Head Housekeeper

Orders of St. John Care Trust; Melksham; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday

Free uniform

Free DBS

Employee Assistance Programme

Refer a Friend bonus

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Orders of St. John Care Trust seeks an experienced Head Housekeeper to lead the housekeeping and laundry services at Melksham Gardens, our brand-new 80-bed care home in Melksham. Take charge of day-to-day operations, uphold high cleanliness standards and support residents and staff.

You will manage rotas, train new starters, and drive hygiene and infection-control practices across the home, building routines from day one and creating a welcoming environment for residents, families and colleagues.

Qualifications

• Experience in contract cleaning in elderly care or similar setting.
• Leadership of a small team and rota management.
• Knowledge of health and safety and infection control practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead housekeeping and laundry teams to deliver high cleanliness standards.
• Organise rotas and advise on staffing needs.
• Train new starters and maintain service quality.

Skills

Attention to detail

Team leadership

Communication skills

Infection control

Education

QCF Level 3 in Hospitality

Job description

We’re one of the largest not for profit care provider in the UK, specialising in providing high quality, person-centred care for older people, in care homes and extra care housing nationwide. At OSJCT we care about our residents and we care about each other. That means you’ll enjoy great career development working for an expanding organisation. Because we’re a not for profit trust, we invest every penny we make in the people who live in our homes and the people who work here too. This means better quality care and lovely homes for our residents, along with competitive wages and great training and development for our people. We provide outstanding care, working closely with leading experts on dementia and elderly care. And we’re currently modernising our portfolio of care homes – refurbishing our existing homes and moving into new, inspiring, contemporary care homes too. As we expand nationwide, we need more people with the right mix of skills, passion and ambition to help us grow even more.

Location: Melksham, Wiltshire

Pay Rate: £13.62 per hour

Contracted Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

MELKSHAM GARDENS – A BRAND-NEW CARE HOME OPENING IN 2027

Be part of something from the very beginning.

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Head Housekeeper to join the team at Melksham Gardens, our brand-new 80-bed care home in Melksham.

RECRUITMENT OPEN DAY

Come and meet the team and find out more:

Wednesday 21st October
10am – 3pm
Melksham Town Hall – Council Chamber

Come along to find out more about Melksham Gardens, the Head Housekeeper role and what it’s like to be part of a brand-new care home team. We’d love to meet you!

A LITTLE ABOUT MELKSHAM GARDENS

Our new purpose-built home on Longleaze Lane will provide residential, nursing and dementia care, alongside respite and day care.

The home will feature 80 en-suite bedrooms, landscaped gardens, private dining, a cinema, gym and wellbeing facilities, activities room, salon and spa, and family accommodation. Innovative technology, including circadian lighting and acoustic monitoring, will support our person-centred approach to care.

Designed around residents’ comfort, wellbeing and independence, Melksham Gardens will provide a welcoming environment where residents can feel safe, comfortable and at home.

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

Joining a brand-new home is exciting – but it is also different.

Depending on the progress of the home, you may join us during the preparation and mobilisation period or as we welcome our first residents. Your exact start date may therefore be subject to change and could be later than initially anticipated.

We’re looking for someone who takes pride in maintaining high standards and is excited to help shape a home from the very beginning. Your experience, attention to detail and leadership will be invaluable as the housekeeping and laundry teams come together and establish the standards, routines and culture of Melksham Gardens.

This is an opportunity to help develop housekeeping processes, support colleagues and create a clean, comfortable and welcoming environment where residents, families and visitors feel at home.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you an experienced housekeeper with exacting standards of cleanliness and an eye for detail?

Can you lead and motivate a small team to deliver an outstanding housekeeping and laundry service for our residents, encouraging colleagues to always do their best?

As Head Housekeeper, you’ll play a vital role in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness throughout the home. Leading a team of Housekeepers and Laundry Assistants, you’ll take pride in ensuring that every bedroom, communal area and living space is clean, tidy and well maintained.

You’ll be a champion for hygiene and infection control, ensuring that the appropriate standards and procedures are followed throughout the home. You’ll have access to specialised equipment and materials to help create a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for residents, as well as their friends and families.

You’ll also support and develop your team, helping colleagues understand their responsibilities, maintain high standards and take pride in their work. By organising tasks effectively and ensuring the housekeeping and laundry services run smoothly, you’ll make an important contribution to residents’ comfort, dignity and wellbeing.

As part of a brand-new home, you’ll have the opportunity to help establish housekeeping routines, introduce effective ways of working and build a team that takes pride in creating an exceptional living environment from day one.

In joining us, you’ll also become part of our extended family, working alongside colleagues who are passionate about providing a safe environment, warmth and kindness to everyone who lives and works in our homes.

ABOUT YOU

You’ll have experience in contract cleaning within an industrial, business or domestic setting and feel comfortable working in an elderly care environment, with the ability to relate to residents in a caring and sensitive manner.

Previous supervisory experience, such as organising rotas, delegating tasks and training new starters, would be beneficial but is not essential.

You may also hold, or be working towards, a QCF Level 3 in Multi-skilled Hospitality Services or equivalent. A working knowledge of the Health and Safety at Work Act, COSHH Regulations and infection control would also be advantageous.

What matters most is that you’re a positive role model with excellent communication skills and a natural ability to build positive relationships. You’ll be a supportive leader who can motivate colleagues to provide the best possible service to our residents at all times.

You’ll also be confident taking responsibility, using your initiative to resolve problems and responding effectively to queries. With a proactive and organised approach, you’ll be comfortable adapting to changing priorities and helping your team maintain consistently high standards.

Most importantly, you’ll enthusiastic about the opportunity to help establish a new care home and create an environment where residents feel comfortable, respected and proud to call Melksham Gardens home.

AND IN RETURN

The Trust is a great place to work. We’ve been providing care for almost 1,000 years and we’re currently the second largest not-for-profit provider in the UK. Not-for-profit means that we reinvest every penny we make into our residents, colleagues and the care homes we live and work in.

We’re committed to supporting our colleagues to grow and develop, offering opportunities for training and development within a nurturing, engaging and rewarding environment.

Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy as a valued member of our team:

• 28 days holiday (including Bank Holidays)
• Free uniform
• Free DBS
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Refer a Friend scheme, rewarding you up to £1,000 for every recommendation who successfully starts working for us
• Blue Light Card and “My Rewards” programme, offering discounts on shopping, days out, restaurants and much more

BE PART OF THE BEGINNING

If you’re an experienced housekeeper with an eye for detail and the leadership skills to inspire a team, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and help us make Melksham Gardens a truly exceptional place to live, work and belong, establishing high standards of cleanliness and creating a welcoming environment for residents, families and colleagues from the very beginning.