Pre Brexit, there were concerns across the sector that there would be a shortfall in staff as historically UK Nationals have chosen not to join the sector and that has proven to be the case. The British Cleaning Council believes we will be one of the industries that is hit hardest by problems in the recruitment process and the situation is worsening daily when now more than ever the importance of cleaners should still be at the forefront of all our minds.

Despite the cleaning sector having a presence in Parliament and the hard work being recognised by the PM during the height of the pandemic, changes in our immigration system effectively classes Cleaning Operatives as unskilled workers so how do we go about changing the perception of the cleaning industry and encourage UK Nationals to pursue a career in the sector?

Honestly, few people dream of a cleaning job and most fall into the industry but there is a lot to be said for a job in the sector, it’s not just about the cleaning, it’s about Health & Safety, Quality Management and Social Responsibility plus other skills and knowledge and offers job security too.

Some cleaning companies can find themselves with notoriously high employee turnover but this may be more about the company than the people they recruit.  Here at USS the majority of our staff have been with us for many years and we put that down to the training and development opportunities we offer to our staff, the flexibility to work full or part time with hours to suit, recognition of good work and achievements and a higher rate of pay compared to the industry average.

Interested in finding out more about working for USS and the opportunities available, call the office on 020 8669 4377 and a member of the team will be happy to help.

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A skills shortage has been seen for years across these sectors and by 2019 this was widely accepted as a labour crisis, add to that that almost 300,000 people in the hospitality sector have left their jobs since March 2020 including cleaning operatives, kitchen porters and housekeeping personnel and you can see why cleaning companies and hospitality businesses are struggling to find staff.

Migrant workers made up to 37% of the English cleaning workforce pre COVID and Brexit but with new sponsor licences being required to employ from outside the UK now along with a minimum salary of £25,600, this reduces the pool of candidates available for jobs that do not pay this.

The national living wage in the UK is £8.91 yet based on a person working 37.5 hours a week, they would need to be being paid in excess of £13.00 an hour to be eligible for the immigration system and with there still being a stigma to many Brits of working as a cleaner. the question remains how do cleaning companies ensure they can continue to recruit effectively allowing them to deliver the best service possible?

If COVID has shown us anything, it is how important cleaning is and what a value professional cleaning is to be businesses and society as a whole and that is why here at USS we educate and encourage our clients to value the service that our operatives deliver allowing us to pay above the national living wage when possible.

In addition to this, we offer part time vacancies in addition to full time, hours and shifts that suit individual circumstances, a range of training programmes and personal development, an employee of the month and refer a friend scheme and promotion from within. In fact lots of our operatives have gone on to be supervisors and on some occasions beyond that to managerial positions.

If you’d like to find out more about working for USS, we’re recruiting now so why not get in touch to discuss what opportunities are available.

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To maintain the highest level of customer confidence in USS and the services we provide, all of our operatives have received training in COVID-19 safe cleaning which includes:-

• Anti-viral cleaning
• Deep cleaning
• Kitchen & washroom cleaning
• Dust control
• Damp cleaning
• Floor and vacuum cleaning
• Scrubber drying
• Glass cleaning

COVID-19 specific risk assessments are carried out prior to any works commencing too in addition to all other necessary risk assessments.

We are also advising our customers in line with the British Institute of Cleaning Science’s (BISCs) guidelines that if a COVID outbreak occurs the premises should be vacated for at least 3 days where possible before our operatives enter to carry out any cleaning and if no outbreak has occurred it is still important to increase the frequency of the normal cleaning routine paying particularly extra attention to touch point and sanitary ware and to have deep cleaning and anti-viral fogging carried out on a periodic basis.

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Both sectors face a number of misconceptions, such as low pay, unsociable hours and lack of career progression however we are keen to change this perception and that is why we are delighted to announce that we have signed up to a voluntary ‘Hospitality Commitment’ led by People 1st International.

People 1st International are an employer led skills and quality assurance expert who are also part of Workforce Development Trust, a not for profit organisation cultivating ultimate workforces.

‘Our Hospitality Commitment’ is a code of conduct with the following points:-

• Training and development for all staff
• Work-life balance
• Job rotation
• Holidays approved or rejected in a timely manner
• Rotas and shift patterns issued in a timely manner
• Staff recognition
• Regular feedback
• Respect
• Employee assistance support available
• Mental health, human trafficking and modern slavery awareness available to all

If you’d like to know more about working for us, contact the office on 02086694377.

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Historically, a huge percentage of the cleaning staff here in the UK has been filled by EU candidates and if the government proposals for points or salary based immigration control came into effect, with or without a deal the flow of EU staff looking for lower paid work in the UK could well come to an end.

The British perception of working within the cleaning sector is not a good one and we need to change this if we are not to find ourselves in a recruitment crisis.

Cleaning is perceived to be a low skilled job carried out at unsociable hours but the reality is that the same could be said for positions in call centres, retail and hospitality too.

It’s time as an industry and as a country that we start to value the work cleaners do and appreciate the positive impact a clean and hygienic environment can have on a business.

Clients need to offer the same welfare facilities to outsourced cleaning staff and include them in facilities meetings and we as an industry need to be investing more in training and development, ensure we are paying above minimum wage and recognise and reward dedication and hard work and so on.

Here at USS, we are proud to say that we already do this and work with a number of clients who also appreciate the importance of cleaning and the people that carry out this work.

Cleaners are rarely noticed but contribute so much and there is no better time than the present to start changing perceptions and start seeing their true value, your business would not be successful without them.

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Cleaning operatives have the same rights though as office based staff and that is why here at Unique Support Services we like to buck the trend and ensure all of our operatives including our lone workers feel valued and appreciated and have regular face to face contact with management.

In addition to this we ensure that all of the information they require from training to company updates is easily accessible through their smartphones and giving them the option to explore the available content easily and at a time that suits them best and our employee of the month award is still ongoing.

Just because operatives work unsociable hours or as a lone worker on site, does not mean they should be forgotten.  Without our team of dedicated cleaning operatives, we would not be the successful company that we are today, let’s make sure as an industry we are treating our staff right.

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Recent research indicated that 12% of cleaning companies struggle due to a lack of skilled staff and furthermore 68% of companies say that the skills issue is having an impact on their business and the potential consequences of this cannot be underestimated.

Lots of companies however are investing heavily in in-house training and external training courses and USS is no exception to this.  At USS, all new starters are enrolled on a comprehensive training program, further training modules and on-site training is provided throughout the course of the year and an annual refresher training course is undertaken by all staff.

Figures show that across the industry 60% of staff receive training and this is a much improved percentage on years gone by and the cleaning sector scores above the national average for training investment within the commercial sector which may be surprising to some but more still needs to be done.

In conjunction with the industry’s in-house programmes, the British Cleaning Council recognises that there is only so much that can be delivered without vocational training and have introduced a programme called Level 35 which looks at how more young people can be introduced to the cleaning industry and a Creating a Career in Cleaning campaign whose aim it is to empower potential and existing cleaning operatives to attain their career aspirations.

Cleaners are rarely noticed and yet contribute so much to the health and wellbeing of staff and customers by helping to create a clean and hazard free environment and as with any other commercial business, promotional opportunities and managerial positions are there for the taking.

So let’s change perceptions of the industry, encourage young people to consider a career in cleaning and hope that the government realise the importance of vocational training within the cleaning sector.

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The reputation of the industry is that of low skilled and low wages.

The truth is though, that cleaning companies are really are taking a key interest in ensuring their employees are trained properly in order for them to offer a professional service in an ever evolving industry.

Recent data highlighted that over the past 12 months, there has been an increase of 175% in training courses being completed along with a 10% rise in overseas training so it is a global industry wide improvement that we are happy to see.

The cleaning sector contributes greatly to society e.g. employing millions across Europe, driving up standards, innovation and sustainability and with few barriers stopping people from working in the industry this means a growing number of job opportunities.

All of our staff are trained as a minimum on the following topics within one month of starting work with us with annual refresher courses:-

Manual Handling / COSHH / Fire Safety / Hand Hygiene / Personal Protective Equipment / H&S Awareness / Sharps Awareness

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In 2017, GP’s saw a major rise in patients suffering from flu-like symptoms and not only is this unpleasant for the patient, but there is also an impact on businesses too.  One study estimated that the cost to the UK economy in lost working days due to illness during flu season is £1.35bn annually!

Bacteria can travel easily, one person who does not wash their hands can transfer some viruses to up to 7 surfaces and 14 people and pathogens can lives on surfaces for weeks, sometimes even months so the old saying, ‘prevention is better than cure’ has never been truer.

Cleaning Operatives are key to breaking the chain of infection, by ensuring surfaces are regularly and hygienically cleaned using colour coded cleaning tools and equipment for specific areas and tasks.

There is no legislative requirement for cleaning companies to operate a colour coded system but here at USS that is exactly what we do.  All of our cleaning operatives undertake a Infection Control course ensuring they fully understand the colour coded way of working.

Would you want the same mop being using in a food prep area as in the restrooms, we think not so if you would like to find out more about our full range of cleaning services or are thinking of changing your current cleaning supplier, please do not hesitate to get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.

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The levy enables companies to invest in workforce development and allows for best practice of management techniques and it can also help to encourage companies to look to sustainable solutions for the future.

Many employers across a wide range if sectors point out how apprenticeships can create a ‘win win’ situation for both employer and employee and we encourage the cleaning industry to support it and follow other industries that have been taking on apprentices for many years.

Staff that have been offered training and development within the organisation that they work for are more likely to stay loyal to their employer and furthermore it has been well documented that investing in the skills and development of our teams results in less absence, fewer health and safety issues and increased productivity not to mention a more professional image to our customers.

Specific areas when apprenticeships can impact positively in the cleaning sector include risk management, health and safety and hospitality.

Staff can learn on the job rather than having to try and put into practice something they have been taught in a classroom environment or hypothetical scenario for example a window cleaning apprenticeship would not only include the practical skills associated with cleaning windows but would also include carrying out risk assessments, using specialist equipment such as telescopic poles, personal protective equipment and pure water technology.

Get all of this right and the next generation of window cleaners will be experts in their field.

So whether the levy applies to you as an organisation or not, or if you are a young person considering working within the cleaning sector, apprenticeships are the future for cleaning, invest now and benefit long term.

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