Hotel services management

Working life

You’ll typically work as part of a team including staff responsible for domestic services, catering and linen as well as clinical staff. Your work involves:

• supervising all aspects of hotel services
• ensuring that staff carry out their duties appropriately
• liaising with other senior members of staff and making decisions about the resources including finance and staffing levels.

You need:

• to be interested in the effective running of the service as a business and maintaining a high level of service
• to sometimes deal with complaints from patients and disagreements between staff
• some experience in the hospitality sector.

In some services, you may also be involved in discussions and decisions about conference facilities.

Who would I work with?

You’d typically be working as part of a team with housekeepers [1], domestic services staff [2], catering staff [3], linen services staff [4]and clinical staff, such as dietitians. [5]

Roles in hotel services management

Responsibilities and job titles will vary depending on the role. Here are some examples of roles in hotel services management:

• Contracts monitoring officer
• Hotel services team leader

Contracts monitoring officer

In this example, working in a large acute NHS, you’d be responsible for:

• overseeing the self-monitoring of external facilities contracts (particularly those related to hotel services and integrated car-parking and security management contracts
• the monitoring of standards for support services such as the provision of linen, waste services, pest control and window cleaning.
• liaising with service providers to agree and undertake a programme of joint audits  and monitoring activities across the various services (i.e. cleaning/housekeeping, portering, catering, car-parking, grounds and gardens etc) to monitor the standards of service being achieved
• following up failed audits to ensure the rechecks are conducted in the required timescales and the required standards are met
• doing spot-checks on all facilities led services outside of the formal audit programmes
• attending infection prevention & control incident meetings
• providing information relating to issues and audit results to Matrons, Ward & Department Managers and other stakeholders
• monitoring the volume and quality of clean linen being delivered to the trust by the laundry provider and maintaining electronic records of linen usage.
• supervising and supporting the linen room service in the absence of the facilities support manager
• deputising for the facilities support manager and providing administrative assistance to the service lead – hotel services
• You’d work with site services managers, hotel services contractors, the car parking and security contractor, site services contractors, matrons/ward managers/heads of departments, the infection prevention & control team and nursing staff.

Hotel services team leader

Working in a NHS and social care partnership, in this example supervisory role, you’d:

• have line management responsibility of porters and housekeeping staff
• assist in ensuring all hotel services staff complete the daily shift plan in the agreed time scale and hygiene standards are met
• assist in the overseeing of hotel services on site to ensure the hygiene codes of practice are followed and report any difficulties
• participate in the Cleanliness in Hospitals Programme
• assist in carrying out food wastage surveys and report any discrepancies in food quantity or quality
• be briefed by a senior nurse on in-patient activity.
• assist in the co-ordination of deliveries and order cleaning and ward provisions in conjunction with the Trust’s standing financial instructions.
• assist in drawing up rotas and to allocate annual leave ensuring that adequate cover is provided.
• assist in ‘on the job’ training to an agreed format for all new and existing staff.
• ensure waste is disposed of in accordance with the Trust waste disposal policy, assuring Health and Safety standards are adhered to
• ensure all hotel services staff wear the correct uniform and maintain a clean and tidy appearance
• co-operate with managers and other employees to achieve a healthy and safe environment.

Want to learn more?

• Find out more about the entry requirements, skills and interests required to enter a career in hotel services management [6]
• Find out more about the training you’ll receive for a career in hotel services management [7]

• Pay and conditions

  Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales [8].  This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers.

  Your career in NHS hotel services management could start at AfC [9] band 3 working in a supervisory role. Managerial positions could range from AfC [9] band 5 upwards with the most senior roles rising to Band 7 for example, as a hotel services manager.

  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

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

  Progression for those with ability is typically via operational management in a large hospital.

  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

  When you’re looking for managerial jobs or apprenticeship vacancies, there are a number of sources you can use but most jobs are advertised on the NHS Jobs website [10].

  Some of the current vacancies in hotel services, including management positions, are below. 

  Find a vacancy

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  • Hotel Services Manager

    317 01 Freeman Hospital, NE7 7DN

    Salary:

    £46148.00 to £52809.00

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Hotel Services Manager job (opens in a new window) [11]

  • Hotel Services Assistant

    Mid Glamorgan, CF40 2LX

    Salary:

    £23970.00

    Type:

    Permanent

    Employer:

    Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

    Apply now on NHS Jobs for Hotel Services Assistant job (opens in a new window) [12]

• Further information

  For further information about a career in hotel management, please contact:

  • City and Guilds [13]
  • Institute of Hospitality [14]
  • Pearson qualifications [15] (including Edexcel and BTEC qualifications)
  • UCAS [16]