be encouraged to take further qualifications. Your employer will expect you to keep your skills up to date by going on short courses. These could include topics such as handling pesticides, using tractors or using cutting tools. Employers may ask for a driving licence.

Estates staff working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. As a gardener/estates support worker, you would typically start on AfC band 2. As a qualified craftsperson in estates maintenance, you will typically start on AfC band 3. With further training and experience, you could apply for more senior positions at bands 4 and above. Gardeners and grounds staff in the NHS work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. The job may involve early starts and weekend working. Terms and conditions will usually be different for gardeners and grounds staff working outside of the NHS.

Gardeners and grounds staff need to be interested in gardening and horticulture, willing to work outside in all weathers, able to use tools, including power tools, physically fit for digging, lifting, carrying, etc; have an eye for design and colour and be able to work flexibly, according to seasons and weather. They also need to be good at working in a team and have good communication and practical skills.

With experience, you could become a team leader overseeing the work of other gardeners and grounds staff. With further experience, you could become a manager, responsible for the gardening and grounds service for a hospital, area or trust. There are opportunities outside the NHS.

There are no set entry requirements. The precise nature of the work and job title will vary between health organisations and so when searching for vacancies, it's important to check each job description and person specification carefully. Employers usually expect arts managers and coordinators to have a relevant qualification at degree or postgraduate level and may expect candidates to have experience in delivering and coordinating arts projects. This could be from the NHS or elsewhere and could be voluntary or paid. When joining the NHS, arts managers are given the training they need including an introduction to the organisation and its systems and procedures. They're expected to keep their skills and knowledge of the arts world up to date.

Most staff working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. Pay rates for arts managers and coordinators will vary, depending on the precise role. Check individual vacancies for details. Most staff in the NHS work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. They may have to attend meetings or events in the evening or at weekends. Terms and conditions will usually be different for clinical support staff working outside of the NHS.

As an arts manager/coordinator, you need to be interested in the arts and how they are related to health, creative, flexible, resourceful, willing to work with people from all walks of life and all ages. You also need artistic and creative skills, good organisational and project management skills.

Arts coordinators and arts managers can progress by working in larger departments with more staff and a bigger budget. They go on to become the head of arts for a trust.