“The Housekeeping team are brilliant”
Jane Nichols our Housekeeping Lead, shares how she’s finding leading our Housekeeping Team after 14 years as a Healthcare Assistant on our wards.
“I started in the Housekeeping Lead role a week before Christmas. It’s lovely as it’s like I’ve come full circle as I started working at the hospice in Housekeeping
I worked in the team for 3 years before I took on a Healthcare Assistant role on our wards – I’ve done that for the last 11 years.
After being here 14 years I needed a change, and when the Housekeeping Lead role came up, I thought “I think I could do that”
I was so nervous about applying for it but after chatting to Clive he encouraged me to go for it and I’m so glad I did – I’m just loving it.
As well as managing I spend time out on the floor with the girls in the Housekeeping Team
I’m not afraid to get stuck in and today I was cleaning the public areas and doing some laundry.
I want the girls in my team to know I’m there for them and that I’m willing to be hands on and to help them whenever it’s needed
We’re a busy team that do all sorts
As well as cleaning all areas of the hospice we wash different department uniforms and do patient laundry too. I also spend lots of my time ordering stock, linen and uniforms and every day is different. Doing the ordering of stock has really helped me build my confidence as I’m always on the phone liaising with different people.
I also make sure our rotas and diaries are up to date. Every department has a diary and I change the different areas where people clean monthly to keep it fresh, I’ll also go wherever I’m needed to.
I’ve made a few changes to our structures and processes since I’ve started as we prepare to get ready to move to our new hospice building but there’s no negativity. People understand why the changes are being made
I’m still learning myself, but I also encourage the team to have the confidence to say something to colleagues if they notice an item is in the wrong place on the wards. We all work together and we need to be able to say things to one another because infection control is so important.
The team have been so good settling me in and answering all my questions. I think it’s nice for them to know they have someone around for support too
The Housekeeping Team are brilliant, they’re the best team I’ve worked with in a long time
And nothing is ever too much trouble. Everyone pitches in together.
I was really proud of the team recently when we were all busy, but we found out there had been a COVID case amongst our staff in the Turner Centre. Everyone downed tools to immediately go and clean it. Within an hour and half, we’d got all our colleagues out of the Turner Centre and given it a deep clean to minimise any risk. Afterwards a colleague sent me an email that said, “the team were angels” and how on the ball they’d been. She also emailed my bosses to tell them how thorough the team had been cleaning
It’s lovely to receive emails like that and I always make sure I share them with the team because getting a compliment is nice – they deserve it.
I feel so lucky to be in a role where I look forward to going to work
I don’t ever wake up and think ‘oh I have to work today’, I genuinely can’t wait!”
