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Agriculture, environmental and animal care

Professional arboriculturist

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Managing peri-urban and urban trees.

Summary

This occupation is found in local authorities, highway authorities, private arboricultural consultancies, private commercial arboricultural companies, parks, arboretums, charities, housing associations.

The broad purpose of the occupation is managing peri-urban and urban trees including writing and implementing proactive strategic plans to enhance the environment to benefit people, air quality, biodiversity, amenity and the built environment, while mitigating risk to people, buildings and property from trees by coordinating proactive inspections and undertaking tree work operations within an appropriate time-scale.

An overarching focus of the role is being able to advise tree owners of how to ensure they are adhering to their Duty of Care while complying with relevant legislation, regulations and statute and common law. These include, but are not limited to, the Highways Act, Town and Country Planning Act, Countryside Act, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Occupier’s Liability Act and Local and National Policy. Developing tree policies and strategies that can be adopted to provide management guidance and plans for individual tree management and can be relevant to a large geographic area which incorporate management of a large number of trees (e.g. highways, parks, estates, housing sites, etc.). Strategies would include emergency planning for extreme weather events and outbreaks of threats to the immediate and wider tree population - such as the identification of a pest, pathogen or disease.

Another key function of a Professional Arboriculturist is designing and specifying tree planting plans and advising planning policy related to trees on development sites. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with colleagues, the general public, stakeholders, clients, landowners, lawyers, insurers, contractors, politicians and civil servants. Other professionals that a Professional Arboriculturist will have regular contact with are highways engineers; town planners; utility providers and contractors; landscape architects; ecologists; architects; and street lighting engineers to name but a few.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for:

Managing a team of tree professionals
Assessing tree health and risk at a strategic level, focused on tree populations rather than individual trees.
Managing contractors including contract oversight and adherence to contract terms and conditions.
Managing complaints
Understanding and applying law relating to trees
Managing tree survey and inspection regimes to ensure work delivery and discharge of legal Duty of Care
Creating and implementing planting programmes in relation to amenity, ecosystem services and replacement for development, managing and writing policy and strategy relating to these issues
Financial management and resourcing, including income generation.

Typical job titles include

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1:

Techniques for undertaking tree works to industry safety standards, including British Standard 3998 (as updated), relevant to the site and operation including complex, valued and unusual trees.

K2:

Principles and regulation for managing trees in the context of design, planning and construction including British Standard 5837 (as updated) for the relevant site and operation, including complex, valued and unusual trees.

K3:

Factors for planting and establishing trees to independence in the landscape for example designations, soil type, landscape type, biosecurity, tree population resilience, ecosystem services and local ecology, safety standards and regulations, (for example British Standards 8545 as updated) and best practice guidance (for example from the Arboricultural Association, the Institute of Chartered Foresters, National Tree Safety Group, Forest Research)

K4:

Tree inspection and assessment methodologies and equipment including up to date available technology

K5:

Legislation, regulation and best practice guidance (for example from Arboricultural Association, Institute of Chartered Foresters, National Tree Safety Group) in relation to trees and their management.

K6:

Purpose and components of proactive tree strategy incorporating risk assessment methodologies and emergency planning for extreme weather events.

K7:

Tree classification, nomenclature (for natural and cultivated plants), species requirements, vulnerabilities and characteristics.

K8:

Benefits of trees for people, air quality, nature, the environment, ecosystem services and natural capital. The concept of green infrastructure design within planning and the role of trees in planning policy.

K9:

Woodland management principles and techniques for supporting amenity and biodiversity.

K10:

The role of policy and strategy in local, organisational and national governance.

K11:

Tree valuation methodologies, their benefits, weaknesses and use for different purposes.

K12:

Sources of funding and income for arboricultural activities (including grant funding) and techniques for writing businesses cases and grant applications.

K13:

Functions and value of tree management systems and software. For example: GIS, CAD, MS Products, Building Information Modelling (BIM)

K14:

Legislation, regulation and guidance in relation to Health and Safety for people, machinery, tools and equipment (for example Working at Height, LOLER, PUWER, AFAG, COSSH) to include principles of workplace risk assessment and management, and the production of method statements.

K15:

Methods for community and stakeholder engagement, their value and techniques for evaluating results.

K16:

Communication techniques (for example written, listening, oral) and tools (for example social media, presentation software).

K17:

The arboricultural profession and how other professions are, or could be, aligned with arboriculture.

K18:

Requirements of tendering and procurement processes. For example, rules of financial limits, legal challenge, managing contractors and or clients, and forms of contracts.

K19:

Soil science and interaction between trees, biotic factors and soil type.

K20:

Interaction of trees with the built environment including direct or indirect damage to infrastructure, SuDS (Sustainable drainage systems), rooting volumes, utilities and subsidence.

K21:

Responsibilities and requirements of acting as an expert witness including understanding the role of the expert witness in legal proceedings. For example, their duty to the court and being aware of CPR (Civil procedure rules) Part 35.

K22:

Properties of ancient trees, veteran trees and trees of historical or cultural significance and the implications for tree management and planning decisions.

K23:

Principles of managing organisational systems and processes.

K24:

Principles of managing people.

K25:

Principles of relationship management and techniques for managing own performance.

K26:

Principles of providing sales and marketing services to clients.

K27:

Principles of managing tree pests and diseases.

K28:

Principles of tree population management including survey and inspection regimes.

K29:

Principles of managing finances and budgets.

K30:

Techniques for creating and interpreting maps and plans.

K31:

Research, data collection and analysis techniques, including reliable sources of arboricultural information.

K32:

Principles of project management.

K33:

Tree structure, physiological and metabolic processes and implications for management.

Technical Educational Products

: ST0922: Professional arboriculturist (Level 6) Approved for delivery

Reference:: OCC0922

Status:: Approved occupation

Average (median) salary:: £26,558 per year

SOC 2020 code:: 5119 Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5119/01 Arborists

S1:

Provide professional advice including on legal frameworks and environmental legislation.

S2:

Collect and evaluate arboricultural information and research papers including the identification and analysis of data trends.

S3:

Identify trees and their site requirements.

S4:

Create and interpret maps and plans.

S5:

Communicate technical and non-technical information using various methods and formats. Including verbal, written and electronic (methods) and graphs, tables, images and maps (formats).

S6:

Use GIS and CAD software.

S7:

Create business cases.

S8:

Interpret policy, legislation, regulation and organisational best practice.

S9:

Procure arboricultural services through a contract awarding or a tendering process.

S10:

Inspect trees in relation to abiotic and biotic tree health, structure, physiological condition and suitability for location.

S11:

Specify tree works to achieve defined objectives and which promote long-term tree health, quality standards, biosecurity measures, tree risk management and nuisance management.

S12:

Create a tree strategy to include application of tree risk management principles to inform decision making.

S13:

Apply tree valuation methods to inform decision making.

S14:

Specify tree planting and aftercare requirements. Including species selection, technical planting guidance and planting plans.

S15:

Identify existing and potential threats of tree pests and diseases; and plan management actions to prevent, treat and mitigate their impact on people, trees and habitats including any relevant legislation.

S16:

Choose the appropriate tree health and stability measuring and or monitoring technology (for example structural stability assessment equipment, biological activity monitors).

S17:

Manage own performance, identifying improvements and training requirements. Seek clarification when necessary, know limits of expertise and when specialist input is required.

S18:

Engage stakeholders impacted by changes to trees and manages their expectations.

S19:

Manage tree survey and inspection regimes for the strategic management of trees.

S20:

Find solutions in challenging and complex situations.

S21:

Lead and manage projects with multiple stakeholders.

S22:

Promote the organisation, products or services.

S23:

Assess and evaluate soil in relation to tree establishment, growth and health.

S24:

Manage employees, contractors or volunteers including compliance with employment legislation, health and safety, inclusion, performance, quality, training, recruitment, development and evaluation of processes to improve the efficiency and productivity of others.

S25:

Manage organisational systems. For example recording, monitoring or reporting systems.

S26:

Set, monitor and manage budgets

S27:

Manage professional relationships and interactions with others including negotiation, collaboration, advocacy, chairing and participating in meetings.

S28:

Advise on the management of trees in the context of design, planning and construction.

S29:

Advise on the management of trees in relation to the built environment.

S30:

Assess the type, purpose, benefits, condition and quality of woodland.

Technical Educational Products

: ST0922: Professional arboriculturist (Level 6) Approved for delivery

Reference:: OCC0922

Status:: Approved occupation

Average (median) salary:: £26,558 per year

SOC 2020 code:: 5119 Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5119/01 Arborists

B1:

Act with integrity, for example being open and transparent in dealing with clients and stakeholders, including confidentiality.

B2:

Communicate respectfully with clients, stakeholders and colleagues and take into account diversity, inclusivity and equality.

B3:

Act in a professional manner including taking responsibility for own actions and being respectful of others.

B4:

Adopt and promote a safety culture within the organisation and act with regard to health, safety and wellbeing for self and others.

B5:

Embed sustainable working practices and systems aligned with carbon reduction targets and other environmental policies

Technical Educational Products

: ST0922: Professional arboriculturist (Level 6) Approved for delivery

Reference:: OCC0922

Status:: Approved occupation

Average (median) salary:: £26,558 per year

SOC 2020 code:: 5119 Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5119/01 Arborists