Martin House provides free specialist palliative care to babies, children and young people with complex and life-shortening conditions. Families from across West, North and East Yorkshire have access to our care 24/7, 365 days a year, including specialist doctors. Every year we care for more than 550 families, at the hospice, in hospital and in families’ own homes, as well as supporting around 200 bereaved family members.

We are seeking a flexible and responsive Housekeeping Manager to lead, motivate and develop a large, diverse workforce—often in challenging operational conditions—to deliver a high quality, “service user centred” service. You will be responsible for the effective operational management of the housekeeping service, ensuring all environments are maintained to the highest standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety. You will drive continuous improvement, ensure staff accountability, and champion a positive, professional culture within the team whilst ensuring compliance with national cleaning standards, infection prevention and control (IP&) requirements, and organisational policies.

The role will involve:

• Providing visible, high-impact leadership to the housekeeping team. You are responsible for setting clear standards for behaviour and service, while managing the full people lifecycle—from recruitment and rotas to performance and conduct.

• Acting as the gatekeeper for Infection Prevention & Control (IPC). You must ensure every cleaning activity meets statutory requirements and work hand-in-hand with clinical leads to mitigate infection risks.

• Owning the delivery of cleaning services in strict accordance with the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness. You are the primary lead for ensuring the facility meets national benchmarks for clinical environments.

• Executing a consistent regime of inspections and quality checks. You must maintain accurate records to prove compliance and ensure the environment is "audit-ready" at all times.

• Bridging the skills gap by coordinating mandatory training and competency assessments. You must ensure every staff member is not just "trained," but truly capable of performing high-level clinical cleaning.

• Taking swift, decisive action when things go wrong. Whether it’s a service failure or a formal complaint, you are responsible for investigating the root cause and implementing corrective actions immediately.

• Maintaining a safe environment by ensuring all chemicals and equipment are used correctly. You are responsible for enforcing COSHH regulations, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring "safe systems of work" are followed.

• Managing the logistics of the department. This includes ensuring adequate staffing levels through smart resource allocation and overseeing the procurement of essential supplies and equipment maintenance.

• Using digital tools and audits to produce regular reports. You need to translate daily activities into clear data regarding cleanliness standards, IPC compliance, and emerging trends for senior management.

• Leading the way - You are expected to champion modern cleaning technologies and innovative practices that improve efficiency, staff engagement, and the overall patient/user experience.

Our ideal candidate will have

• Experience in managing housekeeping, domestic services or facilities teams in a complex environment, with a proven track record of leading large, diverse, or challenging teams.

• Strong understanding of infection prevention and control principles.

• Experience working to national cleaning standards or equivalent regulatory frameworks.

• Demonstrable experience in people management, performance improvement and handling employee relations issues.

• Knowledge of health and safety requirements, including COSHH and risk assessments.

• Be committed to Martin House’s values – Excellence, Respect, Integrity and Compassion.

Our Benefits

Martin House places families at the heart of all that we do and this is reflected in the amazing benefits we offer our valued team members.

• Annual leave – eight weeks per year, including bank holidays

• Sick pay – six months full pay and six months half pay following successful completion of probationary period.

• Recognition of NHS pension scheme for candidates who are currently in the scheme and up to 10 per cent contributory AVIVA scheme.

• Enhanced maternity and partners leave to exceed the NHS entitlement

• Health and wellbeing programme including access to free of charge Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their families

• Accredited Menopause and Mindful employer

• Life insurance – two times annual salary

• Free parking at our children’s hospice in Boston Spa

Please apply via our website www.martinhouse.org.uk/get-involved/join-our-team/ and complete an application form, referring to the Job Description and Person Specification which can be found here. For further information contact Gillian Beverley by email at gbeverley@martinhouse.org.uk. The closing date for applications is noon on 8th May. Interviews will take place on 18th May. If you have not heard from us by 15th May please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Martin House is committed to providing care and improving services irrespective of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion or belief, age, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Martin House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Recruitment checks are undertaken in accordance with safer recruitment standards and successful applicants may be required to undertake a DBS via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Please note all applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK.