Supporting education in the cleaning sector

The Environmental Cleaners has a charitable fund and gives grants to support educational advancement and training in the cleaning industry and more generally.

To recognise the contribution made by training colleges in developing the skills of the people working in our industry, it established an annual Eric Hill Memorial Award (named after its founder). It is awarded to the college with the highest number of successful candidates in the City and Guilds’ examinations each year in Cleaning Science and Cleaning Services Supervision.

How BICSC can help healthcare premises understand and meet the standards laid out in the 2021 National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness.

The last 20 months has seen as increased awareness of our healthcare services and in line with this BICSc has launched a range of programmes to support the cleaning professionals working in this field.

The new NHS Cleanliness Standards and Support manuals were issued in 2021 following a long and in-depth review of their content. BICSc’s new healthcare skills reflect the methodology of this publication while encompassing best practice for cleaning.

Newly launched on the BICSc Virtual Training Suite is an online course focusing on what the domestic/cleaning operative can expect to be audited on. This course aims to demystify the audit process and help the healthcare cleaning operative to achieve the required standards by providing them with clear and incites information and guidance.

The work of the APPG for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry

The talk will examine the work of the APPG for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry, for which the BCC is its secretariat.

The APPG's immediate priorities for 2021 include:

• conducting a short inquiry to highlight the essential nature of the work undertaken by cleaning and hygiene operatives
• encouraging the development of occupational standards and an apprenticeship in cleaning science
• promoting the importance of the cleaning and hygiene sector to restoring popular confidence to return to public places

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the APPG's priorities are:

• to encourage the adoption and promotion of preventative health and hygiene
• to promote the adoption of the Real Living Wage, to underline the importance of paying good wages to people in essential occupations
• to shift the adjudication of public sector cleaning contracts away from cost at the expense of value and to end the “race to the bottom”.
  

Keep the bar high with CPD and training

As part of its ongoing commitment to maintain standards in our specific cleaning expertise, the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCC) recently achieved CPD (continuous professional development) status for its carpet and upholstery cleaning course. This also forms part of the entry requirement to the NCCA, so straight away, people begin their membership as trained professionals in their field. Dave Wheadon and Paul Pearce describe the importance of maintaining standards post-COVID.

Accreditation helps ease the recovery phase

From offices to restaurants to shopping malls and hotels, facility managers are tasked with creating plans that protect occupant health and inspire customer and employee confidence. Dianna Steinbach describes an option for cleaning professionals to help meet these new demands and provide international validation - the recently launched GBAC STAR facility accreditation programme for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention.

Top 7 signs your cleaning tech has found a pest problem

Pest patterns have changed considerably under the lockdowns introduced in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie Bungay gives some insight into the main factors behind that change – and sets out ways the cleaning sector can ensure their workplace is protected professionally from infestations.

Science-based Cleaning Methodology

How science based cleaning can be implemented simply and effectively and, when adopted, raises the standard of clean exponentially as well as being a repeatable process that is easy to use and teach. Using science based cleaning methodology will save time and cost, engage staff, win and retain contracts, improve audit scores, as well as satisfy customer needs.

Extracting meaningful data insights from your cleaning or FM business

Data insights allow you to gain a deep understanding about your business from the information (data) it generates. Combining data analytics and visualisation platforms, such as power BI, allows you to create flexible dashboards helping you to quickly discover patterns, detect trends, answer questions, or draw conclusions from that data.

Actionable insights help businesses optimise their performance and build stronger relationships. Whether it’s managing audio results on a crucial contract to demonstrate compliance, reviewing service delivery or monitoring your customer experience, enhance transparency and optimise operations.

In this session learn more about why management information insight are an important tool in the race from competence to excellence.

With hand hygiene and cleaning permanently in the spotlight, and sustainability high on the public agenda, navigating the chaotic and rapidly changing world spurred by the pandemic is a challenge for facility managers in every sector. Ben Clibbery shares actionable insights from business leaders across Europe as he explores the findings of RCP’s Changing Workplaces research programme, arming you with the intel you need to take control of your hand hygiene, cleaning and waste management, and get your facility future-fit.