Entries have been flooding in for this year’s awards, with the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) announcing the deadline for submission has been extended to May 15, 2025. 

The highly anticipated awards reward and recognise the standout stars from the sector operating in the industry on a global scale and revealed a new award for 2025 – the Lifetime Achievement Award!

Every year, the Institute is inundated with exceptional entries and winners will be announced and celebrated at the awards gala ceremony, which this year will be staged on 25th September 2025 at Whittlebury Hall & Spa, Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. 

Neil Spencer-Cook, BICSc Group Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to announce there is still time to enter our prestigious awards. This year we are delighted to unveil a new award category – the Lifetime Achievement Award! This is a new award for 2025 and will recognise an outstanding cleaning operative who has excelled in their role and shown a great commitment to their employer.

“The new prestigious accolade will be awarded to someone who has a minimum of 10 years in a cleaning operative position, who is currently a cleaning operative, and who holds a valid BICSc Licence to Practice. We are seeking to recognise an individual who has demonstrated an understanding of the cleaning operative role and who goes ‘above and beyond’ as a matter of course. It’s a fantastic new award addition aimed at recognising the vital work of the cleaning operatives who play such an integral part in our everyday lives.”

An array of award categories are available to enter this year, which include: 

Innovation Award – this award will celebrate the success of a BICSc member that has demonstrated a focus on the use of technology processes and/or learning and development to drive an innovative evolution for their business or organisation. Focus will be on improving the overall quality of service, sustainability, safety and/or cost effectiveness for the business, as well as an improved workplace experience for the cleaning operative. 

Environmental (ESG) Award – this award recognises a BICSc Corporate Member that is focused on environmental and social governance (ESG). The company will need to show a rounded and comprehensive approach to environmental and social governance within their business whose team is engaged in the journey. 

Corporate Member of the Year – presented to a BICSc Corporate Member for their commitment to the BICSc ethos and principles. 

Accredited Training Member (ATM) of the Year – this award recognises the work of an accredited training member, who through BICSc training and assessment, deliver exemplary cleaning and hygiene standards.

Assessor of the Year – this award celebrates the success of an individual assessor who has demonstrated an outstanding level of passion, professionalism and commitment to excellence for their students in their role as an assessor, whilst promoting the value of BICSc ethos and principals. 

Accredited Trainer of the Year – this award celebrates the success of an individual accredited trainer who has demonstrated an outstanding level of passion, professionalism and commitment to excellence for their students in their role as an accredited trainer. 

Cleaning Operative of the Year – this award is the most coveted accolade of all, celebrating the success of an individual cleaning operative who has demonstrated an outstanding level of passion, professionalism and commitment to excellence in their role. 

Outstanding Candidate of the Year - this award focuses on how a candidate has been able to achieve the recognition of becoming the outstanding candidate of the year through adversity or has gone the extra mile to complete and receive the qualifications within the workplace.

Additional awards, which will be nominated and voted on by BICSc Council include:

• The Chairman’s Award

• The Eric Hill Award

• The BICSc International Award

This year’s awards will include a daytime and evening event. During the day there will be an exhibition with industry-leading sponsors showcasing the latest innovations, and a conference with thought-provoking presentations from leading experts. The evening will be dedicated to the prestigious awards ceremony where winners will be announced at the event which includes a drinks reception, awards ceremony and three course dinner followed by live entertainment. 

Neil Spencer-Cook added: “There are still sponsorship opportunities for our prestigious BICSc Awards event which is always a sell-out. Tickets for the awards event will be on sale at the beginning of June, and we look forward to celebrating the industry’s leading talent at this year’s awards ceremony.”

For more information visit: https://www.bics.org.uk/awards/

THE BICSC Youth Event is designed to bridge the gap between enthusiastic young talent and industry professionals, fostering a harmonious environment for growth, learning, and mutual benefit.

The primary objective of the event is to provide young people with a comprehensive understanding of the diverse job roles available after leaving school, college, or university. Through dynamic presentations, insightful panels, and interactive exhibitions, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the skills needed to succeed in their chosen careers. This exceptional initiative is hosted in collaboration with Youth Employment UK and emphasises our commitment to being a youth-friendly, industry-friendly organisation that values our local community and the opportunities within it.

Engaging with the next generation

For sponsors, the event offers a unique chance to showcase opportunities and connect with enthusiastic young talent. This engagement not only promotes job openings and career prospects but also allows organisations to leave a lasting impact on the attendees. By effectively communicating their brand and values, sponsors and exhibitors can attract future professionals who are eager to embark on their career journey in the cleaning and FM sectors.

Sponsorship options

To facilitate this engagement, the BICSc Youth Event offers two tiers of sponsorship:

Tier 2 

• Exhibit space: Present your brand and connect with potential recruits, creating a dynamic and engaging environment
• YEUK Membership and Recruitment Package: Valued at over £3,000, this package offers unparalleled access to young talent. It includes membership with Youth Employment UK, access to a comprehensive library of early career resources, monthly webinars, three in-person events, unlimited job postings on the Opportunity Finder, logo inclusion on the BICSc Cleaning Hub page, and additional promotion through a joint PR campaign
• Comprehensive marketing: Your brand will be featured in The Standard, BICSc quarterly magazine, through editorial opportunities throughout all editions for the year. Additionally, your brand will be promoted as part of the event on our website and across our social media channels
• Logo placement: Your logo will be featured digitally and in print on the day of the event, ensuring maximum visibility
• QR code: Easy access to your digital content and resources, providing a simple way to link attendees on the day to your job opportunities or career information.

Tier 1 

All the Tier 2 options, plus:

• Exclusive panel spot: Share your insights and expertise with a captivated audience, providing a platform to influence and inspire the next generation of professionals
• Future speaking invitations: Continue to influence and inspire at upcoming BICSc events, solidifying your presence in the industry.

Conclusion

The BICSc Youth Event is more than just a career fair; it is a transformative experience designed to shape the future of young professionals and the cleaning and FM sectors. By participating as a sponsor, you are not only investing in your organisation's growth but also contributing to the development of a skilled and motivated workforce. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with the next generation of professionals and showcase the exciting possibilities that await them within the cleaning and FM sectors. 

Neil Spencer-Cook is group managing director at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk

For the first time, the industry-leading Institute will host its inaugural BICSc Youth Event which will take place on July 9th, 2025. The one-day event willshine a spotlight on the varied career opportunities in the cleaning sector and facilities management industry.

BICSc will be hosting this new event in collaboration with Youth Employment UK (YEUK) and together will showcase and explore exciting career options with experts from the sector, delivering dynamic presentations and participating in insightful, knowledge sharing panels. 

BICSc Group Managing Director, Neil Spencer-Cook said: “This event is designed to give young people a comprehensive understanding of the diverse job roles available after leaving school, college, or university. Those attending will leave with a clearer picture of the multiple career paths that await them, and the skills needed to succeed.

“Hosted by BICSc, in collaboration with Youth Employment UK, this event underscores our commitment to being a youth-friendly, industry-friendly organisation that values its local community and the opportunities within it. It gives delegates the ideal opportunity to shape their future and discover the numerous possibilities to achieve and succeed in the cleaning and FM sectors!”

The event, which will be held at IET, Austin Court, Birmingham, will be staged during Youth Employment Week, 7th-11th July 2025 and will guide and highlight the breadth of the cleaning industry and wider FM roles available to students after leaving school, college or university. 

Experts from BICSc and YEUK will share their own personal insights and experiences of their career successes to help inspire attendees to understand what can be achieved in both sectors. Discussions will also focus onearly/extended careers in innovation in the industry.

Neil Spencer-Cook added: “We are thrilled to be able to launch this new BICSc Youth Event which will offer a full day of presentations, panels, and exhibitions from youth-friendly companies operating within our industry. For sponsors and exhibitors, this is a unique chance to showcase their opportunities and connect with enthusiastic young talent and effectively promote their job openings and career prospects.”

“We are excited to share more information about the multitude of career opportunities available and inspire the next generation of specialists within the sector.”

BICSc is the largest independent professional and educational body within the cleaning industry. The are several sponsorship packages available and opportunities for organisations to exhibit at the exclusive event. 

For more information about tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities visit https://www.bics.org.uk/bicsc-youth-event/

WAITING FOR action on somebody else's part is always the most difficult thing to plan into any business strategy, Do we need to look at how we do things, and do we need to find a different way to overcome the shortage of staff and the problems as an industry we are facing? With hundreds of thousands of vacancies surely we need to act now.

So, what can we do? I've talked here before about the use of technology whether that be sensor technology to identify what areas need cleaning on any particular day, whether that be robotics or whether that be using data that can be obtained to analyse how we can do things more efficiently. Let's not forget that technology also includes machinery that is not robotics. For example using the right size scrubber dryer for the area you were cleaning rather than mopping by hand.

Let's start with machinery and robotics. We are all aware that any form of machinery needs to be maintained and looked after, cleaned and fit for purpose, to ensure it fulfils its full life cycle. This in the past seems to have fallen to the cleaning operative, which in some instances is a great idea - but do all cleaning operatives want to maintain machinery? Indeed, are they capable? 

Depending on the size of your contract - or contracts - would looking for somebody with the skill set to maintain machinery only be a different way of looking at addressing the skills shortage in cleaning operatives? Having spoken to a number of machinery manufacturers there are a lot of telematics that can be obtained. For example, how often the machine has been used on a particular contract, how many hours it's been out of the cupboard on any particular day, are they at the point of needing a maintenance check? Do they need any parts change and do they need cleaning?

One of the things we hear from operatives particularly around the robotics side of things is that they leave puddles of water on the floor. Now let’s be honest every machine can fail at some point, but have these machines been maintained and cleaned in line with the manufacturer’s instructions? Is that why the machine is leaving puddles?

Also, who has been made responsible for the maintenance of the machines? Is it a cleaning operative who thinks that the robot may take their job in the long term?  Will they maintain it correctly? How have you introduced the machinery to your staff? Do your staff feel secure? I am sure many of you are addressing these issues, and playing to the strengths of your operational teams, but are we doing enough to make the cleaning operative feel secure in their role? In a time when we are fighting to fill roles shouldn’t that be high on the priority list? 

In terms of the quality of data that we can now get from washroom machinery, sensor technology, machinery telematics and more, who are we expecting to keep track and on top of this? Is it a supervisor who is also covering a cleaning operative role? Is it a manager who is running 15 contracts? Do they have the time and the skill set to do it?

Sometimes coming at it in a different way may help. Employing someone who is data orientated and can analyse/help make improvements and increase efficiency could be a major benefit to your business. Is there someone within your business that is this way orientated? It may be an operative and isn’t this a great way of internal promotion! I'm sure I am not the only person who thinks like this, and many of you out there are trying different ways to successfully complete your contracts. 

My point is that we can wait and wait for government action and committees to provide us with solutions - we all know that this takes time - so if we want to make a change for the better and overcome the problems thrown at us let’s look at how we have always done it and find another way that might just supply the answer to some of our problems, if not all. None of us like change for the sake of it but sometimes change can make a bigger difference than we realise if we let go and run with it. 

Neil Spencer-Cook is group managing director at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk

SUSTAINABILITY CONTINUES to be a key topic and consideration throughout not only the professional cleaning community, but also other industries worldwide. 

Whether the sustainability spotlight is on an organisation’s global carbon footprint, or the products and chemicals being utilised within the sector, being able to demonstrate “green credentials” is increasingly topping the agenda for businesses.

Sustainability is an integral focus for the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) which will explore all aspects of this expansive topic with keynote speakers and experts from the industry sharing knowledge at the BICSc Conference being staged in collaboration with Cleaning Matters. 

Group Managing Director of BICSc, Neil Spencer-Cook, said: “As part of the Cleaning Excellence Conference day, BICSc is delighted to join forces with Cleaning Matters and have the opportunity to be part of this occasion with our conference.

“On our stage we will have a series of keynote speakers and guests covering a wide range of topics with the chance for conference delegates to join in the discussions with engaging and informed Q&A sessions.”

Throughout the BICSc Conference there will be a number of joint presentations featuring Neil Spencer-Cook, who will be joined on stage by BICSc Technical Manager, Kelsey Hargreaves.  BICSc highlighted how sustainability is of integral importance to the Institute. Acknowledging it’s vital that the professional cleaning industry continue to develop and evolve ensuring the sector is as sustainable as possible across a range of areas within its operations, as well as other processes and practices, where applicable. 

He said: “From BICSc standpoint our focus is very much about advocating sustainability, however in a realistic way. While sustainability can be considered somewhat of a ‘buzzword’ currently, it is something we take very seriously.

“It is important to acknowledge sustainability is so much more than simply a focus on carbon footprint, it’s a very broad subject.  It is not just about being environmental; it is also about using things that are sustainable for our planet, which could mean using something that is not necessarily classed as the most ‘environmental’ but rather will last the longest and most importantly demonstrate its longevity.”

The BICSc business leader highlighted how some products for example, such as mops, which can be broken within minutes, if not handled properly, whereas other more robust products will go on to last for years. 

Neil said: “Another example are scrubber dryers, buy cheap and it might last a couple of years, however if you buy a really good quality one, it is more likely to last 10 to 15 years – that is realistic sustainability in my view, rather than paying lip service.

“The longevity of those tools of the trade that cleaning operatives will be using day in and day out, means it’s important when investing in those tools - buy cheap and you’re likely need to buy multiple products, and they are all adding to landfill.”

He highlighted across all sectors there is a growing trend of organisations claiming they have sustainability status, however he stressed that often it can be a case of businesses jumping on a buzzword band wagon, which if those credentials are not as robust as implied, leaves organisations open to allegations of greenwashing. 

BICSc stressed that while some companies claim sustainably by utilising “green” chemicals, it also raises the question of whether these products perform and do the job assigned effectively.

Neil said: “Are you buying a chemical because the manufacturers say it is “green” but is that chemical actually doing the job? Afterall, using any kind of chemical, whether it is deemed more environmentally friendly or not, it is still a chemical.”

He highlighted how BICSc continues to strive to achieve environmental goals and its sustainability is demonstrated in numerous ways, including going paperless in its processes. By offering online, remote training, which negates need for travel is another approach which offers online options for cleaning candidates.

“It is more sustainable to offer online training from numerous aspects because for training purposes you are filming once, using chemicals once, rather than using chemicals time and again when demonstrating the same training processes with in-person training day after day. It all has a positive impact in the long run. 

“Also training on the job, using the more commercially viable ways BICSc are training, means that you are not necessarily getting somebody to mix chemicals purely for a training session - they could be mixing those chemicals to go and do their job and be assessed in a workplace setting. This means that you are not washing clothes or using more power, which also impacts carbon footprint.”

All the latest leading industry issues, new developments and improvements in sustainable processes will also be in the spotlight at the forthcoming BICSc Conference.

Neil Spencer-Cook, Group Managing Director at BICSc and Kelsey Hargreaves, Technical Manager at BICSc will be presenting two joint talks to delegates covering: 

• Sustainable Training - BICSc holds the importance of training at the heartbeat of all that we do, as we continue to champion the importance of training for the safety of the operative, we need to further look at training sustainably and what that may mean for the industry. Join us as we delve into sustainable training, looking at sustainable methodologies in the way we train, the materials we use to train with, the places we train and the impact all of this has on the most important factor: the candidate. Training is imperative for the success and standard of a cleaning service and doing that sustainably is non-negotiable. What changes could you make?

• Working towards a sustainable workforce for the industry - Changes and concerns around the future workforce of the industry has become a ‘hot’ topic among cleaning and FM professionals. It is imperative for the future of the industry that we initiate a way to introduce a new upcoming workforce, as without it, we risk an industry losing valuable skills and knowledge that will leave with the leaders that innovated the industry. We know the problem; how do we fix it? What are we doing to fix it? What else can we do? BICSc will explore working towards a sustainable workforce in all things recruitment and retention.

Additional conference highlights include - A Sustainable Future – the importance of the products and services will be a presentation delivered by Craig Bowman, Commercial Director, Kimberly-Clark Professional UK & Ireland. The presentation will look, as we move to a sustainable future, at the importance of the products and services being used should not be overlooked.

Craig will focus on the fact that we do not live in a world of infinite resources, so products need to do more with less. Choosing products that are designed with sustainability – or even circularity – in mind can help reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste, and increase cost savings. Delegates will be able to find out more about how to make sustainable product choices.

Additional presentations by industry leading experts will cover a wide range of topics including:

• A sustainable future with the CHSA
• The future of the industry and recognition for retention
• Sustainable ways forward – an introduction to technology led cleaning
• Sustainable Cleaning Chemicals
• Sustainable Cleaning

At the second conference BICSc has run at the event, the Institute will seek to highlight how training, ensuring people are trained professionally and passing skills on is another approach to sustainability and instilling sustainability goals into the professional cleaning community’s worldwide workforce. 

Neil added: “This is the second conference that BICSc has run at this event and at this year’s comprehensive conference we welcome the opportunity to talk to professionals within the industry to be able to share knowledge and address current industry issues and important topics impacting the sector.

“The BICSc team is looking forward to engaging with fellow professionals from the industry, sharing information and finding out how the latest developments within the professional cleaning community are affecting our members and fellow professionals. 

“However, it is about being realistic about sustainability, we all want the best for our planet, and we all know the impact of climate change but sustainability is more than that, be realistic with it and lets work collectively as we all have the same goal. Ultimately your sustainability comes from recognising your talent, using your talent to pass on their knowledge and ensuring that the future is there moving forward.”

For more information visit https://www.bics.org.uk/the-cleaning-excellence-conference-awards/

THERE ARE many areas that are talked about regarding the future. Technology, which has many strands in its own right, data collection for refilling, cleaning schedules, robotics – whether that be cobotics or fully automated – the internet of things, and then there are the other topics, sustainability, environmental impact (ESG), living wage, slavery, and of course getting government recognition for the guardians of public health.  The future has so many strands to it where do you start?

I must ask how many of these considerations are thought about by the cleaning operatives?  How many of these subjects are even discussed with cleaning operatives?  How many cleaning operatives are allowed to have a voice in these considerations?

I am a firm believer that if you want change to happen then it needs everyone in a business to buy into the changes, or at least a majority.  Is there any point in putting in a complete change when everybody is against it?  In my experience, this type of change without buy-in causes poor morale and tends to increase staff turnover.  This means that the experience of your business, one thing that is hard to replicate, is lost, it means that consistency with your customer base is also lost, and this could lead to loss of customers. 

But in my experience, the decision on change, and believe me I am not against change, is usually done and decided by managers and the changes are just passed around the rest of the business as it is happening.  

The one thing I have learnt over time is to talk about the upcoming possible changes, get input on what people think, and explain why you think they will be better for the future. That involvement will assist in the smoother implementation of any changes more than any other preparation you can do. 

I took over my role as Group MD just over a year ago and even a few years prior to that there have been regular changes at BICSc. In the last year the management team have been more open about upcoming bits and pieces, has encouraged more input in the ways we do things, and asked for everyone’s ideas and suggestions. This is proving to be more successful than ever. The team are even more engaged, and the teamwork ethos is so much higher than it has ever been, this is something that, as an MD, I am so delighted to see. 

Believe me, I know this may not work everywhere in the way it is done at BICSc and there are many people who react badly to change and do everything to resist change.  As a company that trains, resistance to change is there daily.  “I have been doing this for years, why do I need to be trained?”, “That wouldn’t work for me”, “We can’t do that”, “It takes too long” are all phrases our trainers hear are too frequently, and the one thing they all enjoy is being able to turn these arguments around at some point during a training session.  Some call it the lightbulb moment. 

I suppose what I am trying to say is every business will be different in how they can address this, but I would like to say one thing: remember, in a business it takes every member of staff to be successful, so inclusion, communication and explanation are key. Don’t forget without your staff engagement at every level, your profit will be affected and the future will become uncertain.

Neil Spencer-Cook is group managing director at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk

Business leaders at BICSc said they are proud its technical manager, Kelsey Hargreaves, has been announced as a finalist in the Rising Star of the Year category in this year’s European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2024.

While welcoming news of Kelsey’s award finalist success, the Institute took the opportunity to highlight the breadth of talent within the global professional cleaning community who are not necessarily recognised by award nominations. 

Neil Spencer-Cook, BICSc group managing director, said: “BICSc are delighted and incredibly proud that Kelsey has been recognised in these annual awards. We are so pleased Kelsey is a finalist; she is one of our many rising stars. It is a great achievement and as we welcome news of her award finalist success, it is important to also recognise that rising stars aren’t the only talent in the business. 

“Whilst we are celebrating with Kelsey, there are lots of people in our business who have been with us for many years, have great knowledge, and are also integral to our organisation. Indeed, there are people in our business, and many other organisations, that might not fit an award category of rising star, however, it’s essential to recognise their ongoing efforts and achievements. We shouldn’t forget that experience is also invaluable alongside rising talent within the cleaning community. There are numerous unsung heroes who are integral to their business and enable individuals to shine because of the great supportive team that are around them and nurturing them.”

BICSc is calling on the industry to do more to champion the cleaning community’s unsung heroes who don’t always have the opportunity to be nominated for accolades and awards in the sector.

Neil Spencer-Cook added: “Industry-wide, much more could be done to shine a spotlight on the breadth of talent that work within the professional cleaning community, especially cleaning operatives. Often it is the companies that are recognised and not the cleaning operatives whose vital work is why the business is receiving recognition and accolades. 

“BICSc is leading the industry in making moves to do more to celebrate those numerous individuals who often go unseen despite all they do on a daily basis throughout so many sectors. The BICSc Awards, which we host every September, aims to celebrate the talent and individuals within our global cleaning community.”

For the first time ever, the Institute’s popular Virtual Training Suite has been launched in app form, with news of the industry-wide introduction of the inaugural training app revealed at the show. 

In another first, as well as revealing the new training app at the BICSc stand, experts from the Institute were specially selected to host live demonstrations within healthcare settings at the show, which ran from 14-17 May.

The BICSc Training App allows users to access all their training on the go. In addition to accessing training online, the app enables candidates to also utilise tablets and mobile devices for their training requirements. 

The latest addition adds to the breadth of training options available giving candidates the choice to train face-to-face, from their desktop/laptop, or on the go as BICSc continues to evolve, pushing the boundaries and harnessing the latest technologies in the process. 

BICSc group managing director, Neil Spencer-Cook, said: “This is a fantastic development for BICSc. We’re thrilled to be adding to our already comprehensive offering by announcing the news of our third app, designed to make life easier for our members and training candidates.

“I am delighted we are able to continue evolving in the way that we are, giving all candidates the choice of how they want to train because everybody is different and has their own approach to learning and training. We want to ensure all our wide-ranging content is easier to view and accessible no matter where you are in the world. 

“By announcing the launch of our latest app, we are demonstrating how we continue to fulfil our mission of protecting the operative, by ensuring they’re not only getting the correct training but that they are also able to access the training in a way that suits them and their lifestyle.” 

At Interclean Amsterdam, the BICSc team of professionals hosted a range of live demonstrations focused on healthcare settings.

Experts from BICSc were specially selected to deliver demonstrations and share knowledge at the show’s healthcare arena. Delegates attending the show and healthcare setting, within the Healthcare Cleaning Forum, witnessed live, detailed demonstrations focusing on environmental healthcare cleaning.

The live, informative demonstrations were conducted by BICSc commercial director, Denise Hanson, who was joined by technical specialist, Kelsey Hargreaves. They showed how to clean effectively and efficiently as part of the demonstrations, which were held in hospital settings to teach about specialised cleaning method guidelines, dress codes, hand hygiene, and more.

For more information go to https://www.bics.org.uk/ 

I am not sure about you, but I hear this regularly or a variation of it. Whilst I do think to attract people into the industry, we do need to show that there are career paths available, we spend so much time focusing on discussing this and portraying our unique business understanding of this, whether it’s a soft service career, an FM career, or any variation of that, at no point do we consider the person whose career it will be. 

If you are anything like me, I do not react well to being told this should be your next step in your career, although I am now of an age where people say this to me less, I have always had an objection to someone telling me you should be “there” next. To be fair, I must thank these people as they have meant I have made the decisions (usually to prove them wrong) I have, to get me where I am now. 

Back to my point, each one of us is different and have differing views on many things, why would we not think that someone joining the industry is the same?  Do we not train based on including everybody and adapting our training style as much as possible to ensure every candidate gets as much as possible from the training? 

Then why would we dictate or guide them on a fixed career path?  Like I said at the beginning we do need to show that there are career paths to encourage people to join the industry, but I am not sure we should guide them along a fixed career path. 

Isn’t it like everything in life, some of us go to university, some of us don’t, some of us start in retail and end up in finance, or end up in management, some of us are happy to stay at a certain level and keep going enjoying what we do.  Everyone is different and I think this is the biggest thing we can learn whilst we are constantly trying to manage the narrative around careers in cleaning. 

What are the careers in cleaning? Well where do you start? Any business has many common functions; supervisors, managers, sales, marketing, finance, admin, operations, IT, and purchasing; no matter what industry you are in these careers exist, but when we talk careers in cleaning it is always about starting as a cleaning operative! Is this what we are doing wrong?  Is this the thing we are missing?

What really occurred to me while the Youth Employment careers page was being produced was, why are these only now being published as careers in the industry? You see the job ads in the relevant places, but do you ever think why are we not shouting about this is a job in the cleaning industry or do we do as we always seem to and keep that part quiet as it might not appeal?  

Why are we not proud of the industry we work within?  Why are we often heard to be the most negative about the industry we work in?  I fell into cleaning; I only took this job for a short term whilst I was…  but didn’t move on, there are so many of these stories that I have been told, along with comments like I am only a cleaner, we ourselves portray the most negative impression of the industry. 

I for one am proud to be part of this vibrant and dynamic industry, that faces all the challenges of any industry along with some unique ones and I am also here to celebrate individuality, and not try to pigeonhole any individual into a particular career path. I will happily share where things could go and options available, but I will never be one to say you should be doing this next, because if they are anything like me that will mean they go off and look for something else. 

Neil Spencer-Cook is group managing director at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk

VERY OFTEN I find myself writing these articles, trying to some way sell to the reader that I am a confident cleaning professional. Confident and assured in the knowledge that I am a “specialist” in my background of healthcare.

Well, it’s time to be completely honest. Every year I attend multiple infection prevention and control events, from talks, exhibitions, to webinars and have even presented at some conferences myself, and yet, even after years of working within and around healthcare cleaning, I still find myself with huge bouts of imposter syndrome.

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I have sat completely perplexed as an IPC Nurse starts talking about microbial infections, or new treatments tested on Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. To be frank, sometimes I am left feeling completely lost and as some sort of fraud being recognised as part of the infection control professional community.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that I have the answers to microbial resistance, nor I am going to humour you with my home remedies of the flu, (a good old cup of tea and a shepherd’s pie – thank me later). But what I am going to do, is remind you, and in some ways myself, of the role our amazing cleaning industry professionals play in infection control, whether inside or outside of the industry. 

Infection control precautions

Coming from a healthcare background, I am familiar with the NHS England’s ‘Standard Infection Control Precautions’, and although I am aware that there are other precautions outside of this version, I think the premise of these precautions are universal:

1 Patient placement/assessment for infection risk

2 Hand hygiene

3 Respiratory and cough hygiene

4 Personal protective equipment (PPE)

5 Safe management of care equipment

6 Safe management of the care environment

7 Safe management of linen

8 Safe management of blood and body fluid spillages

9 Safe disposal of waste (including sharps)

10 Occupational safety: prevention of exposure (including sharps injuries).

You can probably gather what is going to come next, but I’m going to take a deeper dive now into the role that our cleaning professionals play, both in and out of the normal healthcare setting to follow and promote these standard infection control precautions.

​Patient placement/assessment for infection risk

On a day-to-day basis, all levels of the cleaning services teams carry out risk analysis. Our cleaning operatives assess risk within their cleaning workplaces. A ‘dynamic risk assessment’ should be carried out with every task our operatives do. Yes, they check for pests and damage, but they also protect themselves and check their areas in relation to the infection risk they may be surrounded by. Supervisors and managers write policies to ensure that operatives and stakeholders are kept safe, with adherence to correct PPE, training and use of different chemicals (detergent/disinfection) and even go as far as assessing who is appropriate to work in certain areas, in following guidance and policies around people’s occupational assessments. Our whole cleaning service management is based around risk analysis and solving the problems this presents to the public. 

​Hand hygiene

Unsurprisingly, hand hygiene is considered one of the most important ways to reduce the transmission of infectious agents and the spread of infection. Long before the hand washing epidemic caused by the novel Coronavirus, cleaning professionals held hand hygiene as an imperative practice in the cleaning of any facility. Cleaning professionals have really led the way for correct hand hygiene procedure, ensuring that correct practice is trained into inductions, refreshers, and that the availability of hand washing facilities is available to operatives. 

Respiratory and cough hygiene

Respiratory and cough hygiene is promoted to minimise the risk of cross transmission of any respiratory pathogens. Respiratory and cough hygiene is not too dissimilar to hand hygiene, whereby should any respiratory problems cause a form of contamination of surfaces, whether on a person’s body or on an environment, should be cleaned as necessary. We have already highlighted that cleaning professionals are the leaders of hand hygiene practice, and clearly the removal of contamination on environmental surface. But in this case, we should think about the cleaning community’s adherence to PPE, and the wearing of respiratory PPE not only in accordance with Coronavirus regulations, but in abidance with pro-active risk assessments that our industry readily prepares in its knowledge of infection control. 

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

This brings me very nicely onto PPE, which is 1.4. It is noted in the NHS protocols that before undertaking any procedure, “staff should assess any likely exposure to blood and/or other body fluids… and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects adequately against the risks associated with the procedure”. Our incredible operatives do this every-day, they avoid overuse of PPE, they follow company procedure, and they ensure, to the best of their ability, training and access that they protect themselves and others. Correctly trained cleaning operatives are true PPE specialists. Don’t agree? I challenge you to a PPE donning race against anyone that has cleaned washrooms to BICSc standard before! It is imperative we train our staff in the best use of PPE and the appropriate PPE for differing scenarios. 

Safe management of care equipment

I’m going to change this, so it fits the whole cleaning industry, to safe management of equipment. Any element in a room can be contaminated. Contamination can be blood, other body fluids, secretions, excretions, and most appropriately for this article, infectious agents. Clearly, when our cleaning teams remove this contamination by following correct risk and damage environment assessment, damage assessment of the element, colour-coding, cleaning practice and disposal practice, the operative takes part in the safe management of equipment. 

Safe management of the care environment

With operatives checking the state of repair of each element in a room, we know that they also check the repair of the whole environment. It is key that we have assurance systems in place to ensure that the environments we clean are visibly free from clutter to facilitate efficient and effective infection-controlled cleaning. Whenever we audit, inspect, or re-align our work to safe standard, we are following a safe management of the environment we clean.

Safe management of linen

Whether we immediately think it or not, linen is a big part of the cleaning process. Within healthcare and hotels, linen forms a part of bedding. Within transport, manufacturing, and hospitality, for example, the uses of linen can be endless. So, it begs the question, what involvement do operatives have in this linen process? What safety precautions do we need to introduce to ensure that linen is managed safely? Think it has no relevance? What materials do operatives use on site? Where fabrics are used on site to clean with, such as microfibre, operatives are key in the safe use, laundry process, and storage of this linen management, it is imperative they have the correct training in how to do so. 

Safe management of blood and body fluid spillages

Believe it or not blood and body fluid spillages happen even outside of healthcare, as do blood borne viruses. All appropriate staff should be trained in dealing with body fluids and spillages and responsibilities for the management and cleaning of these should be clear among all stakeholders and cleaning operatives. Whether an operative cleans blood/ bodily fluids or not, they are still key in the safe management of them. 

Safe disposal of waste (including sharps)

The disposal of waste is central to the cleaning service. Not only do our cleaning operatives remove contamination, but within their remit, they remove waste. Central to good waste management is the safety that comes alongside this! Inside and outside of healthcare, different facilities have different waste disposal management, different colours for different waste, our operatives must be specialists in selecting the right method of disposal while remaining safe and free from the potential hazards that this can cause. 

Occupational safety: prevention of exposure (including sharps injuries)

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard: “No, we don’t have a sharps box, we aren’t a hospital.” Silly me! I forgot that needles, scissors, safety pins, screws, glass (to name a few!) only exist in healthcare, gosh, they didn’t teach me that in my NHS induction! Cleaning operatives come across sharps in waste and in general cleaning exposure daily, so it is imperative we give them the tools to keep themselves safe. Even if an operative is not responsible for the removal of sharps, accidents can happen, and operatives should have immediate access to first aid and help following the worst-case scenario. 

I think I need these 10 points saving into my mental wellbeing journal every time I start to feel like an imposter when the words 'infection control' appear! It is very easy to forget all we do as members of the cleaning industry, and all that our amazing operatives do. When we recognise the assurance systems, safety systems, and risk systems we put in place off the ground floor, and we think of the amazing skill, adherence, and practice that our cleaning operatives follow on the ground, it is imperative to remember that we, our industry, are part of a cog in a bigger life-saving model. Infection control isn’t just present in healthcare, and it isn’t only nurses that are infection control specialists.

Well, what a reflective 1500-word journey we have been on! I’m off now to change my Linkedin bio!

Kelsey Hargreaves is technical specialist at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk

Tel: 01604 678710