Cleaning Operative

Places for People; Greater London; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension with matched contributions

Bonus scheme up to 2%

35 days holiday pro rata

Healthcare cashback plan

Wellbeing support and EAP

Job summary

Places for People is seeking a Cleaner to support student accommodation sites at the University of York. You will perform cleaning across kitchens, bathrooms, and communal areas, working as part of a team to maintain high standards and assist with deep-clean programmes.

You’ll interact with students and university staff, follow health and safety practices, and contribute to a welcoming environment. Basic DBS check is required.

Qualifications

• Previous cleaning experience in housekeeping or facilities management is preferred.
• Basic IT skills to complete online training and use workplace systems.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team during deep clean periods.
• Knowledge of COSHH and safe working practices.

Responsibilities

• Carry out cleaning duties across shared kitchens, bathrooms, communal areas, corridors and stairwells.
• Maintain spaces to a consistently high standard and report health and safety concerns.
• Support summer deep-clean programmes and interact professionally with students and staff.
• Work with Supervisor and colleagues to deliver planned and reactive cleaning services.

Skills

Cleaning experience

Basic IT skills

Team player

Health and safety awareness

Job description

As the UK's leading Social Enterprise, we move lives forward every day by building, managing and supporting thriving Communities. From new homes, social housing and student accommodation to leisure, education and Community initiatives, our work makes a positive difference to millions of People across the UK. And that takes People who care about doing the right thing. People who are ambitious, ready to grow and motivated to make a difference through the work they do.

We're looking for Colleagues who bring energy, curiosity and ownership. People who enjoy being challenged, support those around them and want to keep raising the bar. Because when we perform at our best, we create more opportunities to invest in our Customers, our Communities and each other.

Experience matters, but it's only part of the story. If you share our values and want to build a career where your work has real impact, we'd love to hear from you.

More about your role

As a Cleaner, you'll play an important role in helping us deliver an excellent student experience across our University of York accommodation sites. Working as part of a supportive team, you'll carry out cleaning duties across shared kitchens, bathrooms, communal areas, corridors and stairwells ensuring all spaces are maintained to a consistently high standard. You'll work closely with your Supervisor and colleagues to deliver both planned and reactive cleaning services, identify and report health and safety concerns, and support summer deep-clean programmes to prepare accommodation for new students. You'll also provide a friendly and professional service when interacting with students, university staff and visitors.

The working hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am – 4.00pm with a 30‑minute (unpaid) break. A basic DBS check is required for this role.

Essential Criteria

• Previous cleaning experience, ideally in a housekeeping or facilities management environment
• Basic IT skills, including the ability to complete online training and use workplace systems.
• Ability to work independently and prioritise workloads to meet required cleaning standards, and also as part of a team during deep clean periods
• Knowledge of COSHH regulations and safe working practices

More about you

You’ll be a reliable and enthusiastic team player who takes pride in maintaining high standards of cleanliness and customer service. You’ll be comfortable working with minimal supervision, using your initiative to identify issues and resolve them appropriately. You’ll have a strong awareness of health and safety, a positive can‑do attitude and a commitment to providing a welcoming environment for students and visitors. A cleaning qualification, BICS training or previous experience within student accommodation would be an advantage, but most importantly you’ll be motivated to deliver a great service every day.

What you’ll get

We know rewarding work deserves rewarding benefits. That's why, alongside a competitive salary, you’ll have access to a package designed to support you at work and beyond.

• Pension with matched contributions up to 7%
• Bonus scheme for colleagues up to 2%
• 35 days holiday (including bank holidays) pro rata with the option to buy or sell days
• Healthcare cashback plan for everyday medical costs, with private GP and health support services available
• Comprehensive wellbeing support including counselling, flu jabs, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and access to our Wellbeing Hub, supporting your mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Access to Our Place Rewards, offering discounts and savings on groceries, travel, shopping, home products and other lifestyle purchases
• Ongoing training, professional qualifications, internal development programmes and career progression opportunities
• Recognition programmes including Star Awards and Colleague Awards, celebrating achievements and recognising great work
• Strong focus on inclusion, wellbeing and colleague engagement
• Free membership to Places Gyms
• Life Assurance to provide financial security for your loved ones, alongside access to will writing services to help you plan for the future with confidence

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview experience, please let us know. We're happy to work with you to ensure you have the opportunity to perform at your best.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we offer a guaranteed interview to candidates who are disabled, neurodiverse, or have served in the Armed Forces, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application. We are dedicated to creating a supportive and accessible recruitment process for all.

Safeguarding

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect. We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre‑employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment. By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities.