FM Assistant (Cleaning) - Chelmsford | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

This post will include Unsocial Hours Payments as follows: Saturday - Time plus 41% of the salary.

To participate in the provision of the in-house FM services to a specified area within the Trust, which may include in-patient areas and retail outlets. The FM services comprise cleaning, catering, portering, bed making, and laundering services; however, some of these services are unit specific. Therefore, sections of this job description may not be relevant to all staff and will be identified where appropriate but are not exhaustive.

You must be aware of the important part you play in maintaining the environment to an excellent standard. You must also be aware that your work will involve working alongside patients and occasionally interacting with them as you carry out your duties outlined below.

If you're shortlisted, your interview will take place on 27th August 2026. You will be working as part of the Facilities Team and are expected to have a flexible approach to your duties. You will be working as a valued member of the Estates & Facilities Management Team.

Please note you must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this position. Due to current Home Office Guidelines, we are unable to sponsor this job role.

The Estates & Facilities Department is responsible for delivering high quality and cost-effective services across Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. We are looking to appoint a number of enthusiastic and highly motivated individuals.

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you. Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential. Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks. If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice, and counselling. We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service. Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay. Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits. Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus. Flexible working: available from day one for most roles. Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Domestic Service including Rapid Response (CAT): To ensure that the ward(s) / areas you are assigned to are cleaned in accordance with the Work Schedule for those ward(s) / areas. This will include vacuuming floors; sweeping, scrubbing and mopping floors; high and low dusting; wiping over and polishing (where applicable) both vertical and horizontal surfaces, mirrors, chairs, bed frames, bins, sani-bins; cleaning toilets, sinks, baths and showers; cleaning cookers, regeneration ovens, fridges, holding fridges, microwaves and other items in the kitchens; defrosting fridges on a regular basis; restocking consumables such as toilet tissue, hand towels, soap; descaling taps; and bins and replacing bin liners.
• To work with your supervisor and other interested parties when the work schedule for the area you are assigned to is reviewed. This is to ensure that the Work Schedule for that area is manageable and appropriate.
• To ensure that you inform your supervisor if there are any problems, for example, with floor coverings, surfaces etc., which will have a detrimental effect on your ability to clean those areas properly.
• To ensure that whilst you carry out your duties you only use the correct colour-coded mops, cloths, buckets etc. that have been assigned to those areas and that these items are properly cleaned and stored or disposed of at the end of your shift.
• To ensure that all the cleaning materials and disposables you use (i.e. floor cleaner, hand towels) are used economically. It will be your responsibility to report to your supervisor if you find the quality of the products you are using deteriorates in any way, or if substitute products are delivered to your ward.
• To use any machinery/equipment (i.e. vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, regeneration ovens) in such a way that you will not either endanger yourself or any other person in the area in which you are working.
• To be responsible for ensuring that all the equipment and cleaning materials you use are stored securely and safely in the area in which you are working.
• To ensure that general or domestic waste, recyclables and clinical waste are disposed of in the correct manner and to bring to your supervisor's attention any incidences where waste is not being segregated, stored or disposed of correctly.

Food Services: To assist (where applicable) with the regeneration process of cook chill meals by taking and recording the temperature of the cook chill food prior to placing it into the regeneration oven and commencing the cook cycle. To prepare soup, gravy and custard for the patient meal service. (Note – you will be responsible for the whole regeneration process, which will include ensuring temperatures are recorded at the end of the regeneration cycle and for plating food in order that it can be served to patients by clinical staff at Thurrock, Rochford and all sites in the North of the Trust.)

Laundry Service (This section is relevant to specific areas i.e. Mountnessing Court and Fountains Court, Landermere Centre, Henneage Ward and Kingswood Centre): To ensure that all items of patients' clothing, duvet covers, duvets and curtains requiring laundering are washed, dried and finished in the correct and most appropriate way for those items.

To ensure that any garment, once it has been washed and dried that has not reached the required standard is either re-processed or ironed so that it is returned to its owner in an acceptable condition. To ensure patients' personal items are labelled. To ensure that dirty and soiled items are kept separate from clean items to minimize the risk of cross infection.

To ensure that all items, once they have been through the complete laundering process are placed in the agreed area. To ensure you keep the Laundry clean and tidy. This will include completing the cleaning checklist to evidence that all tasks have been completed to a satisfactory standard.

To ensure that you and your colleagues work together to keep the machinery (i.e. washing machines and tumble driers) in the laundry clean and that faulty machinery is reported to the Supervisor so that it may be dealt with as soon as possible.

To carry out various routine tasks that include the delivery of pharmacy boxes and medical records (where appropriate), clean linen, bread, milk, general stores and goods received, meal trolleys and the collection of dirty linen, waste etc. Where appropriate to obtain a signature from an appropriate member of staff for these items.

These duties include the compassionate empowering open watering of plants in public areas and assisting with keeping public areas tidy over weekends and Bank Holidays. To sort, deliver and collect mail (where applicable) as instructed.

To carry out ad-hoc tasks as and when required, for example transporting patients (accompanied by nursing staff – Basildon MHU only), medical gases, specimens and bloods, furniture removal, setting up meeting rooms.

Ensure medical gas supplies are maintained and monitored for in-patient wards at St Margaret's and Saffron Walden Community Hospitals. To decant and deliver liquid nitrogen to the relevant department OPD (West Essex), reporting defects and cryogenic liquid levels for replenishment.

To safely operate the electro-hydraulic waste compactor (with appropriate training). Attend Community site buildings using Trust vehicle for ad-hoc work including collections and deliveries.

To assist with the unloading and loading of vehicles as required. To ensure the site, including the car park, is kept clear of litter and rubbish and external waste bins are emptied and kept clean.

To assist when required with vehicular access to site i.e. fire brigade in an emergency and visitors requiring assistance. To attend fire calls as per the Trust's procedure and where required provide assistance to the fire brigade to enter the site and guide them to the designated fire panel and key box.

To undertake gritting and snow clearance around the site in times of severe weather. To keep the waste compound and storage areas and all equipment used for the service clean and tidy.