Company: Restoraction
Location: Nailsworth, near Stroud
Employment: Permanent, Part-Time Hours: 30 guaranteed hours per week
Working Pattern: Flexible daytime hours during normal office operating hours Pay: £13.45 per hour Reporting To: Hard Contents Department Manager
The Specialist Contents Cleaning Operative is responsible for the careful cleaning, processing, documenting, organising, packing and storage of customers’ belongings following fires, floods and other insured damage.
This is not a general cleaning position.
Customers’ belongings may arrive at our facility affected by soot, smoke, water, dirt, odour, mould or other contamination. Using specialist processes, products and equipment, our objective is to restore every suitable item to the highest achievable standard.
The role requires exceptional attention to detail, patience, organisation and pride in the finished result.
Alongside cleaning, the operative is responsible for ensuring contents remain correctly identified, documented, protected and traceable throughout the process.
Core Principle
Quality comes first.
Items must be cleaned as thoroughly as reasonably possible using the appropriate approved methods and equipment.
A job is not complete simply because an item “looks better”.
The expectation is that:
· All accessible surfaces and details have been addressed.
· No obvious contamination or residue has been missed.
· The appropriate cleaning process has been followed.
· Items have not been damaged through inappropriate cleaning.
· Finished work has been inspected by the operative.
· Items failing the required standard are re-cleaned or escalated.
· The item is correctly documented, protected, packed and stored following cleaning.
A “that’ll do” attitude is not acceptable within this department.
Key Responsibilities
The role will include:
· Specialist cleaning of contents affected by fire, smoke, soot, water, mould and other contamination.
· Hand cleaning of detailed and delicate items.
· Using specialist cleaning processes, equipment and machinery following training.
· Cleaning a very wide variety of household and commercial contents.
· Selecting and following the appropriate approved cleaning method for different materials and items.
· Inspecting items before and after cleaning.
· Identifying items requiring further treatment or escalation.
· Re-cleaning items where the required standard has not been achieved.
· Photographing and documenting contents.
· Checking incoming items against inventories.
· Assisting with the creation or amendment of inventories where required.
· Labelling and maintaining identification of contents.
· Using tablet-based systems to record information.
· Ensuring every item remains traceable to the correct customer/claim.
· Drying and preparing cleaned items for storage.
· Wrapping and protecting cleaned contents.
· Packing items carefully and appropriately.
· Accurately recording box contents.
· Allocating and maintaining storage locations.
· Preparing contents for return to customers.
· Loading and unloading contents where required.
· Maintaining the organisation of the contents facility.
· Maintaining clean and organised workstations.
· Cleaning and maintaining equipment in accordance with procedures.
· Monitoring cleaning products, packaging and other consumables and reporting requirements to management.
· Maintaining safe working practices and following COSHH and other health & safety requirements.
Types of Contents
There is no fixed list of items the operative may encounter.
Examples include:
· Crockery and kitchenware.
· Ornaments and decorative items.
· Glassware.
· Toys.
· Picture frames and artwork.
· Books and personal possessions.
· Small furniture and household items.
· Electrical items where appropriate and authorised.
· Storage containers.
· Tools and equipment.
· Sentimental possessions.
· General household contents.
Every item must be treated appropriately according to its construction, condition, contamination and approved cleaning method.
Decision-Making
Initial decisions regarding whether contents are restorable will normally be made on site by Restoration Technicians.
However, items may occasionally arrive at the unit where further assessment is required.
Operatives should:
· Identify anything they believe requires further assessment.
· Recognise when a cleaning method is not achieving the required result.
· Recognise materials/items requiring specialist treatment.
· Stop where there is a risk of damaging an item.
· Escalate appropriately to the Hard Contents Department Manager or senior team member.
As knowledge and experience develop, employees will be encouraged to develop greater technical judgement.
Documentation & Traceability
Accurate documentation is a fundamental part of the role.
Contents belonging to different customers must never become mixed or incorrectly identified.
Operatives are responsible for following processes relating to:
· Customer/claim identification.
· Photographs.
· Inventory records.
· Item status.
· Labelling.
· Box identification.
· Storage locations.
· Cleaning status.
· Packing.
· Dispatch/return.
Traceability must be maintained throughout the entire process.
Organisation
Everyone working within Hard Contents is responsible for maintaining an exceptionally organised department.
Employees should not walk past a problem because someone else created it.
This includes:
· Returning equipment to its correct location.
· Maintaining clean workstations.
· Keeping walkways and working areas clear.
· Correctly locating contents.
· Ensuring unidentified items are investigated.
· Keeping packaging materials organised.
· Monitoring consumables.
· Reporting low stock.
· Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and organisation.
Initiative
Once trained, employees should not require constant instruction.
When one task is completed, the expectation is to identify what needs doing next.
That may mean:
· Starting the next cleaning batch.
· Quality-checking completed work.
· Packing cleaned items.
· Organising storage.
· Putting equipment away.
· Preparing materials.
· Restocking the work area.
· Helping another team member.
· Raising an issue with the manager.
We value people who see problems and help solve them.
Wider Team Support
This is predominantly a unit-based position.
However, Restoraction operates within a fast-moving disaster restoration environment and workloads can increase significantly following major weather events or other surges.
Where reasonably required, employees may assist with:
· Attending properties to help itemise contents.
· Packing customers’ belongings on site.
· Unpacking incoming contents.
· Loading/unloading.
· Moving belongings into storage.
· Other appropriate contents/restoration activities.
A “that’s not my job” attitude is not compatible with the position.
Experience
Previous relevant experience is required, but applicants do not need previous fire and flood restoration experience.
Relevant backgrounds could include:
· Professional cleaning.
· Detailed/deep cleaning.
· Automotive detailing or valeting.
· High-standard housekeeping.
· Specialist cleaning.
· Furniture/contents cleaning.
· Production or quality-control environments.
Packing/fulfilment roles involving high standards and accuracy.
· Restoration.
· Other roles requiring exceptional attention to detail.
Training will be provided in Restoraction’s specialist fire and flood cleaning processes.
Essential Characteristics
The successful person must demonstrate:
· Exceptional attention to detail.
· High personal standards.
· Reliability.
· Organisation.
· Strong work ethic.
· Patience.
· Initiative.
· Ability to follow detailed processes.
· Ability to work independently once trained.
· Teamwork.
· Care when handling customers’ belongings.
· Willingness to learn.
· Pride in the finished result.
· Ability to use a tablet and follow digital processes.
· Physical capability to undertake the role, including standing and handling boxes/contents.
Driving & Location
A driving licence is not required.
However, our unit is in a remote location near Nailsworth.
Applicants must therefore have a reliable method of travelling to and from the unit for every scheduled shift.
Difficulty accessing the workplace is not an acceptable reason for unreliable attendance.
Hours
The position guarantees 30 hours per week.
We can offer flexibility around start and finish times, provided the agreed working pattern falls within normal daytime office operating hours and meets operational requirements.
Optional overtime may be available, particularly during periods of increased workload.
Package
· £13.45 per hour.
· 30 guaranteed hours per week.
· Permanent employment.
· Approximately £20,982 basic annual earnings based on 30 hours per week.
· Flexible daytime working pattern by agreement.
· Optional overtime.
· 28 days’ annual leave including bank holidays, pro rata where applicable.
· Workplace pension.
· Uniform and PPE provided.
· Specialist equipment provided.
· Initial training provided.
· Ongoing training and development opportunities.
Training & Career Development
We do not expect candidates to arrive with specialist fire and flood restoration knowledge.
We will provide training in the processes required for the role, including relevant health & safety requirements, specialist cleaning techniques, appropriate use of chemicals and equipment, contents handling, documentation and quality standards.
Employees who demonstrate strong performance, reliability and ambition will have opportunities to develop further.
Potential progression could include:
Specialist Contents Cleaning Operative
↓
Senior Contents Operative
↓
Contents Team Leader
↓
Contents Restoration Specialist / Management
There may also be opportunities to move into other areas of fire and flood restoration as the employee’s skills develop.
Restoraction is growing rapidly, and we want people who want to develop with the business.
What Success Looks Like
A successful Contents Cleaning Operative:
· Produces consistently excellent cleaning standards.
· Rarely needs work returned for re-cleaning.
· Keeps accurate records.
· Does not lose track of contents.
· Keeps their working environment organised.
· Looks after equipment.
· Works efficiently without compromising quality.
· Identifies problems rather than ignoring them.
· Helps improve how the department operates.
· Can increasingly work without constant supervision.
· Takes genuine pride in returning customers’ belongings in the best possible condition.
Quality is the priority. Organisation is expected. Efficiency develops through good processes and experience.
Pay: Up to £13.45 per hour
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Nailsworth, Gloucestershire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Specialist or deep cleaning: 1 year (preferred)
- Commercial or domestic cleaning: 1 year (preferred)
- Removals, packing or storage: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
