Facilities Support Assistant

Integrated Care System; Lowestoft; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

A community healthcare organization in Lowestoft is seeking dedicated support staff for cleaning services. You will maintain cleanliness according to NHS standards, ensuring a safe environment for patients and staff. No prior experience is needed, as full training will be provided. Candidates should have good communication skills, the ability to work independently, and a willingness to learn. This role offers a chance to make a difference in community healthcare.

Benefits

Well-being initiatives

Uniform and training provided

Employee benefits under NHS terms

Qualifications

• No experience required as full training is given.
• Ability to undertake all Statutory and Mandatory training.
• Willingness to travel across the community as required.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the cleanliness of the assigned area according to NHS cleaning guides.
• Communicate effectively with clinical staff regarding cleaning schedules.
• Adhere to infection control protocols and report any defects.

Skills

Good communication skills

Ability to work alone

Reliable

Basic knowledge of cleaning

Education

NVQ level 1 in Cleaning and Support Services

GCSE D or above in Maths and English

Job description

We are looking for support staff who take pride in their work and are supportive of each other, striving to deliver a service to both colleagues and patients in order for them to be safe knowing that the areas they occupy are both safe to work in and clean.

ECCH's care does not stop at patient care, we also care for our employees, operating a number of wellbeing initiatives to ensure our staff are safe and well.

East Coast Community Health Care are aligned to NHS Agenda for Change principles.

Uniform and training will be given for each role.

Main duties of the job

Please see the attached document, Posts Available, which shows the working pattern and hours for the available posts. Please state your preference of post in your application form within the person specification section.

Each of these roles work closely with the others and each role requires the post holder to clean their areas of responsibility to the NHS cleaning standards.

The attached job description encompasses all the roles in one document. It gives each job discipline an understanding of that role and each role responsibility. In your application please state which role and working pattern you are applying for.

We are looking for someone who works well both alone and in a team, who can communicate effectively and has a strong work ethic. Each of the roles has responsibilities that have to be adhered to as part of our record keeping and compliance requirements. Mandatory training is part of this.

Interviews for these posts will be held week commencing 25th August.

About us

ECCH is well established health care provider and has been successfully delivering NHS care within the community since 2011. We provide a range of NHS, community health and social care services predominantly across the easterly region of the Norfolk/Suffolk borders.

We are aligned to NHS terms and conditions, and offer many employee benefits, to find out more about us visit our website - www.ecch.org. We are a social enterprise and staff owned organisation which means staff can opt to be shareholders and have a real say in how ECCH is run and evolves to deliver healthcare for the future.

At the heart of our ambition, we work in partnership with and for the community to become the provider and employer of choice for community healthcare.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible as this job may close earlier than the advertised closing date once enough applications have been received.

Applicants must declare if AI has been used to complete theirapplication, including responses that are directly copied or significantlyshaped by AI tools.

By submitting this application, you confirm that allinformation provided is a true and accurate representation of your own skills,knowledge, and experience.

Please note:Under current UK immigration rules, this role does not meet the eligibilityrequirements for sponsorship under either the Health and Care Worker visa orthe Skilled Worker visa routes.

Job responsibilities

• To ensure the cleanliness of the area you are assigned to under the direction of the supervisor (Team Lead, Site Co-ordinator or Operational Manager) according to the NHS cleaning guides.
• This will include cleaning all areas, such as corridors, offices, stairs, toilets, bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, clinical and patient rooms on a frequent basis using a variety of cleaning methods, tasks and procedures including: damp dusting all horizontal and vertical surfaces, high and low cleaning, replenishment of disposable items (including curtain hanging), emptying (and at times washing) waste bins and deep cleans (where applicable). To assist in low level window cleaning.
• To put laundry away and request assistance to do so if required.
• Communicate with clinical staff and other relevant staff at times, barriers that make it not possible to provide the cleaning service at the allocated time, tactfully making them aware of the implications on non-delivery of service.
• Work to NHS standards of cleanliness and the required work frequencies as per the Work schedules provided.
• Responsible for ensuring security of stock whilst also monitoring and managing the stock levels and re-ordering using the local accepted practice on a weekly basis or as required.
• Co-operate fully when new methods of work or frequencies of cleaning are introduced.
• Safely move small items of furniture in line with policy to facilitate cleaning.
• Safely move bags of linen and waste on a regular basis in adherence to department policies.

Change medical gas cylinders and ensure medical gases on wards are maintained by exchanging medical gas cylinders as and when required.

The safe use of steps and ladders commensurate with cleaning duties and working at heights policies.

COSHH - Storage of Chemicals

To ensure the correct use of chemicals for the type of surface and finish, making certain the handling, storage and safe usage are in line with the COSHH regulations, data sheets and training given.

Infection Control & Quality Control

• To adhere to all aspects of Infection Control in all areas of work, including the use of colour coded equipment where needed to ensure there is no spread of infection and cross contamination.
• Responsible for observing and monitoring the condition of the environment you clean and report any issues and defects that will prevent you from carrying out your duties.
• Responsible for assessing the condition of all equipment you use and report any defects observed to ensure its continued quality and safety.
• To adhere to the outlet flushing regime set out by Estates & Facilities to minimise the accumulation of Legionella bacteria in water systems in accordance with Health and Safety technical guidance.

Record Keeping and Audits

• Responsible for maintaining clear and accurate records providing documentary evidence that cleaning has taken place and inform Team leader as soon as possible if not completed a task and giving the reason why.
• To respond to any actions that may arise from cleaning monitoring audits, and infection control audits.
• Responsible for reporting of incidents, accidents and near misses that occur at work via the use of Datix.

Porterage (site specific and not all staff are required to be trained in this discipline)

Prepare rooms for meetings and assist with the sighting of signs.

Assist with stock control, checking, collecting and delivering hospital stores.

Assist the admin team with mail collection and delivery.

To carry out minor facilities tasks such as changing bulbs and batteries, replacing dispensers and replacing curtains when required.

At times to act as a member of the ward domestic team to clean a specified area when called upon to do so.

To accept and check all stores when delivered.

Putting all stores away- example, Linen/laundry / dry goods / cleaning & hygiene supplies / Food etc.. To put away all stores in the relevant locations around the site.

To report any discrepancies in deliveries.

To launder and dry re-usable cleaning cloths, mops, linen and at times patient clothing using on site machines to carry out these tasks.

Ensure the domestic and kitchen team have the required amount of cleaned items they need for their tasks.

Removing clinical and household waste.

Carry out floor maintenance using a variety of machinery.

To Assist Nursing staff when called upon to do so, example Helping wheelchair patients etc.

• Ensure that all work is carried out in strict accordance with the handling and moving training received to ensure your personal health and safety and that of others.
• Ensure all tasks are completed using the risk assessments and safe systems of work as instructed by your team lead or supervisor.
• Ensure patients privacy and dignity is maintained throughout your work.
• Carry out your duties adhering to the Lone Working procedures as per the training given by your manager and policies.
• Report any problems that might arise from your duties.
• Ensure that the assigned area of work is left secure by ensuring that where necessary all windows and doors are closed or locked, alarms are set and that lights are turned off.

Catering (site specific and not all staff are required to be trained in this discipline)

Ensure that patient meals and drinks are prepared correctly and delivered on time to the ward level point of nursing staff service delivery.

The regeneration/cooking of frozen meals at Ward level, ensuring procedures are followed with regard to the cooking cycle and service of breakfast, lunch and supper to patients. Prepare sandwiches and salads as required.

Serve patients meals to the delivery point for nursing staff to then distribute to patients.

At times assisting nursing staff (under direct nursing staff supervision) in serving patients their meals and drinks.

Ensure that Food Safety and food temperature regulations are adhered to and all required paperwork is completed.

Carry out other catering procedures including, setting of tables (accounting for all cutlery), clearing of tables / servery, loading & unloading of ward and kitchen dishwasher etc.

Placing food orders in such a way as to maintain and ensure that a level of manageable stock is held.

Ensuring stock rotation is carried out when putting stock away.

Recording fridge temperatures and fridge usage.

Recording delivered food temperature prior to hand over.

Ensure the kitchen unit is clean and tidy, including all kitchen equipment, crockery, cutlery and utensils.

Make and assist with patients beverages (5 beverage rounds delivered throughout the day by the Housekeeper to nursing staff for checking and delivery to patients.)

In extreme circumstance and only under the direction of the senior clinical nurse in charge you may be requested to assist nursing staff with the feeding of patients.

General

Work in line with the departments code of conduct standard.

Carry out ad hoc requests, prioritising your daily workload and undertake any other reasonable duty, which is appropriate to the banding when requested by your manager

All roles within East Coast Community Healthcare CIC (ECCH) require staff to demonstrate our Values and Signature Behaviours in the care and service they provide to patients, service users, stakeholders and colleagues. All members of staff should consider these as an essential part of their job role.

Our Values outline the core behaviours that we can all achieve and are summarised as an acronym within the word CARE. These stand for: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.

Underpinning our Values are our Signature Behaviours which highlight by taking the right actions we continue to build a strong culture. Our four Signature Behaviours are: Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together.

Person Specification

Personal Attributes

• Good communication skills both written and verbal.
• Ability to work alone unsupervised.
• Ability to manage time effectively.
• Ability to use own initiative to
• manage the requirements of the job.
• Clean smart appearance.
• Reliable.
• Trustworthy.
• Good time keeping.
• Motivated to learn.
• Ability to undertake all Statutory and Mandatory training.
• Ability to embrace our Culture, Values and Signature Behaviours:
• (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together).
• Willingness and ability to work across different sites and travel to alternative sites and across the community as required.
• I.T Skills
• The desire to learn new skills

Experience

• No experience required as full training is given on the job
• Worked in a cleaning environment
• Worked in a commercial kitchen environment
• Worked with medical gasses
• Previous experience of working food preparation and food regeneration systems

Qualifications

• NVQ level 1 in Cleaning and Support Services OR equivalent experience
• GCSE D or above in Maths and English (language and literature) OR the equivalent education certificates
• NVQ level 2 in Cleaning and Support Services
• Basic Food Hygiene Certificate or relevant evidenced experience
• GCSE C or above in Maths and English (language and literature)
• Gas Safe Certificate medical gasses

Skills and Knowledge

• Basic knowledge of cleaning
• Previous NHS cleaning experience
• Knowledge of the cleaning colour coding.
• Knowledge of COSHH
• Basic knowledge and use of hand tools for minor maintenance issues

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.