Ward Housekeeper

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust; Hempstalls; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is looking for a dedicated ward services assistant to help maintain high cleanliness standards, assist with PLACE inspections, and support a safe, comfortable environment for patients.

You will be involved in catering support, menu completion, patient meal service, ordering of supplies, and reporting any maintenance or safety issues to the ward manager, working across the ward team to ensure quality care.

Qualifications

• Basic numeracy and literacy are required.
• Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene (level 2) or willingness to work towards.
• Experience in a care setting is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Check cleanliness standards across the ward and assist in maintaining high cleaning standards.
• Assist with PLACE inspections and report findings to the Ward Manager.

Skills

Basic Numeracy

Basic Literacy

Education

Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene (level 2)

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Cleanliness of environment

To check there is a high standard of cleanliness in all areas and assisting in maintaining and monitoring cleaning standards on the ward e.g. ensuring ward areas including bedrooms are maintained to a high cleanliness standard, conduct regular cleanliness audits and provide reports to the Ward Manager.

Assist in Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) inspections.

Catering

To check that patients are provided with good quality food and drink to meet their individual needs and to report any deficiencies to the facilities manager.

To ensure menu completion for all dietary categories and facilitate any bespoke menus if required accurately with the catering team.

Provide a suitable environment for a pleasant mealtime.

Undertake the ordering and collecting of additional food / snacks and ensuring that patients are provided with appropriate cutlery, crockery, protective clothing.

To support the implementation of and promote the culture of protected meal times for all patients.

To serve patient meals ensuring the correct dietary requirements are met with support from nursing staff

Maintaining the environment

To check that the environment is well maintained, safe, welcoming, comfortable, reassuring and to report any deficiencies to the nurse in charge.

To identify and report any deficient equipment and report to the Ward manager

Order medical equipment when nursing staff indicate a need.

To identify health & safety concerns on a day to day basis, and if necessary escalated to Ward manager/Nurse in charge

To ensure asset register is up to date including PAT testing

Check general tidiness in all areas of the ward, including all rooms and bedrooms, report and follow up environmental maintenance issues.

Use judgment to condemn damaged / unsuitable furniture if needed (e.g. chairs, table)

Identify from nursing team any clinical items to be ordered and order on line

Chase suppliers

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Basic Numeracy / Literacy
• Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene (level 2) or equivalent ( or willingness to work towards

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in a care setting
• Experience of ward or similar environments

Desirable criteria

• Experience in a mental health care setting

Knowledge and skills

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of routine work tasks, Relevant policies, procedures, systems and regulations relating to a non-clinical patient facilities service in order to ensure a clean, safe and comfortable environment for patients
• Knowledge of infection prevention and control
• Ability to problem solve including chasing queries (for instance maintenance)

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. We offer a variety of flexible working opportunities for both full and part time staff. Job Share applicants will be fully considered and applications are particularly welcomed from current and previous service users

All correspondence at each stage of the process (including any offer packs) will be sent to you via the email address you applied from, please ensure you check your emails regularly.

• Priority will be given to NHS staff across the region who are at risk of redundancy, where the vacancy is at the same band or one below their current band and candidates meet the essential criteria for this post.
• All employees new to the Trust will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.
• All clinical staff bands 2-4 that are new to the Trust will be required to complete a Care Certificate.

Canvassing of members of the Trust or of any Committee of the Trust directly or indirectly for any appointment under the Trust shall disqualify the candidate for such appointment. The Trust does not pay travel expenses for candidates attending interviews.

ALL POSTS INVOLVING ACCESS TO PERSONS IN RECEIPT OF HEALTH SERVICES WILL BE SUBJECT TO A DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE DISCLOSURE.

Please provide full contact details for all referees, especially their email addresses where possible. Failure to do may result in significant delays in your application. There may also be a requirement to provide additional referee details.