Job summary
An exciting and rare opportunity has arisen within our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the Luton site for a housekeeper. You will be working as part of the team providing support and managing equipment and stores to allow the unit to provide excellent care to our babies.
Main duties of the job
The Housekeeper's main task is to assist the neonatal clinical team in maintaining the general cleanliness of the department. The housekeeper will also check and maintain consumable stock levels.
Close co-operation with other housekeepers and all members of the unit team as well as with other hospital departments and medical staff is vital.
To work flexibly with other Housekeepers to ensure that the NICU has housekeeper cover 7 days per week.
In addition to this, the Housekeeper is responsible for ensuring that all neonatal equipment is cleaned and maintained and ready for use. Any faulty or broken equipment is brought to the attention of the nurse-in-charge and reported to clinical engineering.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.
Our Values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Ensure all security measures including visitor entry into the department are maintained at all times.
2. To maintain overall cleanliness and tidiness of the unit.
3. To be conversant with Fire, Health and Safety Policies and other Trust policies.
4. To report any accidents and incidents to the Nurse-in-Charge.
5. To have an awareness of the risk management strategy and the incident reporting system.
6. To report any faulty or broken medical equipment to the nurse-in-charge and clinical engineering.
7. To ensure all medical equipment are cleaned as per unit policy.
8. To reassemble all medical equipment correctly after cleaning and check that they are functioning and ready for use.
9. To check the service dates on all medical equipment.
10. To liaise with clinical engineering and company engineers for the service and repair of all medical equipment.
11. To ensure all medical equipment are stored safely and kept on charge when not in use.
12. To be aware of hazards associated with using medical equipment.
13. To maintain a robust record of cleaning activities for infection control audit purposes.
14. To check consumable stock levels including rotating stock as per their expiry dates. To liaise with Stores to ensure the availability of stock on NICU.
15. To check stock deliveries that items received are correct as per requisition and that stock is stored away safely and correctly.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Ensure all security measures including visitor entry into the department are maintained at all times.
2. To maintain overall cleanliness and tidiness of the unit.
3. To be conversant with Fire, Health and Safety Policies and other Trust policies.
4. To report any accidents and incidents to the Nurse-in-Charge.
5. To have an awareness of the risk management strategy and the incident reporting system.
6. To report any faulty or broken medical equipment to the nurse-in-charge and clinical engineering.
7. To ensure all medical equipment are cleaned as per unit policy.
8. To reassemble all medical equipment correctly after cleaning and check that they are functioning and ready for use.
9. To check the service dates on all medical equipment.
10. To liaise with clinical engineering and company engineers for the service and repair of all medical equipment.
11. To ensure all medical equipment are stored safely and kept on charge when not in use.
12. To be aware of hazards associated with using medical equipment.
13. To maintain a robust record of cleaning activities for infection control audit purposes.
14. To check consumable stock levels including rotating stock as per their expiry dates. To liaise with Stores to ensure the availability of stock on NICU.
15. To check stock deliveries that items received are correct as per requisition and that stock is stored away safely and correctly.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education.
- Numerate
Communication
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication skills
Experience
Essential
- Cleaning of NICU specific medical equipment, e.g., incubators.
- Stock management of supplies.
- Liaising with Stores with regards to stock levels.
- Liaising with consumable companies with regards to the ordering and delivery of supplies.
- Moving and handling.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding the importance of patient confidentiality.
- Knowledge of infection control measures pertinent to a very high risk clinical environment.
- Experience in effectively managing stock levels and stock rotation.
- Computer literate - use of e-mail and Word.
Desirable
- Knowledge of health and safety at work regulations.
- Use of Excel.
Skills
Essential
- Prioritising and managing own work load.
- Facilitating the development of junior colleagues.
Desirable
Personal Skills
Essential
- Flexible approach.
- Team worker.
- Polite and courteous.
- Punctual.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education.
- Numerate
Communication
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication skills
Experience
Essential
- Cleaning of NICU specific medical equipment, e.g., incubators.
- Stock management of supplies.
- Liaising with Stores with regards to stock levels.
- Liaising with consumable companies with regards to the ordering and delivery of supplies.
- Moving and handling.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding the importance of patient confidentiality.
- Knowledge of infection control measures pertinent to a very high risk clinical environment.
- Experience in effectively managing stock levels and stock rotation.
- Computer literate - use of e-mail and Word.
Desirable
- Knowledge of health and safety at work regulations.
- Use of Excel.
Skills
Essential
- Prioritising and managing own work load.
- Facilitating the development of junior colleagues.
Desirable
Personal Skills
Essential
- Flexible approach.
- Team worker.
- Polite and courteous.
- Punctual.
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).
