Senior Housekeeper
About us
At Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.
We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: We work together, We are respectful and Kind, We are inclusive and We keep improving
Job overview
An opportunity has arisen for an individual to join our team on Burbage Ward as a Senior Housekeeper. The ward provides care to 16 female (adult) inpatients.
You will need to ensure the Housekeeping Team is able to provide the highest standards of care in relation to the ward environment and ward cleanliness, and to ensure systems and procedures are in place to provide for patients meals to the expected standard.
Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is currently unable to provide sponsorship for this role. This is in accordance with UKVI guidelines and legislation, as these roles do not meet the skill nor salary threshold for sponsorship.If you hold a visa which allows you to work in the UK, you are welcome to apply for this role however it is important to note that SHSC will be unable to offer sponsorship after your visa expires. You must also have at least 12 months on your visa at the start of your employment for training and operational reasons.
Please be advised this post has a cap and once reached will close automatically.
Main duties of the job
The role of the Senior Housekeeper is a challenging one and will require the post holder to be professional and determined and able to deal with groups of staff and demonstrate effective communication skills with all users of the service.
You will need to be reliable and conscientious and able to perform the duties of Senior Housekeeper which will include recruitment, training, quality monitoring, ordering provisions and cleaning materials. On a day to day basis you will work as part of the housekeeping team as and when required.You will organise the housekeeper rotas, provide supervision to team members and undertake appraisals - these are key aspects of the role and training and support will be provided.
Working for our organisation
Working for your organisation
We aim to be an organisation that is diverse and inclusive and to meet this aim we welcome applications from people with a wide range of life experience and whose diversity echoes the diversity of Sheffield, that of the people who use our services, and that of the people who may need to use our services but face barriers to access.Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Supporting Patient Care- With the support and assistance of the nursing team, to ensure that Housekeeping staff contribute to the monitoring of patient self care needs and abilities, through their day to day interactions, and that staff are equipped with the skills and support to do so.
- To ensure that arrangements are in place, understood and adhered to in relation to informing patients of menu choices, ensuring their choices are known and provided for.
- To ensure that arrangements are in place to promptly provide for special dietary needs, advising the Ward Manager or Senior Nursing staff of any anticipated difficulties
- Ensure day to day cleanliness of the wards, following work schedules and devising work schedules as appropriate to the housekeeping team.
- To ensure clear and effective arrangements are in place, within the Ward environment, to allow for the timely removal of waste, dirty linen and items for disposal from the ward environment.
- To ensure and monitor that these are adhered to and that difficulties are addressed and remedied, advising the Ward Manager of undue difficulties.
- Responsibility for maintaining staff records
- To ensure staff resources are used to best effect, to maintain standards of service evenly when preparing duty rotas, in terms of shift patterns and annual leave entitlement.
- To ensure that staff time sheets are appropriately authorised.
- Undertaking supervision with housekeepers under the guidance of the manager.
- Ensure all legal responsibilities under health and safety, PEAT, infection control and environmental health are adhered to.
- To ensure control systems are in place and maintained to appropriately manage and monitor expenditure, being able to account for changes and advise the Ward Manager of
- To participate in staff recruitment.
- To ensure appropriate arrangements are in place to support the use of temporary / agency staff.
- To undertake day to day sickness management of staff.
- To ensure that weekly systems for Health and Safety checking and monitoring are implemented and adhered to, reporting any faults or maintenance needs with follow up enquiries, and reporting to the Nurse in charge any issues of immediate concern.
- To ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to fully comply with COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations.
- To ensure that arrangements for the safe storage, timely removal and disposal of household and clinical waste, are appropriate and followed.
- To ensure that effective arrangements for the monitoring of water temperatures and development of legionella bacteria within the Ward are in place and monitored.
- Ensuring mandatory training is undertaken by the housekeeping team, including Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Fire.
- Undertaking training with staff to ensure they are using any equipment and machinery safely.
- Undertakes all mandatory and CPD as per requirements of role
- To participate in arrangements for own supervision, appraisal and ongoing development.
- To ensure that staff within the Housekeeping Team receive appropriate supervision, annual appraisals and have relevant personal development / training plans in place.
- To promote NVQ’s to members of the team as an appropriate and recognised means to support and enable staff development with regard to identified and required competencies.
Policies & Procedures:
- To ensure the housekeeping team are aware of the Trusts Policies and Procedures as they relate to and affect their work.
Equipment and Supplies:
- To ensure that all equipment for relevant purposes in respect of ward cleaning and food preparation and storage is clean, fit for purpose and maintained appropriately, and can be used by housekeeping staff in the correct ways providing for their safety and that of
- Ordering of cleaning materials and ensuring stock levels are controlled.
- Ensure all staff work within the SCT Catering Services Framework and in accordance with Statutory Food Hygiene Policies
Person specification
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria- Good Organisation Skills
- Effective Verbal and Written Communication Skills
- Able to work on own initiative and prioritise workload
- Good Record Keeping
- Basic IT Knowledge and Ability
Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria- CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering
- Basic Health and Safety Certificate
- NVQ’s in Catering / Housekeeping / Cleaning / residential services
- Professional approach, commitment to work within policies and under guidance
- Knowledge of the National Service Framework and Cleanliness in Hospital Initiative
Experience
Essential criteria- Previous experience in a hospital or similar environment supervising domestic / catering / housekeeping services
- Preparing of housekeepers rota’s and providing supervision
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems
Please think about your personal values and how these align with our Values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:
- The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group
- The Disability Staff Network Group
- The Lived Experience Staff Network Group
- The Rainbow Staff Network Group
- The Staff Carers Staff Network Group
- The Women’s Staff Network Group
We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role.The cost of the DBS check must be met by the successful applicant(s).
At SHPU, we prioritise the well-being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front.However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.
When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.
Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.
While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.
Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHPU and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
For example, AI responses…- usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.
- may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.
- may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.
- may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.
Supporting Statement
The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations.Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.
In order for your application to progress, where applicable you are required to supply your share code.