Band 2 Housekeeper - Blackberry Hill Hospital, Bristol

Job overview

Housekeepers support the Nursing Staff to provide an appropriate environment for patient care. Duties will include general cleaning of all Ward/Departmental areas and the preparation and presentation and service of Patients meals and beverages.

Housekeepers will be expected to demonstrate a flexible attitude to their work to meet the needs of the Ward and the Patients.

Housekeepers are expected to work in a controlled and systematic way in an environment where there may be constant distractions and contact with service users displaying disturbed and challenging behaviour on a frequent basis.

Once sufficient applications have been received this vacancy will close, this may be before the advertised closing date.

Main duties of the job

Housekeepers support the Nursing Staff to provide an appropriate environment for patient care. Duties will include general cleaning of all Ward/Departmental areas and the preparation and presentation and service of patient meals and and beverages.

Housekeepers will be expected to demonstrate a flexible attitude to their work to meet the needs of the Ward and the Patients.

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

HOUSEKEEPING

To replenish stocks of disposable items, i.e.: paper hand towels, soap. Working in accordance with all relevant Health and safety procedures at all times e.g. COSHH, Manual Handling.

Completion of cleaning records signing off areas completed and noting areas those areas that are inaccessible.

Highlighting to the Nurse in Charge or Hotel Service Supervisor areas of concern e.g. on-going issues around access.

Adhering to all aspects of Infection Control to ensure the potential for spread of infection is minimised.

Working in accordance with the National Colour Coding guidance.

Carrying out termination cleans in line with Trust policy.

Carrying out isolation cleaning in line with Trust policy.

Completing and documenting a scheduled deep cleaning programme for the specified area.

Collection and storage of waste from locations according to the Hospital waste disposal policy.

Complete other cleaning duties as required. This will include items such as wheelchairs, commodes, trolleys, furniture/fittings, internal glass and wall washing.

Report all sightings of pests to the Hotel Services Office.

Change soiled screen, cubicle and window curtains as required under the direction of the Hotel Services Supervisor.

Receive and store clean laundry/linen. Remove full soiled linen bags to the collection point. Replace linen bags as required.

Operation of a range of cleaning equipment including floor cleaning equipment, steam cleaners etc ensuring their safe and effective use.

Assessing condition of equipment and reporting defects.

CATERING

Receipt of chilled meals and stores, checking for quantity, quality. signing for all goods received, temperature checking chilled and frozen foods and recording the temperatures. Ensuring any unacceptable temperatures are reported to the Hotel Services Supervisor.

To ensure the correct storage and rotation of chilled meals and stores.

Regeneration of chilled/frozen meals, according to guidelines and food safety instructions. Under Nursing supervision to serve all meals, ensuring correct portioning and presentation of meals.

Monitoring, recording of food temperatures, taking remedial action as required. Monitoring and recording of fridge and freezer temperatures.

Washing by machine all crockery, cutlery and utensils.

GENERAL

Ensuring the security of all stock, monitoring stock levels and reordering on a top up basis.

Reporting maintenance faults to the Hotel Services Office in accordance with local procedure.

Undertaking flushing of water outlets in accordance with the agreed schedule. Completion of flushing records.

Assisting with the refitting of anti ligature dispenser holders as appropriate.

Maintain high standards of personal hygiene.

Ensure all information appertaining to Patients and staff is kept confidential.

Any other duties within the hotel services functions as may reasonably be requested and as appropriate to band.

Person specification

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Able to demonstrate good written and verbal communication skills
• Basic numeracy skills
• Able to follow a written schedule of work
• Able to work on own initiative and unsupervised within the parameters set by the Supervisor who is readily available to provide direction as required.
• Able to complete essential training within agreed timescales to include: Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate & COSSH Awareness Basic computer literacy
• Able to demonstrate a good understanding of confidentiality

• Previous experience of Housekeeping Duties
• Previous experience of use of cleaning equipment
• Previous experience of Catering Duties
• Food Hygiene Awareness
• NVQ 1 in Cleaning and support services

This includes people with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent conditions (for example autism, ADHD, sensory, physical and learning disabilities).

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service users.

Click here to view our applicant guidance

Please apply to join us, we would love to hear from you. Any personal details you supply to us are kept safe in line with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Adverts normally close for application a few minutes before midnight on the closing date and we will let you know if we are offering you an interview by email via our recruitment system ‘TRAC’. We contact all applicants within 4 weeks after the closing date, so please check your emails regularly once you have submitted your application; you are welcome to contact us, via the TRAC system, if you have any queries about your application.

Please note the use of AI is monitored and if you have used it in your application you are required to declare this.