Housekeeper / Laundry Assistant

Friends of the Elderly; Reading; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 19,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Group Pension Plan

Annual leave

Wellbeing support programmes

Learning and progression opportunities

Retail discounts

Salary advances from salary

Health cash plans

Cycle to work scheme

Long service awards

Refer a friend £200 bonus

Enhanced pay for evenings, weekends, &

Uniforms provided

Free DBS checks

Job summary

Friends of the Elderly is seeking a Housekeeper/Laundry Assistant at Friends Place, Calcot, Reading. The role supports high hygiene standards across the care home and laundry operations, with training provided.

Permanent, part-time position at 31.5 hours per week, working days and weekends on a 3-on/3-off pattern. No prior experience required, COSHH knowledge desirable, and basic English/numeracy skills needed.

Qualifications

• Good standard of English and numeracy required.
• COSHH and Health & Safety knowledge would be beneficial but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Keep care home clean and maintain high hygiene standards for residents and staff.
• Run the laundry service and manage general domestic duties.
• Complete online training using digital tools.

Skills

English

Numeracy

Job description

£13.02 per hour (£14.32 Weekends)

Calcot, Reading

Contract type: Permanent, Part time (31.5 hours per week)

Working Pattern: Days, Weekends (3 days on; 3 days off)

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 over 120 years. 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

Friends Place, Calcot is more than just a care home - It’s a vibrant, welcoming community designed to provide exceptional residential, dementia, and respite care.

Run by Friends of the Elderly, where we pride ourselves on delivering personalised, compassionate care in a state-of-the-art facility.

Located in the heart of Calcot, Reading, our home features a cinema, a salon, a tea room and a vibrant bar designed to create a warm and homely environment where residents feel safe, valued, and supported.

As our home grows we have an opportunity for Housekeeper/Laundry Assistants, to join us.

Joining us as a Housekeeper or Laundry Assistant, you will help keep care home clean and ensure that we offer high standards of hygiene of household and residents’ personal laundry. You will be responsible for general domestic duties such as vacuuming, polishing tables and office surfaces, wiping armchairs and dining chairs and emptying bins and helping to run the laundry service.

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 but by no means essential. A good standard of English and number skills are required for this role, and you will be comfortable using various forms of digital technology to be able to complete online training. No prior experience is needed, as we will give you all the training you will need to excel in this role!

Why Join Friends of the Elderly?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the culture and success of our newest 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 of benefits:

• Group Pension Plan, with a 6% contribution from us.
• Generous annual leave.
• Wellbeing support through various initiatives, including an assistance programme offering coaching and counselling support.
• Learning, development, and progression opportunities.
• Retail discounts 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.
• Evening, weekend, and bank holiday enhancements to pay.
• Uniforms are provided
• Free DBS checks.

Safeguarding

Keeping everyone safe is one of the charity’s core values, and is 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 but definitely not the same.

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

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