Horticultural therapist job profile

Horticultural therapists use the therapeutic and mental health benefits of gardening to help others

As a horticultural therapist or social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) practitioner, you'll use gardening, plants and horticulture to help individuals develop personally and socially, and to gain confidence, independence and a sense of wellbeing.

You can work with a range of individuals, including:

people with disabilities
those recovering from illness
armed forces service leavers and veterans
people with learning disabilities
children with special educational needs (SEND)
people with mental health conditions
people with dementia.

You'll work with small groups of people or with individuals on a one-to-one basis, delivering individually-tailored STH programmes. Using the passive qualities of nature, you'll provide levels of sensory stimulus and impact that help towards achieving positive outcomes.

Responsibilities

As a horticultural therapist, you'll need to:

make initial client assessments to find out whether horticultural therapy would be beneficial
teach individuals practical horticultural tasks such as sowing seeds, setting out plants, planting out, lawn mowing, soil preparation and pruning
educate clients on the safe use of tools and materials
interact with clients to help them develop confidence and self-esteem in their work and to develop across physical, cognitive, social and emotional spectrums
promote health and wellbeing, and provide outdoor activity and physical exercise in a supportive atmosphere that encourages individuals to gain pleasure from land use
help clients record their activities and achievements by writing simple summaries or drawing pictures
plan, implement and evaluate activity programmes
closely observe individuals to monitor their progress and adjust individual programmes
evaluate individual achievements through portfolios of evidence of work
liaise with external statutory and voluntary services to provide a multidisciplinary, person-centred approach
carry out research on the effectiveness of horticultural therapy, often in collaboration with academics
manage staff, volunteers and budgets
raise funds and draw up proposals for new and developing projects
promote gardening and horticulture to the general public, as part of Green Care, a structured intervention led by a trained practitioner in natural surroundings.

Salary

Paid work can be very difficult to come by and there are more volunteering opportunities than paid roles.
If you can secure a paid role, your starting salary is likely to be in the region of £17,000 to £20,000.
Salaries at senior level/with experience, possibly with line management responsibilities, can range from £22,000 to £30,000.

Salaries vary between employers and sectors. There are no national scales and typically no fringe benefits.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically do a normal working week, although some weekend or evening work may be expected depending on the role.

Part-time work and career breaks are possible.

What to expect

Therapists work mainly in gardens and associated outbuildings, so you'll need to enjoy working outdoors in all weather.
The role usually forms part of a multidisciplinary care team, which may include social workers and psychologists, or involves working collaboratively with other stakeholders.
Vacancies are limited but potentially available in most areas of the UK. There may be some opportunities abroad in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, for example. Self-employment and freelance work is occasionally possible.
The work can be emotionally challenging but also rewarding. Budgets are frequently limited, and goals can be difficult to achieve.
Travel within a working day is occasional. Absence from home overnight is rare.

Qualifications

Horticultural therapy is usually taken up as a second career. Entrants often have professional training and experience in social work, social care, mental health, teaching, occupational therapy or nursing. Others may have a background in a horticulture discipline or extensive voluntary experience in working with the community on horticultural activities.

There's currently no register of horticultural therapists in the UK and no specific training requirements, so employers will look for varying combinations of skills and experience depending on the job or project.

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following degree and HND subjects may increase your chances:

plant science/biology
education
horticulture
landscape architecture/design
occupational therapy
social work
psychology.

Entry without a degree or HND is possible although employers are increasingly looking for multi-skilled professionals, who have a combination of experience and a formal qualification.

The charity Thrive offers courses in STH (social and therapeutic horticulture). These courses range from one and two-day introductory courses to the Level 5 Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (DipSTH). The course lasts two years and aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver STH in any practice setting.

A programme of events on aspects of therapeutic and community gardening is available through the Scottish charity, Trellis. They are also currently developing an accredited practitioner course in therapeutic gardening.

Thrive provides a list of organisations offering training bursary and grant opportunities for those wanting to develop their career in SHT.

You'll also need to pass a Disclosure and Barring Service check (Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme in Scotland) if you're working with children.

Skills

You'll need to have:

a practical mind and a strong interest in, and aptitude for, horticulture
excellent interpersonal and communication skills
patience, understanding, tolerance and the ability to work with a range of people
empathy and knowledge of the different challenges facing people, for example those with mental health conditions or dementia
analytical skills and the ability to make accurate assessments
the ability to motivate and encourage others
the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and also to use your initiative and work independently
excellent organisational skills
the ability to engage in reflective practice
a positive and solutions-focused approach to work
an aptitude for leadership
administration and IT skills
a commitment to safeguarding.

Work experience

Advertised posts almost always require horticultural experience and you can gain this through volunteering on local or community projects.

You may be able to volunteer with Thrive if you live near their gardens at Battersea Park in South London, Beech Hill in Reading or King's Heath Park in Birmingham. Information on STH in Scotland and a directory of therapeutic gardens in the country is provided by the Scottish charity, Trellis.

You should also build up experience of working with children or adults in caring situations. Experience of working in social work, mental health, teaching, social care, health or occupational therapy is particularly relevant. Most people gain this experience through their job, or you can start to build experience in a voluntary capacity in special schools, hospitals and care homes, for example.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Horticultural therapists are employed by Thrive to work on its garden projects.

You may also find work in:

hospitals and rehabilitation centres
day, adult and social education centres
specialist colleges for those who are physically disabled or hard of hearing
residential homes and centres run by social services
health authorities
charities and voluntary organisations
prisons
schools and specialist nurseries and colleges
parks
demonstration or community gardens and city farms.

Becoming a self-employed freelance therapist may be possible although opportunities for working in this way are currently extremely limited. It may also be possible to combine horticultural therapy with a related role, such as occupational therapy.

Look for job vacancies at:

Jobs may be advertised under different job titles, such as technical instructor, project worker or project manager. Check job descriptions to make sure you don't miss any opportunities.

Competition for jobs is fierce and few posts are advertised so it may be worth making targeted speculative applications.

Professional development

Most training is done on the job and varies depending on the type of project and clients you're working with. The extent and quality of the training you receive will largely depend on your employer.

You can develop your skills and knowledge through a combination of:

formal training courses
specialist continuing development (CPD) courses
networking events
seminars
volunteering sessions.

Thrive, for example, offers bespoke training and runs short, focused courses in areas such as helping people with learning disabilities, special educational or mental health needs, and working with older people with conditions such as dementia. In Scotland, Trellis provides information on horticultural courses, news and events.

Although it's possible to study horticulture at postgraduate level, there are currently no Masters courses available in horticultural therapy. Search postgraduate courses in horticulture.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers qualifications in horticulture ranging from courses for beginners to qualifications for experienced professionals. To obtain the RHS Master of Horticulture award, MHort (RHS), it's essential that you have at least four years of full-time work experience in a professional horticulture environment - one year of which should be completed in a supervisory role or in a position of responsibility - and a Level 3 qualification in horticulture.

The Chartered Institute of Horticulture offers professional membership options. See its website for details of membership eligibility and the benefits of joining.

Career prospects

As horticultural therapy is often a second career, many therapists have already had a career in a related area such as occupational therapy, horticulture, mental health or education.

Opportunities for promotion or career progression in horticultural therapy are limited. There may be an opportunity to move into a supervisory position, such as garden manager. These roles tend to me more focused on managing volunteers, budgets and projects rather than providing therapy.

As most organisations that employ horticultural therapists are small, you may have to change employer to progress your career or to find new opportunities.

There may be some opportunities to get involved in research projects alongside your therapeutic work.

Horticultural therapist