Maintenence Operative

Choice Care; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday

Sick pay

Employee assistance

Refer a friend

Choiceversary rewards

Christmas bonus

Birthday day off

Blue Light Card

Financial wellbeing app

Job summary

Choice Care is seeking a Maintenance Operative to perform a range of general property maintenance duties across residential properties. The role includes an eight-hour shift, 40 hours per week, with a £130 monthly standby allowance and on-call duties.

You will work in occupied homes, ensuring safety, accessibility and comfort for residents while coordinating with specialists as needed. The position offers a mobile, regional role with a company van, fuel card and equipment provided.

Qualifications

• Practical experience in general property maintenance, facilities work, caretaking or similar hands-on role.
• Ability to complete minor repairs, basic decorating and simple carpentry safely.
• Good judgement on when to call for specialist support.
• Respectful approach when working in occupied homes with vulnerable residents.
• Good communication, organisation and basic record-keeping skills.
• Confidence using a smartphone or job-management app.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Willingness to join the out-of-hours on-call rota.

Responsibilities

• Perform minor decorating and making-good tasks.
• Repair fencing, lamps and other user-replaceable items.
• Identify leaks and manage basic plumbing-related issues.
• Move and assemble furniture and measure windows/doors.
• Basic carpentry and floor tile replacement.
• Coordinate with approved contractors for specialist work.

Skills

Property maintenance

Basic decorating

Carpentry

Driving licence

Communication

On-call rota

Tools

Job-management app

Job description

Job title: Maintenance Operative

Hours: 40 hours per week

Salary: up to £30,000 per annum, depending on experience

Overview of the role

Working with us as a Maintenance Operative, you'll know that what you do matters. We see the positive impact that safe, comfortable and well-maintained homes have on our residents every day, and this is only possible because of the great teams and people we work with.

We are a progressive and ambitious maintenance team. You will take responsibility for your own workload and deliver first-class reactive repairs and planned maintenance across a range of residential properties. Just as important is the ability to see tasks through, work collaboratively and provide a responsive, respectful service. We have exciting growth plans and want people who share our ambition to deliver high standards.

What do we offer:

• Use of technology to track incoming and completed jobs
• £130 monthly on-call standby allowance
• Call-outs and applicable travel time paid at the relevant hourly rate
• Company mobile phone
• Company van and fuel card for business use
• Company tools provided
• Company accounts for purchasing approved materials as needed
• Approved contractors to support specialist and compliance-related work, including fire safety, water safety, electrical, gas and alarm servicing
• Company uniform and all required safety workwear
• A supportive and collaborative team

Key duties

The work will be varied and will include minor decorating and making-good, fencing repairs, replacing lamps and other straightforward user-replaceable items, clearing minor blockages, identifying and containing leaks, checking accessible heating controls, moving and assembling furniture, measuring windows and doors, replacing kitchen cupboard doors, completing basic carpentry, repairing minor wall damage, fitting non-specialist fixtures and fittings, and replacing individual vinyl floor tiles where appropriate.

This is a general property-maintenance role and does not require you to be a qualified electrician, plumber or gas engineer. You will not be expected to undertake electrical installation, testing or repairs, gas work, specialist plumbing repairs or fire-door installation. Specialist and regulated work will be completed by approved contractors. You will be expected to recognise when work is outside your competence, make the situation safe within your training, report the issue accurately and help coordinate the appropriate specialist response.

You will work an eight-hour shift each day, Monday to Friday, with core hours of 10am to 3pm. The role includes compulsory out-of-hours emergency cover for seven nights per month. A £130 monthly standby allowance is paid in addition to salary, and time spent responding to call-outs, including applicable travel time, is paid separately at the relevant hourly rate.

Personal attributes

Most jobs will be completed in occupied residences, so you will need to work closely with Operations colleagues to plan your time efficiently and minimise disruption. Our reactive maintenance work is focused on keeping properties safe, comfortable, liveable and suitable for the people we support. You will need to solve practical problems, think on your feet, communicate clearly and take ownership until an issue is resolved, made safe or handed over appropriately.

What are we looking for?

Essential:

• Practical experience of general property maintenance, facilities work, caretaking or a similar hands-on role
• Ability to complete minor repairs, basic decorating, simple carpentry and general household maintenance safely and to a good standard
• Good judgement about when a task is within your competence and when specialist support is required
• A respectful and considerate approach when working in occupied homes supporting people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions
• Good communication, organisation and basic record-keeping skills
• Confidence using a smartphone or job-management application
• A full UK driving licence
• Willingness to participate in the out-of-hours on-call rota
• Ability to meet the physical requirements of the role safely

Desirable:

• Previous experience in social care, supported housing, residential property or facilities maintenance
• Experience of minor carpentry, painting and decorating, flooring or furniture assembly
• Relevant training such as health and safety, manual handling, asbestos awareness or fire safety

What are the benefits?

• Enhanced holiday entitlement - starting from 30 days inclusive of bank holidays
• Sick pay entitlement
• Employee Assistance Programme - comprehensive health and wellbeing support for staff
• Refer a friend scheme - enjoy a payment of £500 when you recruit a friend to Choice Care
• Choiceversary - staff receive vouchers of £75 after 5 years, £100 after 10 years and £150 after 15 years to celebrate their commitment to Choice Care
• Christmas bonus - vouchers for all staff members
• Annual staff awards - this year each winner received £400 and we had over 30 winners in total
• A paid day off on your birthday
• Blue Light Card eligibility
• Stream - a financial wellbeing app that enables you to: track your earnings; save with high-street beating interest rates; choose to access your earnings ahead of pay day with flexible pay; receive discounts with hundreds of retailers; learn with financial coaching and education, and much more

minimum service periods and apprenticeship funding eligibility applicable to some benefits

Where will you work?

On the Road - Regional Team. This is a mobile role covering Choice Care properties within our South region. Occasional travel outside the normal region may be required to support business needs. A company van and fuel card are provided for business use. The specific base area and expected travel radius will be confirmed during recruitment.

EHOT