Head Housekeeper

Blue Octopus; England; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading not-for-profit charity as a Head Housekeeper in a new state-of-the-art care home. You will oversee hygiene standards and manage a dedicated housekeeping team to ensure a clean and welcoming environment for residents, making a real difference in their lives every day. This role offers professional development opportunities and a supportive team atmosphere.

Benefits

Group Pension Plan

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support initiatives

Learning and development opportunities

Monthly prize draw

Retail discount schemes

Access to loans at affordable rates

Health cash plans

Cycle to work scheme

Uniforms provided

Qualifications

• Experience in a domestic role and care setting, ideally in a senior supervisory capacity.
• Knowledge of COSHH and Health & Safety.
• Ability to supervise and use initiative.

Responsibilities

• Maintain high hygiene standards and supervise the housekeeping team.
• Manage daily work schedules for cleaning and laundry services.
• Coordinate staff training and order cleaning materials.

Skills

Team Player

Resilience

Self-Motivated

Job description

Contract type:Permanent,Fulltime–35hoursper week (average),10hourshifts.

Working Pattern:Days-workingonrolling rota of3consecutivedays on and 3consecutivedays off(8am to6pm).

About Us

Friends of the Elderly (FotE) is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing excellent care with a family feel, we have been supporting older people for over120years. The charity provides care home and day care services for older people, as well as grants for older people in financial difficulty.

About Friends Place, Calcot

Due to open in July 2025,Friends Place, Calcotwill bemore than just a care home -it will be avibrant, welcoming community designed to provide exceptional residential, dementia, and respite care.

Run byFriends of the Elderly,wherewe pride ourselves on delivering personalised, compassionate care ina state-of-the-artfacility.

Located in the heart of Calcot, Reading, our homewillfeature:

• Acinemafor residents to enjoy movie nights and entertainment.

• A stylishsalonoffering professional pampering.

• A peacefullibraryfor reading and reflection.

• A vibrantbarfor socialising and relaxation.

Themodern facilities are designed to create a warm and homely environment where residents feel safe, valued, and supported.

Joining us as aHead Housekeeper,you willkeephigh standardsof hygiene in all areas and follow our cleanliness and infection control policies as well assupervise the team to ensure they are also compliant.You will coordinate and supervise a team of housekeeping/laundry staffandallocatetheir daily work schedules, to ensure that the home is cleaned andmaintainedto a high standard and the laundry service runs smoothly.You willbe responsible fortrainingthe teamand alsomanaging and ordering cleaning materials.

Self-motivated and resilient, a team player who is willing to go the extra mile, you will take pride in your work ensuring residents are at the heart of our service.

Knowledge of COSHH and Health & Safety would be beneficial. You will be a champion of our values and be able to supervise your peers and use your initiative.

You will haveworked in a domestic role previously andhaveexperience in a care setting, ideally in a senior positionsupervisingstaff.

Thisisn’tjust a job;it’sabout making a difference to older people’s lives every day.

Why Join Friends of the Elderly?

Heritage of Care:Work with a trusted organisation backed by over a century ofexpertise.

Non-Profit Mission:Be part of a charity that prioritises people, not profit. While we take a commercial approach to our work, we are not forprofitand we are committed to our charitable values.

State-of-the-ArtFacilities:Lead acutting-edgecare home designed for comfort and community.

Professional Development:Access training and career development opportunities.

Make Your Mark

This is a unique opportunity to shape the culture and success of a brand-new care home, leaving a lasting impact on residents’ lives and the community.

In return for your hard work and dedication, you can look forward to a wealth ofbenefits:

• Group Pension Plan, with a 6% contribution from us.

• Generous annual leave.

• Wellbeing support through various initiatives, including an employeeassistanceprogramme.

• Learning, development, and progression opportunities.

• Monthly prize draw, with 3 prizes to be won.

• Retail discount schemes to make your salary go further.

• Access to loans at affordable rates, saving directly from salary and advance pay already earned.

• Health cash plans for you and your family.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Long service awards that increase with length of service.

• Refer a friend to work for us and receive a £200 bonus.

• Uniforms are provided

• Free DBS checks.

Safeguarding:

Keeping everyone safe is one of the charity’scorevalues, andis central to everything we do at Friends of the Elderly. All staff follow our Safeguarding Policy & Procedures and, if they see or suspect abuse, we expect staff to report it straight away.

Criminal record checks:

As this role involves a regulated activity, successful applicants will undertake an enhanced DBS check, with barred lists check, and any offer of employment will be dependent on a satisfactory outcome.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar a person from working for us, this will depend on the circumstances and background of any record.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Friends of the Elderly strives to treat all staff equally and be a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone can be themselves and everyone accepts each other’s differences. A charity where everyone is equal butdefinitely notthe same.

Our ambition is to ensure equality and celebrate diversity, all working together to create an inclusive workplace, which attracts andretainsthe best people. People that care and can make a difference.

We currently do not providesponsorshipbut we welcome applications from those who have a right work in the UK.

Don’tdelay in sending your application as we may need to close the vacancy early if we manage to appoint before the advertising closing date. We interview applicants as they apply.