Cleaner (Hotel Services Operative)

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust; Dartford; On-site; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health trust in Dartford is looking for experienced Cleaners to support the establishment of its first Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women. The role involves maintaining cleanliness across clinical areas and ensuring compliance with NHS standards. Candidates should have prior cleaning experience and good communication skills. This position offers a competitive salary of £25,768 per annum, including a high-cost area supplement.

Qualifications

• Previous cleaning experience is essential.
• Basic knowledge of National Cleaning Standards required.
• Ability to work without direct supervision is important.

Responsibilities

• Ensure cleanliness and hygiene standards are met per NHS guidelines.
• Work as part of the Facilities team to provide comprehensive cleaning.
• Maintain a patient-focused service across clinical and non-clinical areas.

Skills

Cleaning experience

Verbal communication skills

Written communication skills

Basic computer skills

Understanding of NHS Cleaning Standards

Education

A-C/9-4 GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Job description

We're creating Kent and Medway's first and only NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking talented Cleaners (Hotel Services Operatives) to help us deliver this vital service.

We have one full time role and two part time roles available:

• Full time: Monday - Friday - 8am - 4pm = 37.5 Hrs

Please note that the start date for these posts will be March 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

As a Cleaner, you will be a valued team member involved in the provision of a patient centred service.

In this role, you will maintain a patient-focused service across clinical and non-clinical areas, ensuring high standards of cleaning and other related tasks within the designated areas are maintained whilst ensuring environments meet the requirements of the National specification for cleanliness in NHS.

You will work in conjunction with the mental health team, to maintain a safe and clean environment and provide a comfortable atmosphere for the patients.

Main duties of the job

• Complete the daily shift plan in the agreed time scale, ensuring cleanliness and hygiene standards are met in line with New NHS Cleaning Guidelines.
• To work as part of the Facilities team to provide a comprehensive cleaning service across the trust.
• Complete weekly departmental performance monitoring, to achieve and maintain the Trust's own standards.
• Maintain a patient focused service across clinical areas.
• Undertake general cleaning and other related domestic tasks to a high standard, within a designated area and managing own task schedules.
• Maintain a high standard of provision of other Hotel Services related tasks.
• Work as part of the Hotel Services team in conjunction with ward managers on all aspects of ward cleaning and hygiene.
• Ensure waste is disposed of in accordance with the Trust waste disposal policy, assuring Health and Safety standards are adhered to.
• Removal of rubbish to designated collection points.

About us

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia andBipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to play a part in supporting critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area Supplement: 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1303 per year and a maximum payment of £2198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly). The salary listed is inclusive of the High-Cost Area Allowance.

Job responsibilities

Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience

Candidates must have previous cleaning experience, basic knowledge of National Cleaning Standards, and excellent verbal and written communication skills, this is essential due to the importance of the post holder being able to understand and communicate handover information.

The ability to work without direct supervision is also important.

NHS experience is not essential, so please do apply if you feel your skills and experience align with our requirements

For an informal discussion please contact Anita Boulding.

Please refer to documents tab for new Hotel Services Operative job description for main duties and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Training and Qualification

• A-C/9-4 GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Experience

• Previous Cleaning Experience
• Previous NHS Experience

Knowledge and Skills

• Good standard of communication -written and spoken English
• Basic computer Skills
• Understanding of COSHH
• Understanding of the NHS Cleaning Standards

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£25,768 a yearper annum (inc. of high-cost area supplement), pro rata part time