Job summary
As a Housekeeper your main duties will consist of facilitating a clean, organised and well-maintained environment to enable staff to work efficiently, and acutely unwell patients can be cared for to a high standard. You will have a set of daily, weekly and monthly tasks and responsibilities to help achieve this. You will take part in regular environmental audits and lead on actions that arise. Although you will not be involved directly in patient care you will be interacting with patients on the ward as well as staff members, and various other departments and key stakeholders such as the service managers, ward clerks, stores, equipment library and medical physics. This role is separate to that of domestic staff on the ward.
We are looking for a person with excellent communication skills who is very organised, methodical and tidy. You will be working in a busy environment and will be considered a valued member of the team.
Key qualities of the successful candidate will include:
- Enjoys engaging with patients and relatives, including befriending patients and collecting feedback
- Adherence to Trust Values and Behaviours and infection control standards including dress code
- Happy to clean equipment and assist with cleaning of areas not covered by Essentia
- Excellent tidying and organisational skills
- Happy to carry out an assortment of add-hock tasks including assisting staff though fetching supplies from departments
Main duties of the job
- Ensuring that the ward is adequately stocked to cover a 7-day period
- Help with the cleaning and organising of the ward environment including the storerooms and equipment in line with accreditation and IPC standards and guidance
- To take part in audits on the ward including fire safety and environmental checks
- Maintain inventory of essential equipment e.g. pumps and manual handling equipment on the ward and ensure that it is charged, clean, working and ready to use and to be able to trouble shoot or escalate if the equipment is broken or missing
- To liaise with IT, works and the service management team to ensure that all our electrical equipment is PAT tested yearly and in working order, including IT equipment e.g. computers, printers and medical devices - trouble shoot if there are issues
- To manage patient property on the ward and help reconcile lost items and coordinate the storage and removal
- Carry out add hock tasks such as couriering items between departments as directed by ward nursing staff such as stock or pharmacy items
- Keep all clinical areas clean, tidy and organised and maintain a safe, pleasant environment
- Ensure our storage areas are organised, clean and easy to navigate on a daily basis
- To regularly audit, report, escalate and resolve any issues around fixtures or fittings on the ward
- Assisting the management team with administrative tasks such as printing, laminating, maintaining good upkeep of notice boards and posters and other add-hock tasks
About us
Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Be responsible for ensuring ward has all supplies required for services to function anticipating spikes in usage and ordering sufficient where appropriate
- Discuss and report any concerns about lack of supplies to Ward Manager or Matron, developing solutions where possible
- Be responsible for ensuring all equipment is cleaned and maintained and is fit for use, including ensuring that green 'I am clean' stickers are in place. Bring any lack of equipment to notice of Ward Manager
- Carry our regular audits of commodes on the ward, ensuring they are clean and maintained in line with IPC and ward accreditation standards
- Maintain the sharps bins on the ward, ensuring they are clean, correctly labelled and disposed of appropriately when full
- Lead development and input of information for equipment logging including organising all annual servicing, liaising with nurse in charge/ward manager/medical equipment department
- Assist with the maintenance of the environment, including all equipment used
- Help maintain the cleanliness of the environment, including equipment
- Establish and maintain effective communication with staff
- Provide accurate and effective written documentation
- To take part in audits around environment on the ward and take actions if required
- Trouble shoot any actions that come up as part of the monthly audits that are undertaken relating to the environment
- To help with lost property on the ward and help reconcile lost items to patients
- Ensure storage areas are organised and easy to navigate on a daily basis. This includes shelves dedicated to dietary supplies and, for example, cardiac monitoring equipment or moving and handling equipment
- Ensure that all areas of the ward, including corridors, storage areas and clinical rooms such as the treatment room and sluices are kept organised, clutter free, clean and tidy at all times
- To work with the domestic team and nursing team to ensure the above
- To regularly audit, escalate and resolve any issues around fixtures or fittings on the ward such as broken chairs or electrical fittings
- Routine stocking of PPE such as gloves, aprons, face masks, hand gel dispensers at the end of each bed
- Assists in maintaining the tidiness and organisation of the staff room and locker room, including fridges
- Check on shower/bathrooms for dirty linen/used shower containers
- To ensure patient lockers and bed side tables are kept clean and tidy
- To report immediately to a registered professional any observed change in a patients health, safety or wellbeing or any concerns expressed by a patient or relative about nursing or medical treatment
- Ensure good understanding of the Omnicell stock system and maintain good stock management practices
- Maintains staff locker log and ensures all staff have access to a locker
- To help patients with their enquiries on the ward and assist in tasks such as getting newspapers for patients or answering the phone, including manning the reception desk at times
- To help with distribution of patient satisfaction surveys and inputting of results
- To help with administrative tasks such as laminating and visual information on the ward such as ensuring that the ward information boards are up to date and current
- To help with any other activity or task that the ward manager or matron feels is appropriate to your job role
- Assist with the distribution of meals to patients
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Be responsible for ensuring ward has all supplies required for services to function anticipating spikes in usage and ordering sufficient where appropriate
- Discuss and report any concerns about lack of supplies to Ward Manager or Matron, developing solutions where possible
- Be responsible for ensuring all equipment is cleaned and maintained and is fit for use, including ensuring that green 'I am clean' stickers are in place. Bring any lack of equipment to notice of Ward Manager
- Carry our regular audits of commodes on the ward, ensuring they are clean and maintained in line with IPC and ward accreditation standards
- Maintain the sharps bins on the ward, ensuring they are clean, correctly labelled and disposed of appropriately when full
- Lead development and input of information for equipment logging including organising all annual servicing, liaising with nurse in charge/ward manager/medical equipment department
- Assist with the maintenance of the environment, including all equipment used
- Help maintain the cleanliness of the environment, including equipment
- Establish and maintain effective communication with staff
- Provide accurate and effective written documentation
- To take part in audits around environment on the ward and take actions if required
- Trouble shoot any actions that come up as part of the monthly audits that are undertaken relating to the environment
- To help with lost property on the ward and help reconcile lost items to patients
- Ensure storage areas are organised and easy to navigate on a daily basis. This includes shelves dedicated to dietary supplies and, for example, cardiac monitoring equipment or moving and handling equipment
- Ensure that all areas of the ward, including corridors, storage areas and clinical rooms such as the treatment room and sluices are kept organised, clutter free, clean and tidy at all times
- To work with the domestic team and nursing team to ensure the above
- To regularly audit, escalate and resolve any issues around fixtures or fittings on the ward such as broken chairs or electrical fittings
- Routine stocking of PPE such as gloves, aprons, face masks, hand gel dispensers at the end of each bed
- Assists in maintaining the tidiness and organisation of the staff room and locker room, including fridges
- Check on shower/bathrooms for dirty linen/used shower containers
- To ensure patient lockers and bed side tables are kept clean and tidy
- To report immediately to a registered professional any observed change in a patients health, safety or wellbeing or any concerns expressed by a patient or relative about nursing or medical treatment
- Ensure good understanding of the Omnicell stock system and maintain good stock management practices
- Maintains staff locker log and ensures all staff have access to a locker
- To help patients with their enquiries on the ward and assist in tasks such as getting newspapers for patients or answering the phone, including manning the reception desk at times
- To help with distribution of patient satisfaction surveys and inputting of results
- To help with administrative tasks such as laminating and visual information on the ward such as ensuring that the ward information boards are up to date and current
- To help with any other activity or task that the ward manager or matron feels is appropriate to your job role
- Assist with the distribution of meals to patients
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Appropriate experience relevant to the role
Desirable
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills (verbal and written)
- Basic IT skills
- Excellent skills around ensuring an area is tidy and organised at all times
- Ability to take direction from senior staff and work under own initiative where appropriate
- Flexibility in workload
- Hard working and focused on tasks
- Good level of Professionalism and customer service
- Works in line with trust values and behaviours
- Ability to liaise with multiple staff from various areas
- Good time keeping
Desirable
- Knowledge of guidelines around infection control in a hospital setting
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Appropriate experience relevant to the role
Desirable
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills (verbal and written)
- Basic IT skills
- Excellent skills around ensuring an area is tidy and organised at all times
- Ability to take direction from senior staff and work under own initiative where appropriate
- Flexibility in workload
- Hard working and focused on tasks
- Good level of Professionalism and customer service
- Works in line with trust values and behaviours
- Ability to liaise with multiple staff from various areas
- Good time keeping
Desirable
- Knowledge of guidelines around infection control in a hospital setting
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
