Caretaker in Guildford

Part-time position of total of 30 hours per week, covering Monday to Sunday between 11:00 am and 10:00 pm. Flexibility is required.

Introduction

The Whiteley Homes Trust vision is to sustain a thriving community, with outstanding accommodation for older people of limited means and to develop and share our success, so older people can live happy and fulfilling lives. Your job is to make Whiteley the best place to age in Britain.

Role Overview

The Whiteley Homes Trust is a charity that manages Whiteley Village in Surrey. The purpose of the charity is to provide homes for older people of limited means from all over the country. Founded over a hundred years ago in Walton on Thames, Surrey, the Village is located in 225 acres of beautiful grounds and is a very special place to live and work. Established in 1917, the village has many Grade 2 listed buildings and provides housing for nearly 400 older people of limited means. There are 265 Almshouses and 51 extra care apartments, and the Village also has a church, activity centre, pool, village hall, shop and community café.

The Caretakers play a vital role in ensuring the Village remains safe, well-maintained and welcoming for all who live, work and visit here. Reporting into the Senior Caretaker, the team is made up of suitably qualified and experienced individuals who are able to work autonomously with competence, care and sound judgement. They work collaboratively with colleagues across all Trust teams to provide a co-ordinated, responsive and supportive service. As visible and approachable figures within the Village, Caretakers must demonstrate exceptional people skills, strong customer care, and confidence in engaging with older people in a respectful and reassuring manner.

Benefits of working for The Whiteley Homes Trust

• 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing by one day after each year of service up to a maximum of 36 days (pro-rata for part time employees)
• Extra day of leave each year (Trust Day) for William Whiteley's birthday
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave
• Generous Company Pension scheme
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Company Sick Pay
• Blue Light Card Discounts
• Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free car parking on site

Key Responsibilities:

• Be a highly visible presence in the Village through security patrols, communications in Village Publications and attendance at key meetings relevant to the role.
• Be vigilant, responding quickly and correctly in a crisis, ensuring the appropriate support is in place to maintain Village safety and the safety of Villagers, visitors and employees.
• Responsible for maintaining the security of buildings and contents of charity buildings and personal dwellings within the Village, as directed.
• Responsible for CCTV in the village, including maintenance and monitoring, provide access to contractors out of hours, including audit, downloading and communication as required.
• Observe, monitor and report any incidents of concern in relation to security of people and property, Health and Safety or fire regulations.
• Record observations, assisting with identifying trends and proactively offering solutions within the remit of the role, seeking advice on best practice where appropriate.
• Carry out security patrols across the village daily.
• Work with onsite contractors and other stakeholders as required to ensure security processes are aligned and communicated with employees and residents as necessary.
• Transportation of residents.
• Locking and unlocking of West Gate and all trust buildings as required.
• Manage parking in the village to ensure vehicles are parked appropriately and safely.
• Responsible for cash transfers across the village to the accounts department.
• Act as the fishing bailiff.
• Liaising with Surrey Police and the local Council when required to maintain security in the village.
• Assist with all events, including venue preparation, clean up after the event ensuring the building is secure.
• Undertake light maintenance and building checks on buildings and equipment as directed by the Head of Property and Head of Estates.
• Maintain the swimming pool in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Training will be provided for this task.
• Fire Marshall duties, including facilitating fire drills.
• Flexibility is required as you will be required to work weekends and bank holidays.
• Work with the Estates team to ensure gritting is carried out across the Village ahead of expected cold weather.

General

• It is the duty of all employees to ensure that a safe working environment and safe working practices are always maintained.
• Undertake any other duties which may be reasonably deemed to come within the scope of the post, relating to the activities of the department.
• Foster a positive work environment by treating colleagues, clients, and stakeholders with respect and understanding.
• Establish and maintain clear professional boundaries while ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
• Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and consistency in all tasks and interactions.
• Work effectively as part of a team, while also being self-motivated and capable of independent work.
• Ensure full compliance with all the Trust's Policies and Procedures.
• Complete mandatory and job-related training as required.
• You will be responsible for the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all data which you have access to in the course of your work.
• You must not disclose any information of a confidential or sensitive nature about the Trust, any of our service users or any of our employees.

Person specification

Skills & Knowledge Required:

• Personable and approachable style.
• Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions as required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Maintaining accurate records.
• Resourcefulness and the ability to work on your own initiative as well as part of a team.
• A good understanding of Security issues demonstrable through work experience.
• Practical skills in order to provide a caretaking function.

Desirable:

• The ability to use IT, including CCTV.
• An awareness of the law surrounding data protection.
• An understanding of H&S and fire regulations.
• A knowledge of pool maintenance and safety.

Experience

• Experience in the provision of Security and/or Caretaking Services.
• A good understanding and empathy with older people.

Qualifications Required:

• Full Driver's license.
• First Aid Certificate (or willingness to work towards).
• Fire marshal training (or willingness to work towards).

Desirable:

• A relevant QCF to Level 3 in Security and/or Property Maintenance (or willing to work towards).
• SIA license (or willing to work towards).
• Pool Plant Operator Certificate (or willing to work towards).

Other information

TWHT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its employees and older people. We expect all our employees to be aware of their responsibility to protect employees and residents from abuse or harm. Successful applicants will be required to undergo a DBS check and provide proof of their right to work in the UK.