Overview
Post Title:
Household Operative, St Josephs Hospital Campus
Post Status:
Permanent, Part time, 35 hours per week on 5/7 roster
Department
St Joseph’s Hospital, Raheny
Location:
St Joseph’s Hospital, Raheny & Affiliated Sites
Reports to:
Household Team Lead/Operations Team
Salary:
Appointment will be made on the Domestic Scale (€34,582-€40,783) pro rata at a point in line with Government pay policy.
Hours of work:
35 hours per week
Closing Date:
22/11/2025 @ 12 noon
Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received.
Position Summary
Household staff duties include cleaning, waste management duties, stocking of linen and other duties.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities of the Role
This role would undertake that the risk of the spread of infection is significantly reduced when the physical infrastructure and environment meet the standards expected under the national hygiene audit scheme. This post is intended to support the nursing staff at ward level to meet these standards.
The main areas of concern to this post are patient equipment, safe handling and disposal of linen, safe handling, safe handling and disposal of waste, hand hygiene facilities and the general environment
Ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness is provided throughout the Hospital
Maintain compliance with Hospital Policies and Procedures, e.g. Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health, Health and Safety, Moving and Handling Regulations.
Follow all cleaning schedules with due regard to specified standard operational procedures and infection control procedure.
Undertake regular training, as and when required, manual handling refresher and fire safety training, children first, new cleaning methods/procedures and any other training required
Responsibilities & Accountabilities:
Implement and uphold the highest standards of Household Services ensuring the best possible
standards of cleanliness and hygiene and compliance with Hospital Health and Safety policy procedures, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
Household Cleaning Duties:
Management of Patient Equipment
All patient equipment (close contact equipment and direct contact equipment) is subject to
decontamination after the patients use, prior to equipment going for repair or disposal and on a routine basis. Report faulty any patient equipment or furniture to Team Leader/ Clinical Nurse Manager on the appropriate unit.
There are daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedules which the household staff must adhere to, and which must be signed off as work is completed.
The household staff must ensure that the correct cleaning solution and disinfection agents (as per hospital policy) are being used when decontaminating patient equipment. Note all hospital polices and guidelines are available on Q-pulse.
Decontaminate beds, pillows, bed tables and lockers after discharge of each patient and ensure that fire blankets are correctly positioned on the bed.
Remove used mineral bottles, papers or other waste items from the patient’s bed area with the patients consent.
Change patient curtains when required.
Ensure all allocated areas with ward/hospital are cleaned to standard to include cleaning and wash all equipment, furniture, beds and trollies and floors ensuring any blood splashes are managed and cleaned to standard.
Bring to the attention of the team lead when equipment is not up to standard and needs replacement.
The general environment - Attention to the linen storage rooms, corridor, patient waiting area.
Ensure the areas are clean, tidy and free from inappropriate items.
Liaise with team leader in relation to areas for priority cleaning.
Keep these areas clean and tidy at all times i.e. remove any papers or used magazines and waste, ventilate the areas by opening the windows. Mop up any spillages as they occur. Place any hazard slippage signs if required. Keep a clean environment, making sure that the Patients’ waiting areas, corridors and reception areas are well maintained and properly ventilated.
Safe Handling and Disposal of Linen
The household staff must be aware of the hospital policy available on Q Pulse, regarding the safe handling and disposal of linen and should ensure that:
The linen press is kept clean and tidy and free from inappropriate items in compliance with hygiene
standards.
Clean linen is stored in a clean designated area separate from used linen.
Clean linen is free from stains and dust.
Used linen is segregated in appropriate colour coded bags according to policy and prepared for collection
That laundry bags are disposed of when they are no more than 1/3 full
Bags are tagged and stored correctly prior to disposal
Linen skips and the appropriate bags are taken to the area required (staff are not to carry soiled linen or leave it on the floor)
Gloves and apron are worn when handling contaminated linen
The green linen skip on the main corridor is zipped closed after disposing of linen. There is a laminated poster in the linen press regarding the colour coding for linen – if not, inform the CNM.
The trolley used to transport the linen to the units is clean and in good repair.
The linen trolley is washed with teepol & water before each use.
The linen trolley with clean linen is not stored in a dirty area i.e. Dirty utility or near waste bins area.
That all linen is handled in clean area only.
Order linen supplies as required. Inform the Team Leader/Clinical Nurse Manager if there are any issues related to adequate supply
Safe Handling and Disposal of Waste
The household operative should be aware of the hospital policy on the safe handling and disposal of waste available on Q Pulse.
Wear gloves and aprons are worn when handling domestic waste.
In the absence of contract cleaners the bins are emptied.
Ensure that bags are not overfilled. Bags should be no more than 2/3 full.
Tag waste according to hospital policy.
Ensure that waste bins are clean, in good repair and labels on bins are intact – if not, Inform Team
Leader/Clinical Nurse Manager on duty.
Precautions and Segregation of Waste training.
Laundry
Provide cross cover for Laundry Operatives in the Raheny Community Nursing Unit as and when required
Hand Hygiene Facilities
The household operative must ensure that in the absence of contract cleaners:
Hand hygiene sinks are free from clutter and inappropriate objects.
Soap dispensers, hand gel dispensers and hand cream dispensers are replaced when empty – it is not
permissible to “top-up” containers/dispensers.
Nozzles on soap, hand gel and hand cream dispensers are clean and free from build-up.
There is an adequate supply of paper hand towels.
Keep WC's tidy i.e. remove unnecessary items.
Communication
Report promptly any patient’s complaints to the Team Leader/ Clinical Nurse Manager
Report promptly to the Team Leader/ Clinical Nurse Manager any patient related risk incidents
Be cooperative, considerate and flexible with colleagues and co-workers.
Have a positive attitude to direction and guidance.
Respect the rights and dignity of all patients.
Be aware of Beaumont Hospital policy on Dignity and Respect at work, available on Q Pulse.
Training
The post holder will be given in-service training as per hospital policy. Team Leader will undertake this responsibility and will deal with the day to day issues and problems which may arise.
The training will include instruction relation to infection control, the use of disinfectants and chemical agents and the correct disposal of linen and waste.
Attend hospital based hand hygiene and standard precautions training yearly.
Attend Fire and Manual handling training,
Complete all mandatory online training via BORIS as required.
Attend any further training as deemed necessary by Team Leader.
Yearly professional development and assessment is carried out by Team Leader.
All Household Staff must adhere to IPC policy in relation to uniform, bear above the elbow, the wearing of jewellery and wearing of acrylic/false nails.
To undertake any other duties this may be assigned by Hospital Management from time to time.
The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and
consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post within the which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Qualifications
Candidates must have at the latest date of application:
Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
Possess a Junior Certificate (or equivalent qualification).
AndCandidates must have the personal competence and capacity to properly discharge the duties of the role
Desirable:
* Previous experience of working in a Healthcare facility
* Display personal initiative
* Values others opinions
* Communicates clearly and concisely in a timely manner
* Identifies quality as a key factor in the provision of services
* Constantly reviews means of improvement.
Informal Enquiries ONLY to:
Name:
Siobhan Comerford
Title:
Operations Lead
Email address:
siobhancomerford@beaumont.ie
Telephone:
087 672 1566
If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.
Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position
Supplementary information:
The Hospital
www.beaumont.ie
Management Unit:
www.beaumont.ie/hr
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