Whether you’re a patient, visitor or member of staff, when you come through the doors of our CQC rated Outstanding private hospital, your health and wellbeing is our priority.
Keeping any hospital clean and maintaining our 0% rate of MRSA or Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) infection is vital. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve enhanced the stringent measures already in place, providing even greater safety and confidence for everyone coming to our hospital.
Our housekeeping team is key to maintaining our rigorous hygiene standards. Employed directly by the hospital, they ensure standards remain high and that our hospital remains a clean and safe environment for all.
We spoke to Marian Chandler, Housekeeping Manager, to find out what it means to be a part of such an important team.
What does the housekeeping team do?
Every member of the team has a vital role in ensuring our wards, outpatient rooms and other facilities are clean, safe, and attractive places for our patients, visitors and staff.
The role is varied, so no two days are the same. As well as ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness, we manage and monitor all the linen across the hospital and staff uniforms are also part of our remit.
Admin is an important part of the job. We pride ourselves on our record keeping; having up to date records around everything from which areas have been cleaned by the team - and when - to ordering stock.
I am so proud of the housekeeping team and all they do in keeping everybody safe.
How important is good customer service in the housekeeping role?
We’re very visible around the hospital – you’ll recognise us by our purple uniforms – so we must balance doing our jobs with being sensitive to the needs of our patients. Good customer service is a key part of any housekeeping role, so it’s important to be able to talk to and reassure any patients that we meet during the day.
What roles are available in the housekeeping team?
The housekeeping team is made up of a Housekeeping Manager, one Housekeeping co-ordinator and 24 Housekeepers. The day team consist of three full time and seven part time staff, and the shifts range from 37.5 hours (full time) to 22.5 hour (part time). The evening team all cover a three-hour shift and there are three shift patterns – 7pm to 10pm, 8pm to 11pm and 9pm to midnight.
We also employ Flexi-Bank staff, which allows you to work flexibly and choose from shifts that we offer you.
What skills and experience do I need?
Housekeeping experience is not essential but is desirable, and you should be able to prioritise multiple tasks. Although you’ll be part of a supportive team, there may be times that you need to work on your own, so you’ll need plenty of initiative.
As well as being a competent housekeeper, you’ll also need to be able to communicate with people of all ages and from all walks of life, so a positive attitude and plenty of diplomacy and tact is key.
Is training offered?
When you join the team, you won’t be left to simply “start” on your rounds. We offer a rigorous training programme run by a senior member of the housekeeping team.
We’re keen to make sure that you experience the different types of clean we carry out at the hospital, so that you’re comfortable with our infection control policies and procedures.
This training programme includes isolation cleans, which are needed when a patient has left a room and (for example) their MRSA test results are not yet available or they’ve tested positive for C.diff, bacteria that can infect the bowel and cause diarrhoea.
Your training will involve cleaning all areas of the hospital from the operating theatre to offices. You will also receive training on all the different types of equipment used at the hospital which includes scrubbing machines and steam cleaners, and a fogging machine: this machine emits a fine mist into the room with a chemical which is 99.9% effective against MRSA.
Find out more about job vacancies in our housekeeping team
If you’re interested in joining our housekeeping team, vacancies are advertised on the management and support staff and Flexi-Bank careers pages.
Published on 28 July 2022