House Keeper in Rochester

Main area Offender Healthcare Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (08.00 - 16.30 Mon-Friday) Job ref 277-8360863-ROCH

Site HMP Rochester Town Rochester Salary £27,760 - £29,476 PER ANNUM RECRUITMENT & RETENTION INCENTIVE INCLUDED Salary period Yearly Closing 02/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

Are you organised, proactive and take pride in creating a safe, clean and welcoming environment?

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an enthusiastic Housekeeper to join our Offender Healthcare Team, supporting healthcare services across HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood. This is a rewarding opportunity to play a vital role in ensuring healthcare environments are well-stocked, maintained and ready to deliver high-quality patient care.

*** Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post ***

Main duties of the job

As a Housekeeper, you will work closely with healthcare and prison teams to support the smooth day-to-day running of clinical areas. Your responsibilities will include:

• Ordering and maintaining clinical and non-clinical stock
• Replenishing supplies across healthcare areas
• Managing store rooms and stock rotation
• Reporting repairs, maintenance issues and environmental concerns
• Supporting healthcare teams to maintain clean, safe and welcoming environments
• Safely transporting stock and supplies across the prison sites
• Working collaboratively with prison staff and healthcare professionals to ensure services run efficiently

What We're Looking For

We are seeking someone who has:

• Good organisational and communication skills
• Basic IT skills including Microsoft Word, Excel and email
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities
• Strong attention to detail
• A positive and flexible approach to work
• Experience within a healthcare, stores, facilities or customer-focused environment is desirable
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience, skills and knowledge is desirable

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Housekeeper plays a vital role in supporting the day-to-day delivery of healthcare services across HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood. Working as part of the integrated healthcare team, you will help maintain a clean, safe, organised and welcoming clinical environment, ensuring healthcare staff have the supplies, equipment and resources needed to deliver high-quality patient care.

You will be responsible for managing and maintaining stock levels across clinical areas, ordering supplies, receiving deliveries, replenishing stores and ensuring stock is stored safely and efficiently. The role involves working closely with healthcare staff, prison operational teams and external suppliers to ensure services run smoothly and efficiently.

Main Responsibilities

Support the day-to-day organisation of offender healthcare services across both prison sites.

Maintain clean, safe and welcoming healthcare environments for patients, staff and visitors.

Order, receive, monitor and replenish clinical and non-clinical supplies across healthcare departments.

Manage stock levels, rotate stock appropriately and ensure items are stored correctly.

Operate stock management and ordering systems, including Cardea.

Transport stock, equipment and supplies safely throughout the prison establishments.

Liaise with prison gate staff regarding deliveries, visitors and collections.

Ensure store rooms are organised, maintained and fully stocked.

Order cleaning materials, consumables and equipment in line with Trust procedures.

Investigate and resolve stock discrepancies, escalating concerns where necessary.

Assist with environmental audits and support implementation of recommendations.

Report maintenance issues, equipment faults and repair requirements to the appropriate departments.

Maintain accurate records and monitor maintenance requests to ensure timely resolution.

Ensure the safe disposal of waste, including clinical waste, in accordance with policies and procedures.

Communicate effectively with patients, healthcare professionals, prison staff and administrative teams.

Attend team meetings, mandatory training and service updates as required.

Carry and respond to radio communications when required.

Identify and report risks or concerns to senior healthcare staff

IMPORTANT INFORMATION PLEASE READY:

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

You will need to provide:

Proof of right to work documentation

Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographicID

Proof of address documentation

Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.

Address History:

5 years address history will be needed.

Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.

Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited .

If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Functional English and Maths
• IT skills such as Cardea, Excel, and Microsoft word. NVQ 3 or equivalent, relevant certification or equivalent experience, skills, and knowledge.

Experience

• Experience in stores and requisitions desirable.
• Experience in clinical setting or equivalent.

Skills

• Communication and relationship skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Analytical and judgemental skills such as problem solving and implementing solutions. Decision making and identifying key factors of procurement.
• Planning and organisational skills
• Admin/clerical skills
• Ability to work effectively as a team

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high volume of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Name Clare Denny Job title Recruitment & Retention Resourcing Officer Email address claredenny@nhs.net Telephone number 07504877653

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