Ward Housekeeper - Chester

Main area Housekeeper - Chester Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent: working across a 7 day period Mon-Sun Hours Part time - 26.25 hours per week (Core hours will still be 9-2 but this will be 4 days per week but still contracted across 7 days, likely 1 weekend day per week) Job ref 373-SMH2781

Site Bowmere Hospital Town Chester Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 24/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Housekeeper to join our team on Maple Ward, our Rehab and Forensic Step-down Ward. This is a varied and rewarding role at the heart of the ward, helping to create a safe, welcoming and well-organised environment for our patients and staff.

As a Housekeeper, you will play a vital role in enhancing the patient experience by supporting both our clinical and domestic teams. You will help ensure the ward is well-stocked, well-maintained and operating efficiently, allowing nursing staff to focus on delivering high-quality patient care. You will support our patients on their rehab pathway, assisting them with laundry, keeping bedrooms clean and tidy etc. while encouraging them to develop their independence.

This post is part time 26.25 hours per week.

The Trust currently supports the Real Living Wage (RLW) hourly rate as set by the Living Wage Federation and will apply a pay supplement if the national A4C hourly rate falls below this.

Main duties of the job

• Manage clinical, housekeeping and patient supplies including checks, ordering and organising in line with the ward budget. Liaise with suppliers and obtain quotes, purchase orders etc.
• Reporting maintenance issues and proactively follow them up to resolution.
• Assist in maintaining cleaning standards on the Ward, including specialist cleaning of surfaces and furnishings and check all jobs on the cleaning checklist are completed.
• Support compliance with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards.
• Assist with laundry and help to maintain patient bedrooms and communal areas.
• Support patients at mealtimes and helping ensure they have what they need throughout the day.
• Identifying and resolving day-to-day issues that affect the ward environment and patient experience.
• Support with any ad hoc demands identified by the Ward Manager

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 1 cleaning or equivalent experience.
• Care/hospitality supervision and cleaning, equivalent experience.
• Basic Food Hygiene.
• Working towards/a requirement/willingness to achieve relevant NVQ’s up to level 3 through training and ward induction.
• NVQ Level 2 in cleaning.
• NVQ Level 2 in Care

Knowledge & Expertise

• Good basic knowledge of Microsoft Office packages.
• Basic knowledge of Health and Safety. Including infection control.
• Customer service, internal and external.
• Communicate effectively with patients, their families and carers.
• Work effectively in teams, appreciating the roles of other staff and agencies involved in the care of patients.
• Fully understand and respect the respective rights and feelings of patients and their families, seeking out and addressing their needs.
• Responsibility for some financial handling.
• Knowledge/experience of cooking for a number of people.

Experience

• In a similar environment or equivalent.
• To be able to train others in Housekeeping duties.
• Previous NHS experience.

Trust Values / 6 Cs

• Demonstrate alignment with Trust values (6Cs: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Martino Palumbo Job title Ward manager Email address martino.palumbo@nhs.net Telephone number 01244 397690

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. The Trust has over 14,500 members and employs more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including:

• Allied health professions - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy
• Medical - including psychiatry and general practice
• Pharmacy
• Clinical support roles
• Estates and facilities
• Support services roles - including HR, communications, ICT,finance and more

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you’re at in your career journey, you’ll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT 665 subscribers