Education and Personal Development

Job Title:
Caretaker / Directorate:

Education and Personal Development

Post Number:
C003 / Division:
Grade / Business Unit/Section:
Overall Purpose of Job:

To provide and maintain an effective caretaking service in a school

Main Responsibilities:
1 / Carries out security procedures for grounds, premises and their contents. The routine and non-routine opening and closing of premises. The testing and operation of residual current devices, fire and burglar alarms and the visual checks of light switches, plug sockets, etc, and reporting faults to the Head and appropriate designated officers. Annual PAT Testing
2 / Provides access to the premises in the event of fire, flood, breaking and entering, snow and other emergency situations, e.g. laying grit in icy conditions and clearing snow from entrances.
3 / Carries out required duties in connection with approved lettings of premises and after school activities.
4 / Reports in accordance with agreed procedures any trespass on the premises, damage from intruders and unauthorised parking of vehicles.
5 / Ensures that all hard surface playing areas, paths and drives, etc, are free from litter and weeds, all rain water surface gratings are clean of debris and ensures that the large waste collection bins are moved from compounds to the school perimeter for waste collection.
6 / Carries out minor electrical, plumbing, joinery repairs, decorating and other handyman tasks as appropriate to the skills of the post holder.
7 / Reports to the Head and appropriate designated officers any repairs and/or maintenance work required at the premises which cannot be undertaken as part of the above duties.
8 / Takes delivery of, and stores as appropriate, stationery, materials and other goods. Despatches laundry, goods and materials including yellow incontinence bags. Ensures that adequate supplies of fuel and materials are available and that all caretaking and cleaning equipment is in a clean and safe working condition, report as required. Carries out porterage duties within the school.
9 / Operates and monitors the heating plant and temporary heating equipment to, wherever possible, maintain appropriate temperatures, in line with the Council’s Policy on energy conservation. Carries out frost protection procedures.
10 / Where appropriate operates plant and equipment for swimming/hydro therapy pools, including chemical wash, chlorine checks, plant filtration and the operation of pool covers.
Carries out cleaning of pool areas and visual inspection of ancillary equipment. Carries our routine water management procedures i.e. temperature checks.
11 / Cleans boilerhouses, stock/storerooms and other areas of the building, identified through consultation with the Head. Cleans toilets during session times, as necessary. Periodically descales toilets furnishings and shower heads, surfaces and channels. Performs other emergency cleaning required due to accidents during school time, building and equipment failure, vandalism, etc.
12 / Applies the appropriate type sealer to re-seal either to patch worn areas or whole floor areas. These areas normally being woodblock or Granwood Floors.
13 / Where appropriate completes forms in respect of letting claims, overtime, sickness and for the requisition of stores, and such other forms as required by the school and the authority.
14 / Where appropriate arranges, within clearly defined limits and through on-site contractors cleaning supervisor, for emergency duties to take place.
15 / Organises and schedules daily term-time cleaning routines and cleaning routines outside school term-time.
16 / Provides and maintains an effective cleaning service in the school, including emptying bins, removing waste, mopping, sweeping, washing, specialist cleaning, removal of graffiti and chewing gum, de-scaling sanitary appliances and operating electrical cleaning equipment.
17 / Directs contractors to sites of repairs and maintenance work, confirms that work has been completed. Ensures that contractors are working in a safe manner and reports deficiencies to the appropriate person responsible for the buildings. Liaises between the contractors and the head where major difficulties occur
18 / Deals with enquiries from members of staff, contractors and members of the public.
19 / Where appropriate is responsible for the banking of school monies and the use of school monies to purchase domestic requisites.
NB : The range of duties would only include those where staff are appropriately trained and comply with the terms of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. It is also necessary to ensure that the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Health & Safety Guidance Circulars are fully complied with when undertaking any of the above duties.
Knowledge, Skill and Experience Required:
·  Knowledge of Health & Safety and COSHH Regulations
·  Knowledge of moving and handling procedures for moving large specialist furniture and equipment in classrooms
·  Knowledge of special hygiene requirements in classrooms, toilet areas and other areas used by children who have multiple disabilities and children who lack continence and personal hygiene skills
·  Ability to use and operate small plant and machinery in connection with cleaning duties
·  Communication skills
·  Time management and organisational skills
·  Literacy skills
·  Knowledge of plumbing, electrical and joinery skills
·  Operation of swimming/hydrotherapy pools
·  Ability to work on own initiative
Creativity and Innovation:
·  Monitors environment, including fixtures and fittings, in allocated areas of the school premises and communicates effectively with Head and officers about faults and defects whenever the need arises
·  Devises and implements changes in cleaning materials, programmes and activities when this could be beneficial
·  Uses recognised procedures to cope with all kinds of problems as they arise.
·  On the basis of their knowledge and understanding of school’s needs plans, implements and reviews cleaning plans.
Decision Making:
·  Recognises when it is necessary to help colleagues dealing with problems as they arise
·  Makes changes in cleaning pattern of cleaners to cope with one-off situations without immediate reference to the Head in order to make best use of resources and minimise risks to self and/or others, e.g. on encountering defective electrical equipment..
·  Responds appropriately to pupils’ attempts to communicate when they encounter them in school.
·  Communicates information about problems encountered by cleaners when cleaning classrooms to teachers, Head and administrative staff, whenever the need arises
·  When working out of sight of colleagues periodically checks to reassure them and self about personal safety.
·  Makes decisions about ordering of cleaning materials and domestic requisites within framework of agreed budget for premises
·  Makes decisions about commissioning of minor repairs and site development work (costs less than £150 per item) requisites within framework of agreed budget for premises
·  Responds to requests from contractors or officers about admission to the premises to do work
·  Oversees premises during lettings and advises users of safety/security.
Responsibility for Resources: (to include approximate value, sole or shared responsibility and for what percentage of their working hours)
Keyholder for building with shared responsibility with Head and Deputy
Contacts and Relationships:
Teachers
·  Receives information from teachers about particular security, cleaning or repair problems - daily

Pupils

·  Communicates in a friendly way with pupils when encountering them - daily.

Leadership group of the school

·  Liaison with Head or senior teacher - daily

Other staff

·  meets and works with administrative staff - daily
·  works in collaboration with other cleaners - daily

Other Professionals

·  minimal contact

Parents

·  minimal contact
External Users·  users of school site for lettings giving advice on safety and security.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Demands:
There are no specific deadlines other than completing cleaning programme and securing the school premises during time available as directed. Time to complete activities will vary.
Disruptions to normal patterns of work occur often, e.g. during each week for out of school clubs, training sessions and staff meetings and whenever contractors are working on site.
Disruptions to normal work patterns also occur if there have been smears or spillages of bodily fluids on surfaces due to special cleaning requirements.
Physical Demands:
Sustained periods of physical activity, involving bending, crouching, lifting, turning, standing, walking, pushing equipment
Moves and handles equipment and furniture, following approved procedures and using aids when indicated as necessary by risk assessments.
Moves and handles vibrating cleaning equipment, e.g. scrubbers, vacuum cleaners.
Working Conditions:
Works throughout school. All rooms can be warm and some machines can be noisy and vibrate. There can be smells from cleaning chemicals, e.g. polish, disinfectants.
Some hygiene areas and equipment may have traces of bodily fluids which may be disagreeable.
Work Context:
At risk of verbal abuse and physical harm from a minority of pupils and parents who behave aggressively and from any intruders outside normal school hours.
At risk of injury from moving and handling furniture and equipment.
At risk of exposure to cleaning materials and dust/dirt.
At risk of exposure to bodily fluids in areas where incontinent children have used sanitary equipment.

At risk of infection when cleaning up after or encountering children who are unwell.

Works in areas out of sight of colleagues for periods, including periods of lone working.
Under emergency situations will be required to access the school building out of hours i.e. alarm disfunction or alarm signalling due to attempted break in.
Position in Organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for: None
Does the postolder manage the posts: No
OR
Does the postholder supervise the posts: Yes
Are the posts in more than one location? No
Is the supervision shared with another post in the structure? No

Note:

Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility. This job description is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the contract of employment.

Date of Job Description 13 November 2017

Date copy sent to Post holder …………………………….

16

June 2003