Housekeeper
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Job overview
The post holder will work as an integral part of the team. The role of Housekeeper will assist in the coordination of all patient facilities/services in the area and to ensure a clean, safe and comfortable environment.
The main elements of the role are ensuring the delivery of cleaning, catering and minor maintenance, together with other specified tasks to meet patient needs, as determined by the Supervisory Sister.
The post holder will work closely with contractors and support services departments as directed by the Supervisory Sister. They will assist in maintaining quality standards and rectify deficiencies.
Main duties of the job
We have an exciting opportunity for housekeepers to join our friendly and dynamic Renal Dialysis Unit -Gate5b - ASCR division. You must have the enthusiasm and desire to deliver a high quality service to our patients and their families. The candidate must have excellent communication and organizational skills, be work independently using their initiative and within a team ensuring a clean, safe environment is maintained for patients safety.
This role will be a valuable addition to our team, you will be responsible for ensuring the ordering and distribution of patients drinks and assisting when needed and ensuring the ward is adequately stocked with consumables. You will be working together with the multidisciplinary team to ensure the departments are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness of both the ward environment and clinical equipment .
The successful applicant must be flexible and willing to work shifts covering a Monday to Saturday service, including bank holidays.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities.Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Catering- To encourage and assist patients to order food, where necessary taking into account special needs and medical requirements as directed by ward staff.
- To ensure people have any assistance they require to eat and drink and to monitor intake in conjunction with the ward nurse.
- To prepare and serve hot/cold snacks as requested offering a 24 hour snack service.
- To serve in conjunction with the nursing team, ensuring patients intake is known and that their dietary needs are met.
- To provide eating assistance, e.g. cutting up food, placing food within reach/ feed patients and providing friendly encouragement to patients with regards to eating.
- To prepare hot/cold beverages including appropriate trolley/equipment regularly at scheduled times.
- To ensure all regenerated meals and beverages are served at the correct temperature according to food hygiene regulations and Trust operational policy.
- To prepare areas where food and beverages are served/consumed to ensure a pleasant environment for patients.
- To wash all equipment/utensils used in preparation, regeneration, serving and consuming food and beverages at breakfast and on beverage rounds.
- To check that the ward kitchen is clean and tidy at all times, e.g. discarding out-of-date food and stock rotation beyond the daily clean by the patient support team (PST).
- To ensure refrigerated food is labelled and stored correctly in accordance with Trust operational policy.
- To ensure in conjunction with the ward nurse that discharged and newly admitted patients meal requirements are actioned.
- To co-ordinate extra meal requirements that may arise.
- To ensure that patients whose fluid intake is not medically restricted have access to fresh water.
- To assist in the monitoring and audit of service delivery, especially related to cleaning, food, linen and the environment, at the agreed frequency, and to inform the ward sister of the outcomes.
- To assist in completing the wards defect call log book, ensuring all defects are logged, reported, recorded and closed down as appropriate.
- To assist in co-ordinating other ad hoc maintenance, liaising with the support service helpdesk as required for other services.
- To assist the Senior Sister in carrying out regular equipment monitoring as necessary in accordance with procedures.
- To transport and dispose of clinical, domestic and confidential waste as per the policy, e.g. taking waste to the ward disposal area in conjunction with the PST.
- To participate with ward staff in monitoring the access and security and use of premises and facilities.
- To ensure that patients space is respected including attending to patients perishable items e.g. fruit.
- To respect the privacy and dignity of patients whilst carrying out housekeeping duties.
- To liaise with the Senior Sister concerns relating to the potential for adverse behavior and security breaches.
- To use communication skills to help manage and prevent any aggressive and abusive behavior, and escalate this to a senior member of staff as necessary.
- To ensure the safe storage of equipment.
- To ensure equipment is in good working order. Ensure equipment repairs are carried out in line with trust policy.
- To assist in maintaining and updating paper-based records and information as required.
- To respond to requests for general information.
- To receive and pass on information to others, maintaining confidentiality.
- To understand the Trusts Complaints Procedure and act in accordance with this procedure.
- To assist with training of staff involved with ward housekeeping services explaining the required standards.
- To be aware of any new food hygiene standards, changes to waste categorization, etc.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria- Education Maths/English Grade A-C / 9-4
- Food Hygiene qualification/certification
Experience
Desirable criteria- Hospital experience Catering/Housekeeping
- Hospitality experience
Essential
Essential criteria- Good Communication/ Customer Skills
- Team Working
- Organisation Skills
- Flexible / Adaptable
- Able to use own initiative
- To encourage and assist patients to order food, where necessary taking into account special needs and medical requirements as directed by ward staff.
- To ensure people have any assistance they require to eat and drink and to monitor intake in conjunction with the ward nurse.
- To prepare and serve hot/cold snacks as requested offering a 24 hour snack service.
- To serve in conjunction with the nursing team, ensuring patients intake is known and that their dietary needs are met.
- To provide eating assistance, e.g. cutting up food, placing food within reach/ feed patients and providing friendly encouragement to patients with regards to eating.
- To prepare hot/cold beverages including appropriate trolley/equipment regularly at scheduled times.
- To ensure all regenerated meals and beverages are served at the correct temperature according to food hygiene regulations and Trust operational policy.
- To prepare areas where food and beverages are served/consumed to ensure a pleasant environment for patients.
- To wash all equipment/utensils used in preparation, regeneration, serving and consuming food and beverages at breakfast and on beverage rounds.
- To check that the ward kitchen is clean and tidy at all times, e.g. discarding out-of-date food and stock rotation beyond the daily clean by the patient support team (PST).
- To ensure refrigerated food is labelled and stored correctly in accordance with Trust operational policy.
- To ensure in conjunction with the ward nurse that discharged and newly admitted patients meal requirements are actioned.
- To co-ordinate extra meal requirements that may arise.
- To ensure that patients whose fluid intake is not medically restricted have access to fresh water.
- To assist in the monitoring and audit of service delivery, especially related to cleaning, food, linen and the environment, at the agreed frequency, and to inform the ward sister of the outcomes.
- To assist in completing the wards defect call log book, ensuring all defects are logged, reported, recorded and closed down as appropriate.
- To assist in co-ordinating other ad hoc maintenance, liaising with the support service helpdesk as required for other services.
- To assist the Senior Sister in carrying out regular equipment monitoring as necessary in accordance with procedures.
- To transport and dispose of clinical, domestic and confidential waste as per the policy, e.g. taking waste to the ward disposal area in conjunction with the PST.
- To participate with ward staff in monitoring the access and security and use of premises and facilities.
- To ensure that patients space is respected including attending to patients perishable items e.g. fruit.
- To respect the privacy and dignity of patients whilst carrying out housekeeping duties.
- To liaise with the Senior Sister concerns relating to the potential for adverse behavior and security breaches.
- To use communication skills to help manage and prevent any aggressive and abusive behavior, and escalate this to a senior member of staff as necessary.
- To ensure the safe storage of equipment.
- To ensure equipment is in good working order. Ensure equipment repairs are carried out in line with trust policy.
- To assist in maintaining and updating paper-based records and information as required.
- To respond to requests for general information.
- To receive and pass on information to others, maintaining confidentiality.
- To understand the Trusts Complaints Procedure and act in accordance with this procedure.
- To assist with training of staff involved with ward housekeeping services explaining the required standards.
- To be aware of any new food hygiene standards, changes to waste categorization, etc.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria- Education Maths/English Grade A-C / 9-4
- Food Hygiene qualification/certification
Experience
Desirable criteria- Hospital experience Catering/Housekeeping
- Hospitality experience
Essential
Essential criteria- Good Communication/ Customer Skills
- Team Working
- Organisation Skills
- Flexible / Adaptable
- Able to use own initiative
Person specification
Education/Training/Qualifications
Essential criteria- Numeracy and Literacy Level 1 or equivalent
- IT skills, basic Word and Excel, Email, keyboard skills, data collection
- work experience in these areas
Work Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working in a health or social care setting
- Working in Acute hospital setting
- Working in NBT
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria- Good communication skills.
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to establish good relationships with staff and patients
- Ability to work to timescales.
- Experience in these areas
Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances
Essential criteria- Flexible within department.
- Achieved experience
If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.
North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.