Housekeeper - Acute Stroke Unit on Billinge Ward

Housekeeper - Acute Stroke Unit on Billinge Ward

NHS AfC: Band 2

Main area Live Well & Urgent Care Grade NHS AfC: Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Job share
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (4 or 5 days over 7 days working pattern) Job ref 302-26-8231207L-ACM

Site Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan Lane, Wigan, WN1 2NN. Town Wigan Salary £25,272 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 27/09/2026 23:59

People at the Heart. One Team. Your Career at WWL.

Job overview

We wish to appoint a housekeeper to join ASU on Billinge Ward, who has a 'can-do' approach, enthusiasm, high standards and understands the importance of a clean, well organised, equipped clinical area.

Working over 7 days internal rotation.

Please note this vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received.

Candidateswill be required to present original certificates for qualifications at interview stage.

Main duties of the job

The Housekeeper works as part of the Departmental Team responsible for the co-ordination of all the patient facilities in the ward area to ensure a clean, safe and comfortable environment is maintained as determined by the Department Manager.

They will ensure cleaning, catering, linen and minor maintenance standards meet the individual patient’s needs. They will need to report promptly to the person in charge of the department any deficiencies so that appropriate action can be taken.

Working for our organisation

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to provide high‑quality acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, our staff are central to everything we do — we believe that happy staff make for happy patients, and this ethos underpins our culture and our success.

We have a strong, recognised track record in staff engagement and in living our values:

People at the Heart

Listen and Involve

Kind and Respectful

• ONE Team

We are committed to placing patients at the heart of every decision and delivering safe, effective care that protects dignity and enhances experience. We seek to recruit people who share our values, our passion for high‑quality care, and our belief in working together as One Team.

At WWL, we recognise the strength that comes from a rich and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all sections of society and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key results from the job holder

Cleaning Task/Duties

• Assists in monitoring and maintaining cleaning standards on the ward ensuring general and specialist equipment are cleaned as policy
• Ensure the ward is safe and tidy at all times by dealing swiftly with spillages and removing clutter. Checking that notices/boards are tidy and that signage meets the required standard.
• Maintain the upkeep of patients’ bed areas ensuring specialist cleaning of surfaces, furnishings and isolation nursing areas are cleaned appropriately.
• Ensure the areas where food and beverages are served are clean and pleasant
• Respect the privacy and dignity of patients whilst carrying out household duties and also maintaining the safety of patients property and belongings.
• Assist the patients to order food ensuring special requirements are taken into account so that dietary needs are met.
• Ensure that patients are given hand-washing facilities before serving food and beverages to them.
• Prepare and serve hot and cold drinks and food as requested co-ordinating extra requirements that may arise to offer a 24-hour snack service.
• Serve meals in conjunction with the Nursing Team ensuring patients intake is known and checking all food and beverages are served at the correct temperature according to food hygiene regulations.
• Ensure patients have any assistance they require to eat and drink monitoring intake and reporting to the Ward Nurse.
• Ensure patients whose fluid intake is not medically restricted have access to fresh water.
• Ensure the ward kitchen is clean at all times, checking refrigerated food is labelled and shelved as policy.
• Wash equipment/utensils used in preparation and serving of food and beverages.

Planning and Organisational Duties

• Evaluate the monitoring of the service delivery especially related to cleaning, food, linen and the environment at the agreed frequency informing the Ward Manager of outcomes so that action plans can be taken if needed.
• Liaise with Estates and Works Departments in respect of all maintenance issues.
• Plan the transport and disposal of clinical, domestic and confidential waste as per policy.
• Check the ward has sufficient stock to meet the patients and staff needs.
• Complete daily checking of equipment and returning of equipment no longer in use for reprocessing or storing safely in the correct place following decontamination, logging any defects.
• Maintain a cleaning and checking programme of all beds and mattresses in line with the policy.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• To communicate effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure safe and high-quality care is provided to all patients
• Maintain effective working relationships with ward colleagues particularly those highlighted within the organisational chart above.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• Adhere to Trust Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
• Ensure compliance with Mandatory training requirements in accordance with Trust Policy

Responsibility for Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Responsibility for Teaching

• Attend mandatory training as directed by Trust

Person specification

Additional

• Flexibility and adaptability to work on any ward and site in the Trust
• Ability to work internal rotational shifts
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

Knowledge

• Demonstrate sound underpinning knowledge

Skills

• Demonstrate good communication/team and interpersonal skills

Experience

• Work experience within the role of housekeeper or similar appropriate post

Qualifications

• Evidence of basic level qualifications or able to demonstrate relevant experience

Using AI when writing job applications

If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist in writing your application, it’s essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement to reflect the skills and experience to match your job application. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as it could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process. Please refer to the attached "Applying for a role in the NHS guidance" for further information regarding the use of AI.

The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.

We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.

Guidance on Completing Your Application

Applications are assessed against the person specification. We strongly encourage you to use the supporting information section to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria, providing clear examples where possible.

On-Call

Please note that some roles may require participation in an on-call rota, particularly those that are operational in nature.

WWL is part of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. We recognise continuous or ‘unbroken’ service from any Greater Manchester Local Authority, NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. This ensures access to our service‑related benefits.

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 Paul Watterson Job title Ward Leader Email address paul.a.watterson@wwl.nhs.uk Telephone number 0300 707 2075

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Buckingham Row
Brick Kiln Lane
Wigan
WN1 1XX
Telephone 07385427547