Decontamination Unit Assistant Bank - Band 2

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional NHS trust in Barnsley is seeking a Decontamination Unit Assistant to join their team. This role involves cleaning and inspecting community equipment for safe reuse, while ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety standards. The ideal candidate will have strong manual dexterity and a commitment to high-quality service. Applicants must be prepared to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends. This position promises the opportunity to contribute significantly to improving service user care.

Qualifications

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. Satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years.
• Willingness to undertake on-the-job training and understand C.O.S.H.H regulations.

Responsibilities

• Cleaning, processing, and inspecting returned community equipment.
• Ensuring compliance with infection prevention and control guidelines.
• Assisting with stock control and store-keeping tasks.

Skills

Good manual dexterity

Ability to work flexibly

Customer service experience

Knowledge of infection control

Teamwork skills

Job description

Decontamination Unit Assistant Bank - Band 2

The closing date is 10 December 2025

Barnsley Integrated Community Equipment Service (BICES) provides a wide range of social, health, and medical device equipment to support the care needs of service users living within the Barnsley area.

As a Decontamination Unit Assistant, you will work within a small team responsible for the cleaning, processing, assembly, and inspection of collected items of community equipment before they can be safely re‑issued to other service users.

Applicants must possess the necessary skills to work effectively within a small team and to demonstrate a high‑quality focus and vigilance in maintaining agreed decontamination standards, in accordance with Infection Prevention Control and other relevant national guidance and quality standards.

The successful candidate will also be expected to assist with the smooth running of the BICES service, by occasionally working within other areas of the BICES service when required.

For further information or an informal discussion about these roles please contact Mark Foster, BICES Operational Manager, on Barnsley 01226 645400 or via e‑mail [e-mail].

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high‑quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non‑clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

Job summary

To work in the decontamination unit, as part of BICES, cleaning, processing and, where relevant, inspecting used/returned items of community equipment (medical devices) to allow them to safely be reused and issued to service users.

Decontamination Unit Assistants need to demonstrate a quality focus and vigilance in maintaining agreed standards of cleaning and decontamination in accordance with relevant national guidance and quality standards, internal quality management systems and departmental work instructions.

To assist with the smooth running of BICES, for example by assisting with general duties such as deliveries and collections of equipment items to/from service users’ homes, stock control and store‑keeping tasks.

Key result areas

Core duties and responsibilities

1. Assessing and implementing the appropriate method of cleaning and disinfection of equipment in accordance with departmental work instructions, manufacturers guidelines and SWYPT infection control guidelines.
2. Dismantling items of equipment prior to cleaning, checking the condition to ensure good working order, cleaning and then re‑assembling the item so it can be safely returned to the warehouse for reissuing.
3. Routinely carrying out portable appliance testing (PAT) and testing of pressure care equipment prior to reissuing.
4. Ensuring appropriate patient safety instructions are included within the packaging of equipment items.
5. Ensuring accurate completion of all necessary documentation concerning the identification, processing and relabeling of equipment items using BICES’s track and traceability IT system.
6. Ensuring any item of equipment that is defective, in poor condition or damaged is taken out of service immediately and identified for quarantine and possible disposal.
7. Ensuring compliance with agreed cleaning and housekeeping schedules within the decontamination unit (i.e. clean down protocols), relevant health and safety legislation and infection prevention and control guidelines.
8. Ensuring the correct and safe use of equipment and chemicals in accordance with control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) regulations and manufacturers instructions.
9. Ensuring the safe use of jet washers, washing machines, steamers and dryers and all other plant and machinery used in the decontamination unit and warehouse, including daily checks.
10. Maintain appropriate levels of equipment spare parts, cleaning materials, tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) and identify when stock needs reordering.
11. Assist colleagues and members of the public with loading and unloading equipment from vehicles.
12. Undertake and assist in other functions as when required including: home delivery, fitting, and collections of equipment, stock taking and warehousing duties etc.
13. To demonstrate excellent communication skills to all service users, colleagues from other departments and within the BICES team to share ideas and support service improvements.
14. To comply with SWYPT health and safety guidance, including manual handling, use of PPE etc., and inform the line manager of any work situation that may be considered a health and safety danger.
15. Maintain and demonstrate a quality‑focused attitude and approach to work at all times.
16. To ensure all mandatory training is kept up to date and to undertake appropriate training associated with cleaning and decontamination, dismantling and reassembly and manual handling of the various types of equipment the service may provide.
17. Maintain a flexible approach to the working day, respond to issues as they arise and modify plans to ensure service priorities are met.

Communication with others

• BICES staff including technicians, driver/fitters, reception staff.
• Patients and carers.
• Health and social care professionals.
• Suppliers and contractors.
• Colleagues in other departments or NHS organisations.
• General public.

Person specification

Physical attributes

• Good manual dexterity and ability to assemble basic equipment items in line with manufacturers and trust guidelines.
• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. Satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Personal attributes

• Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Ability to travel across the Trust as appropriate to the role.

Training

• Willingness / ability to undertake on‑the‑job training.
• Understanding of C.O.S.H.H. regulations.
• Current health & safety and infection control training.

Experience

• Significant experience of delivering a high quality customer service.

Special knowledge and skills

• Knowledge of infection control and health and safety regulations and guidelines relating to community equipment.
• Ability to use own initiative and work without close supervision.
• Ability to complete tasks without delay following strict process.
• Ability to follow written instructions / read notices and complete records.
• Good verbal communication skills in dealing with colleagues, patients and visitors.
• Proven ability to work in a team and be supportive of team members.
• Prepared to learn new skills and undertake any training necessary.
• Basic understanding of stock management, e.g. labelling and tracking of stock.
• Basic knowledge of using IT software (Microsoft Word etc.) or commitment to learn.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust