Head Housekeeper - Job Description
Leadership · Standards · Resident Dignity
About Oaklands Rest Home
Oaklands Rest Home is a family-run care home based on the edge of the New Forest. We support residents to feel safe, respected, known and cared for as individuals.
In a care home, housekeeping is not just cleaning. It directly affects dignity, infection prevention, safety, first impressions, resident comfort, family confidence and the overall quality of daily life.
About This Role
The Head Housekeeper leads, organises and supports the housekeeping and laundry function so that Oaklands consistently meets high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, presentation, odour control and resident comfor
This is a hands-on leadership role. You will work alongside the housekeeping team while also setting standards, supporting staff, maintaining records, managing schedules and stock, and ensuring the function runs safely and consistently.
The right person will have pride in standards, attention to detail, strong organisation and a clear understanding that housekeeping is part of resident care — not separate from it.
Role Details
Reports To
Registered Manager / Deputy Manager
Accountable To
Registered Manager and Directors
Location
Oaklands Rest Home, Marchwood, New Forest
DBS Required
Yes — enhanced DBS check required
What This Role Is Really About
Leading through standards, not just tasks
Any housekeeper can follow a schedule. The Head Housekeeper ensures the schedule is right, the team understands why it matters, and that standards hold even when you are not in the room. This is a leadership role with real accountability.
Housekeeping is part of resident dignity
A resident's room is their home. Their clothing belongs to them. Their environment affects how they feel, how families experience Oaklands and how CQC judges us. The Head Housekeeper understands this and makes sure the entire team does too.
You set the standard others follow
If you cut corners, the team cuts corners. If you are organised, the team becomes organised. The Head Housekeeper models the standard — in practice, in attitude and in how concerns are raised and resolved.
Main Responsibilities
1. Leading the Housekeeping Team
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Lead and support the housekeeping and laundry team day to day
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Organise housekeeping duties, rotas and allocation of work
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Ensure cleaning schedules are followed and completed to the expected standard
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Leave clear instructions for the team when you are absent
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Support new housekeeping and laundry staff during induction
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Encourage teamwork, good communication and pride in standards
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Challenge poor practice or missed standards appropriately
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Escalate staffing, equipment, stock or performance concerns promptly
2. Cleaning Standards and Presentation
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Work as part of the housekeeping team and carry out cleaning duties where required
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Oversee the cleanliness and presentation of residents' rooms, bathrooms, toilets, wet rooms, lounges, corridors and communal areas
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Support deep cleans, room turnouts and scheduled cleaning tasks
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Ensure the home feels fresh, clean, safe, welcoming and well cared for
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Monitor odours, stains, clutter, dust, high-touch areas and general presentation
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Ensure residents' personal spaces are cleaned respectfully and treated as their home
3. Infection Prevention and Health and Safety
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Support safe and consistent infection prevention and control practice
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Ensure colour-coded equipment, PPE and chemicals are used and stored correctly
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Help ensure COSHH and health and safety requirements are followed
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Report hazards, defects, spillages, equipment faults and infection control concerns promptly
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Ensure cleaning equipment is clean, safe and well maintained
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Promote safe ways of working across the housekeeping team
4. Laundry and Resident Belongings
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Oversee laundry standards where the laundry function sits within housekeeping
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Ensure residents' clothing, bedding and garments are handled respectfully and carefully
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Support processes for labelling, sorting, washing, drying, ironing and returning items
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Report missing, damaged or wrongly labelled items promptly
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Ensure laundry areas are tidy, safe and organised
5. Audits, Records and Quality
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Maintain accurate cleaning and housekeeping records
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Check that housekeeping activity is recorded properly using Oaklands' systems
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Support scheduled housekeeping, infection control or environmental audits
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Identify themes, gaps or repeated issues and elevate to management
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Use audit findings to improve standards — not just complete paperwork
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Ensure records are ready for management, governance and inspection review
6. Stock, Supplies and Maintenance
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Monitor cleaning products, paper goods, laundry supplies and housekeeping stock
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Reorder stock as agreed and avoid unnecessary waste
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Maintain safe, tidy and organised storage areas
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Liaise with suppliers and contractors where required
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Log maintenance issues using Centrim or agreed systems
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Alert management to supply, equipment or cost concerns
7. Safeguarding and Resident Wellbeing
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Work respectfully around residents, including those living with dementia
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Report any concern about a resident's wellbeing, environment, belongings or safety promptly
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Protect residents' dignity, privacy and personal space
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Understand that changes in a resident's room or environment may indicate a wider concern
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Follow safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures where required
What Good Looks Like
In this role, strong performance means:
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The home consistently feels clean, fresh and welcoming
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Residents' rooms are treated as personal homes
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Bathrooms and high-touch areas are hygienic and well-stocked
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Housekeeping staff understand their duties and standards
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Cleaning schedules and deep cleans are completed reliably
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Audits lead to real improvement, not just paperwork
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Odours, stains and hazards are noticed and acted on early
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Laundry is handled carefully and respectfully
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Managers trust the housekeeping function without constant chasing
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Families experience Oaklands as well cared for and professional
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Stock and defects are managed proactively
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The team understands that housekeeping is part of resident dignity
This Role Is Not Right For Everyone
Please read this honestly. This role is not suitable for someone who:
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Is uncomfortable leading others or giving feedback
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Avoids responsibility for standards, records or follow-up
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Cuts corners when under pressure
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Is careless with infection control, chemicals or cleaning equipment
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Is disorganised with stock, schedules or documentation
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Does not respect residents' rooms and belongings as personal
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Struggles to communicate with care, maintenance and management teams
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Is unreliable with timekeeping or attendance
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Avoids reporting issues, hazards or concerns
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Sees housekeeping as unimportant to resident experience
Person Specification
Essential
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Previous housekeeping, domestic, cleaning, laundry or environmental services experience
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Pride in cleanliness, hygiene and presentation
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Ability to organise work and support a small team
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Reliability and good timekeeping
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Attention to detail and willingness to maintain standards consistently
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Understanding of infection control, health and safety and safe use of cleaning products
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Ability to work respectfully around residents and visitors
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Confidence communicating with colleagues, managers and contractors
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Willingness to use systems such as cleaning records, stock records and maintenance reporting
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Willingness to complete required training
Desirable
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Previous experience as a Head Housekeeper, supervisor or team leader
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Experience in a care home, healthcare, hotel or hospitality environment
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COSHH or infection control training
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Experience managing cleaning schedules, audits or stock ordering
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Experience supporting staff induction or supervision
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Experience working around older people or people living with dementia
Additional Requirements
DBS Check
Enhanced DBS check required
Right to Work
Must have right to work in the UK
References
Satisfactory references required
Training
Completion of Oaklands induction and all mandatory training
Flexibility
Flexibility to meet the needs of residents and the home
Our Values
Everything we do at Oaklands is guided by our core values: Caring · Respectful · Person-Centred · Informative · Innovative · Collaborative · Honest · Reliable · Open · Trusted.
Our specialty is you — our residents. The Head Housekeeper plays a central role in making that real, every single day.
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