JOB TITLE
Domestic Supervisor
DIRECT REPORTS
Domestic and Laundry Staff
HOURS OF WORK
40 hours per week; normally 09:00–17:00, with flexibility required to meet service needs.
LOCATION
Based at Kings Lodge, with occasional travel to company facilities, external meetings or supplier visits as required.
ROLE CONTEXT
The Domestic Supervisor is the operational lead for domestic and laundry services at Kings Lodge. The postholder is responsible for ensuring that residents, relatives, visitors and staff experience a consistently clean, hygienic, safe and welcoming environment.
The postholder provides visible, hands on leadership to domestic and laundry staff, coordinates staffing and work allocation, monitors standards, manages stock and equipment and ensures that cleaning and laundry services comply with Kings Lodge policies, infection prevention requirements, COSHH, health and safety legislation and relevant CQC expectations.
The role works closely with the Registered Manager, clinical and care teams, maintenance, catering, Front of House and other Heads of Department so that the environment supports residents’ dignity, wellbeing, independence and quality of life.
JOB PURPOSE
- Lead, supervise and develop the domestic and laundry teams, ensuring safe staffing, clear daily allocation and consistent accountability.
- Maintain an efficient, cost-effective, clean and hygienic environment throughout Kings Lodge.
- Implement and monitor cleaning, deep-cleaning and laundry schedules and ensure completed work is checked and recorded.
- Ensure residents’ bedrooms, communal areas, staff areas, equipment and vacant rooms are clean, safe and presentable.
- Maintain robust infection prevention, COSHH, health and safety and fire-safety standards within the department.
- Manage departmental stock, ordering, equipment, suppliers, contractors and expenditure within delegated authority and agreed budgets.
- Complete audits, records, meetings and action plans and provide assurance to the Registered Manager that required standards are being met.
- Deliver services in a person-centred manner that respects residents’ privacy, dignity, routines, cultural needs and choices.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership, staffing and performance
- Provide visible, fair and consistent leadership to domestic and laundry staff and act as a positive role model.
- Prepare and maintain a rolling four week rota, ensuring the service is adequately staffed and that planned and unplanned absence is managed promptly.
- Allocate daily duties clearly, taking account of service priorities, infection risks, admissions, discharges, deep cleans and resident preferences.
- Ensure smooth team cover for annual leave, sickness, vacancies and other absences, escalating staffing concerns to the Registered Manager.
- Induct, coach and support new staff so that they understand their duties, cleaning methods, equipment, documentation and the roles of other departments.
- Complete regular supervision, appraisal and performance reviews and maintain accurate records of agreed objectives and actions.
- Address poor performance, conduct, attendance or unsafe practice promptly and in accordance with Kings Lodge policies, seeking management or HR support where required.
- Hold regular housekeeping meetings, communicate service updates and ensure that agreed actions are completed within timescales.
- Monitor staff working hours, attendance, productivity and deployment and ensure time is used effectively across the service.
- Promote equality, inclusion, respectful communication and a positive culture of teamwork and continuous learning.
Cleaning, presentation and environmental standards
- Implement and maintain cleaning schedules for all areas of the home and ensure they are completed, signed and quality checked.
- Ensure residents’ bedrooms and en-suite facilities, communal areas, dining and activity spaces, offices, staff areas, entrances and other areas within the domestic remit are cleaned to a consistently high standard.
- Complete a daily walk-round of the home, identify concerns and allocate or escalate corrective actions promptly.
- Organise planned and responsive deep cleaning, including after infection, refurbishment, maintenance work, accidents, incidents or where standards have fallen below expectation.
- Ensure vacant rooms are thoroughly cleaned, checked, presented and ready for new admissions within agreed timescales.
- Agree convenient cleaning times with residents wherever possible and minimise disruption to their routines, possessions and personal space.
- Ensure furniture, furnishings and equipment are cleaned using approved products and methods and in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and staff training.
- Ensure cleaning includes appropriate high-touch points and that enhanced cleaning is implemented when infection risks increase.
- Keep stock rooms, domestic cupboards, sluice areas, laundry areas and cleaning trolleys clean, secure, orderly and free from avoidable hazards.
- Maintain clear fire exits, corridors and walkways within the department’s control and report obstructions or environmental hazards immediately.
Laundry, clothing and linen
- Manage the complete laundry process so that residents’ clothing and the home’s linen are collected, laundered, dried, ironed, stored and returned safely and promptly.
- Ensure residents’ clothing is returned to the correct person and put away neatly, with wardrobes and drawers maintained in a clean and orderly condition where this forms part of the agreed service.
- Maintain appropriate systems for labelling, sorting and tracking residents’ personal clothing and for reporting lost, damaged or unidentifiable items.
- Ensure clean and used linen are handled, transported and stored in ways that reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
- Monitor the stock and condition of linen, bedding and laundry supplies and agree repair, disposal or replacement with the Registered Manager.
- Ensure the laundry room and equipment are used safely and effectively and remain clean, hygienic, ventilated and free from trip or fire hazards.
- Manage any external laundry arrangements or contractors and monitor the quality, timeliness and value of the service provided.
Infection prevention, COSHH and health and safety
- Ensure domestic and laundry practice supports Kings Lodge infection prevention and control policies, outbreak plans and agreed cleaning standards.
- Maintain an up to date COSHH file, including current Safety Data Sheets and relevant risk assessments for every chemical or hazardous product used by the department.
- Ensure staff receive COSHH, infection prevention, manual handling, equipment and role-specific training and can demonstrate safe practice.
- Ensure chemicals are approved, labelled, securely stored, correctly diluted and never decanted into unlabelled or inappropriate containers.
- Ensure colour-coding systems, cleaning methods, personal protective equipment, waste segregation and laundry-infection procedures are followed consistently.
- Monitor environmental, individual and activity risks and ensure staff understand and follow relevant risk assessments and safe systems of work.
- Report accidents, incidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences, hazards and defective equipment promptly and support investigations and learning where required.
- Ensure cleaning equipment is used only by trained staff, stored safely after use and removed from service when defective.
- Cooperate with fire-safety checks and ensure departmental areas do not create avoidable fire loading, blocked exits or unsafe storage.
Stock, purchasing and budget control
- Maintain safe and appropriate stock levels of cleaning, laundry, paper and related consumables while avoiding unnecessary over-ordering and waste.
- Complete monthly and other required stocktakes and maintain accurate stock and usage records.
- Order approved products and equipment from nominated suppliers in accordance with purchasing procedures and delegated authority.
- Check deliveries against orders, verify quantities and condition, confirm invoice accuracy and resolve discrepancies promptly.
- Obtain two or three appropriate quotations for significant purchases or services when required by company procedure.
- Manage departmental expenditure within agreed budget limits and provide timely information to support annual budget setting and review.
- Monitor product usage, investigate unusual consumption and implement proportionate measures to minimise waste without reducing quality or safety.
- Seek approval before committing to expenditure, replacement equipment or services outside delegated authority or agreed budget.
Equipment, maintenance and contractors
- Regularly inspect the condition and safe operation of domestic and laundry machinery, cleaning equipment, furniture and furnishings.
- Report faults and required repairs promptly through the agreed maintenance reporting system and monitor progress to completion.
- Remove unsafe equipment from use, label it clearly and ensure staff understand that it must not be used until repaired or replaced.
- Discuss replacement or additional equipment with the Registered Manager, providing clear information on need, risk, options and cost.
- Coordinate visits from cleaning, laundry or other relevant contractors; ensure they sign in, receive appropriate instructions and comply with security, infection prevention, health and safety and confidentiality requirements.
- Monitor contractors’ work against the agreed specification and promptly address concerns about quality, safety, conduct or completion.
- Maintain constructive supplier and contractor relationships while protecting Kings Lodge’s standards, budget and contractual interests.
Quality assurance, governance and records
- Complete all required domestic, laundry, infection prevention and environmental audits in accordance with the service audit calendar.
- Develop clear action plans for identified shortfalls, allocate responsibility, set realistic timescales and monitor actions through to completion.
- Maintain accurate, current and accessible records, including rotas, schedules, checks, audits, action plans, stock records, orders, equipment checks, training, supervision and meeting notes.
- Monitor departmental key performance indicators and provide accurate updates and assurance to the Registered Manager.
- Support internal reviews, CQC inspections, local-authority or commissioner visits and other quality-assurance activity by providing evidence and responding appropriately to findings.
- Review domestic and laundry procedures when legislation, guidance or service needs change and communicate approved updates to staff.
- Maintain secure records and ensure confidential or sensitive information is accessed, shared, stored and disposed of appropriately.
- Ensure required departmental paperwork is completed contemporaneously, is legible and provides a clear audit trail.
Resident experience, dignity and complaints
- Build respectful relationships with residents and understand their preferences regarding room cleaning, laundry, personal belongings, privacy and routines.
- Consult residents and gather feedback from residents, relatives and staff about the quality of domestic and laundry services.
- Respond promptly and courteously to domestic or laundry concerns and complaints, resolving matters within authority and escalating where required.
- Ensure staff knock, seek permission and protect residents’ dignity and confidentiality when entering bedrooms or handling personal possessions.
- Respect residents’ culture, religion, sexuality, gender, disability and individual lifestyle choices and ensure services are delivered without discrimination.
- Support residents’ independence and choice while balancing this with proportionate infection prevention, environmental and safety requirements.
- Attend resident and relatives’ meetings when requested and provide clear updates on agreed domestic or laundry actions.
Safeguarding, confidentiality and compliance
- Remain alert to possible safeguarding concerns, including neglect, unexplained injuries, missing possessions, discriminatory behaviour, unsafe practice or inappropriate conduct.
- Report safeguarding concerns immediately to the nurse in charge, safeguarding lead or Registered Manager and do not investigate independently unless specifically authorised and supported.
- Understand how the Mental Capacity Act supports residents’ rights, choice and participation in day-to-day decisions and seek guidance where capacity or consent is uncertain.
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection, information governance and records-management requirements.
- Do not disclose resident, relative, staff or commercial information to unauthorised people or organisations.
- Follow Kings Lodge policies on health and safety, fire safety, infection prevention, equality and diversity, confidentiality, complaints, incident reporting and whistleblowing.
- Raise concerns promptly where the safety, dignity, rights or wellbeing of a resident, colleague or visitor may be affected.
Working with the wider team
- Work collaboratively with the Registered Manager, Deputy Manager/Clinical Lead, Heads of Department, nurses, Team Leaders, Front of House, maintenance, catering and care staff.
- Communicate relevant information promptly and contribute to safe admissions, discharges, room moves, outbreak management and service events.
- Attend Heads of Department, staff, quality, health and safety or other meetings when required and complete actions allocated to the role.
- Develop effective working relationships with residents, relatives, healthcare professionals, commissioners, suppliers, contractors and quality-assurance organisations.
- Support service-improvement projects relevant to the environment, infection prevention, resident experience and operational efficiency.
- Undertake other reasonable duties requested by the Registered Manager that are consistent with the level, purpose and responsibilities of the role.e we serve.
Pay: £31,000.00-£33,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
