Facilities management

You will be responsible for services including meals, linen and cleaning.

Working life

As a facilities manager in healthcare, you’re typically responsible for a broad range of services including:

• catering
• cleaning
• building maintenance
• environmental services
• security
• reception.

Roles in facilities management

Roles in facilities management are varied and available at different levels. Here are some examples:

• Domestic services manager
• Domestic supervisor
• Senior facilities manager

Domestic services manager

As a domestic services manager, you’d be responsible for planning and organising the work of those carrying out cleaning and other housekeeping tasks. Domestic supervisors (below) would usually report into you.

Domestic supervisor

In this role you’d be expected to:

• supervise housekeepers [1]
• ensure all areas are cleaned to the required standards adhering to the National Specification for Cleanliness
• manage all the domestic and environmental services at the site
• monitor and record cleaning standards and monitoring scores
• manage the facilities management functions at site to ensure all tasks are completed to the required frequencies

Senior facilities manager

In this example, based in a trust providing mental health and learning disabilities services, you’d be responsible for a number of areas including all aspects of:

• car park management
• catering
• laundry management
• cleaning management
• security management
• portering and logistics management
• post
• waste management
• the helpdesk and switchboard
• service moves and relocations from conception to implementation and review
• furniture and equipment management

Who would I work with?

As a facilities manager, you could be working with catering managers [2], hotel services managers [3], estates managers, [4] senior housekeepers [1], linen services staff [5] and finance managers [6].

Want to learn more?

• Find out more about the entry requirements, skills and interests required to enter a career in facilities management [7]
• Find out more about the training you’ll receive for a career in facilities management [8]

• Pay and conditions

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  Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales [9] This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers.

  Your career in facilities management within the would typically start at Agenda for Change [10] Band 6 or 7, with some positions at Band 5, and the most senior roles rising to Band 9 for example, as a professional manager for a clinical or technical service.

  Staff in the NHS will usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. They may work a shift pattern.

  Terms and conditions of service can vary for employers outside the NHS.

• Where the role can lead

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  With further training and/or experience, you may be able to develop your career further and apply for more senior managerial roles – typically within operational management.

  Progression for those with ability is typically via operational management in a large healthcare organisation. Relocation for promotion is common.

  More diverse routes are now opening up, for example, jointly-funded posts between health and social services.

• Job market and vacancies

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  When you’re looking for managerial jobs or apprenticeship vacancies, there are a number of sources you can use, depending on the type of and level of work you’re seeking.

  Check vacancies carefully to be sure you can meet the requirements of the person specification before applying and to find out what the application process is. You may need to apply online or send a C.V. for example.

  Key sources relevant to vacancies in the health sector:

  • vacancies in organisations delivering NHS healthcare can be found on the NHS Jobs website [11]
  • opportunities in the Civil Service can be found on the Civil Service Jobs website [12]
  • vacancies in local government can be found on the Local Government Jobs website [13] and the Jobs Go Public website [14]
  • vacancies for apprenticeships appear on the Gov.uk website [15]
  • vacancies for traineeships appear on the Gov.uk website [16]

  As well as these sources, you may find suitable vacancies in the health sector by contacting local employers directly, searching in local newspapers and by using the Universal Jobmatch tool [17].

  Find out more about applications and interviews [18]

  Volunteering is an excellent way of gaining experience (especially if you don’t have enough for a specific paid job you’re interested in) and also seeing whether you’re suited to a particular type of work. It’s also a great way to boost your confidence and you can give something back to the community!

  Find out more about volunteering and gaining experience [19]

• Further information

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  For further information about a career in facilities management, please contact

  • British Institute of Facilities Management [20]
  • City and Guilds [21]
  • Institute of Leadership and Management [22]
  • Pearson qualifications [23] (including Edexcel and BTEC qualifications)