Whilst we are unable to bring you the 2020 BICSc Annual Awards Dinner in all of its glory, nothing will stop us recognising those at the heart of the cleaning industry, this year we bring you the BICSc Thumbs Up Awards.
With the support of Rubbermaid Commercial Products, we are delighted to be recognising and rewarding five front line Cleaning Operatives, with a bespoke engraved ‘Thumbs Up’ Trophy, a £250 gift voucher and a ticket to attend next year’s BICSc Annual Awards event*.
Our winners are shining examples of front line industry excellence, who have each clearly demonstrated, throughout an exceptionally difficult time their dedication, commitment and passion, all of which are part of ‘Being BICSc’.
Written by those who nominated them, here’s more about our award winners.
Rebecca joined the Students Union Cleaning team at Aston in March 2019. It became obvious very early on that Rebecca worked to exceptional standards. When it came to lockdown in March 2020, she put herself forward without any hesitation to support the team, as we still had to deliver cleaning services during the lockdown.
Rebecca would cover any area we needed at the last minute. She learnt new skills and new places to develop herself and ensure the areas she was cleaning were safe for the staff using the facilities.
Rebecca rose again to another challenge when we returned to a full operation in May 2020, we had to change the way we operated, by using additional PPE and different chemicals Rebecca supported her colleagues in training. Rebecca learnt high-level vacuuming, and then shared the knowledge with her colleagues. Rebecca has an exceptional attitude towards work and the community at Aston, which is second to none.
Kylie has been part of the cleaning operation since 2010, and has many years of experience, along with impeccable personal standards.
When operations returned at Aston, Kylie took staff members under her wing. We have a team member who has been with us for 35 years and needs a lot of support. Kylie rose to the challenge by training the staff member on a one to one basis, encouraging her to feel confident in new practices.
Upon the return to the operation in May, Kylie’s dedication and commitment to customer service stood out. Kylie is always on hand to support all new colleagues and any staff who need additional support – the customers highly respect her at Aston. She plays a huge part in providing a safe and clean environment for returning staff.
The last few months have been challenging, however, never more so than in the healthcare sector. Maintaining operations during this period within a healthcare environment would be enough of a challenge for anybody.
It shouldn’t be underestimated the demands placed upon all elements of domestic services if you then considered that Ipswich Hospital is a 600-bed hospital and operates with over 240 domestic staff, it quickly became a whole new ball game.
In Steven’s case, the pressure and responsibility of working through a pandemic kept coming. Steven’s line manager (Head of Domestic services for OCS at Ipswich) who supports and guides Steven was undergoing his personal battle with COVID-19 and had to isolate, having just got over the illness himself, his family followed suit one after another which left Steven’s line manager extensively limited in his ability to offer support.
Steven’s true colours shone through, he rallied the troops, made changes to cleaning requirements, seeing low-risk areas reduced in frequency and the high-risk regions climbing in demand at an exponential rate. Shifts moved from days to nights and ever-growing demands needed the requirements of additional staff, documentation of safety and standards, training, inductions and COVID-19 PPE. All needed actioning and daily operational critical update meetings occurred.
It is hard to quantify the pressures we found ourselves under – this was a once in a generation incident with domestic services being at the forefront of the fight. The effort that Steven demonstrated, his engagement with senior managers, the support of his fellow supervisors, engagement with all the domestic staff and dealing with their worries, concerns and taking a supportive mental welfare approach was humbling to see.
The undertaking of the domestic service would have been considerably more challenging had it not been for Steven’s pro-active and compassionate approach. The hours of work Steven actioned in those first eight weeks during April and May were enormous, and he never left site until he was satisfied that the team were ready and prepared. It will be a period to reminisce over in years to come. I use the word reminisce because I hope that, in time, the focus will move to acknowledge the work done by so many over this challenging period and not the tragic events that COVID-19 has brought upon us all.
Leon was quickly promoted into the role as a mobile Senior Housekeeping Associate after impressing in his role as site supervisor out of our East Midlands office. The main reasons for his advancement were down to his unquestionable work ethic and commitment to his craft. Leon understands the vital importance of cleaning and his role within it, he also ensures that all that come into contact with him are also equally enlightened.
Early this year I remember getting a message from Leon in which he said: “This is coming our way, we need to keep our people and clients safe. Whatever you need from me I’ll be there.” This epitomises Leon completely, committed to a fault and completely selfless.
Leon understands that this whole situation is more significant than any one person. He has made an enormous contribution to enabling clients to get back into the office months in advance of the competition. To date we have not had one case of COVID-19 linked to any one of our 22 sites and, again, Leon has played a massive part in that.
Leon understands that our role is not only to keep the offices clean, but to also offer reassurance to the client that it is safe to come back and work from the offices.
Again, Leon was part of the team that engaged with the client showing them our equipment and techniques that offered them the security that they were in safe hands.
As well as cleaning and training duties Leon also went above and beyond to deliver vital equipment across England to the client team members who were working from home. This included PPE, office furniture and, again, offering reassurance about returning to the office. Leon is a rare breed and has a genuine passion for the role and love for the industry.
Norlida has worked for Nuffield Oxford Hospital for over 19 years. It was clear very early on that Norlida showed a real passion for cleaning and was soon promoted. In this time, Norlida has worked tirelessly in the area of cleaning and infection prevention to ensure Nuffield deliver the best possible cleaning standards for our patients, visitors and staff.
When Nuffield introduced BICSc Assessor training, Norlida welcomed this with open arms and embraced the change. Her enthusiasm and positive approach to change have been infectious and this was clear to see in the rest of the housekeeping team. Over the past 12 months, Norlida and her housekeeping team have strived to be ‘best in class’ with Norlida successfully delivery BICSc training to some 20+ staff and was the first to complete training across the Nuffield estate. This was a huge achievement and has been received well by all members of the housekeeping team. BICSc training has brought a standard approach to cleaning, which has further enhanced the cleaning services currently provided within Nuffield.
Norlida said: “BICSc training is fantastic and I cannot imagine cleaning any other way now. The process is easy to follow and the staff love the interaction and lessons they learn. There is no doubt this has brought more structure to the way we clean and a one way of working approach which has been invaluable during the pandemic.”
Norlida and the housekeeping team have gone above and beyond since March 2020, ensuring we keep our patients and staff safe during these challenging times. They have met the pandemic head-on. Keeping a team of 20+ housekeepers motivated during an incredibly stressful time is a clear testament to what the job and the team mean to Norlida.
Housekeeping is an integral part of our service delivery, and the Thumbs Up award seems the perfect way to say a HUGE thank you to Norlida and her team for their incredible efforts during the pandemic.
*2021 BICSc Awards information will be released early next year.
“The commitment to the BICSc ethos and raising standards continues to overwhelm us. This year particularly has shown us how what we do as an industry is imperative. The qualities of the Thumbs Up award winners and the examples they set for others is nothing short of outstanding. Keep up the good work.” Neil Spencer-Cook, Chief Operating Officer, BICSc
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the cleaning industry has received a lot of attention. It has long been my assertion that we are the invisible workforce. The argument over key worker status continues, but there is no doubt that without the cleaning teams, the country would have ground to a halt. Our winners should be proud of their contribution to the greater good and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of them for a job well done.” Stan Atkins, Chief Executive Officer, BICSc
Stay tuned – there will be more about our winners in our only 2020 edition of The Standard, which will be released shortly.
For now, we would like to take this opportunity to thank cleaning operatives across the globe for doing their part to keep us safe and, once again, huge congratulations to our five winners!
Our Mission
The British Institute of Cleaning Science is the largest independent, professional and educational body within the cleaning industry with over 45,000 Individual and Corporate Members in the UK and Internationally.
To raise the standards of education and to build awareness of the cleaning industry through professional standards and accredited training, thereby;
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I’ve been in the cleaning industry since August 2005 and just with the one company, ISS Facility Services. Back in the day, after being with ISS for a few months, the first external course I went on was a BICSc Assessor’s course, which was a week’s residential course and the knowledge gained stood me in good stead for the development of my career in our industry.
During the last 14 years, I’ve had a range of duties including in HSQE, Compliance and Operations roles, leading to my current position heading up the Cleaning Excellence Department for ISS in the UK. A role I’ve enjoyed immensely since early 2017. The areas my team focuses on can be broken down into seven:
I have two key interests:
Jill has 38 years’ experience in cleaning and facilities management currently as Facilities Manager, Cleaning Services at the University of Leeds, over the years she has managed facilities and cleaning services to varying complex establishments including hotel, nursing home, local authority, schools, colleges, shopping centre, airport and now Universities.
The University of Leeds has a complex in house facilities operation that includes over 300 cleaning operatives and 76 buildings.
She is passionate about promoting cleaning as a professional industry and always strives for continuous improvement and creative solutions through new innovations and development and as such keeps up to date with the industry and is currently an executive committee member of BACHE (British Association of Cleaning in Higher Education).
One of the key factors in the success of improving cleaning services throughout her career has been by implementing effective training through becoming accredited BICSc training and assessment centres and is totally committed to BICSc aim of raising standards of education, building awareness of the cleaning industry through professional standards and accredited training.
Lorraine is a cleaning and service matter expert with over 30 years experience within the industry. Her career has involved a mixture of senior operational and business development roles all in outsourced cleaning and facilities management sectors but particularly specialising in the technically complex healthcare and education sectors.
Lorraine was the only member of the private sector invited by Graham Jacobs of the NHS Workforce and Facilities to be part of the select steering group that developed the cleanliness section of the government’s Department of Health new PLACE ‘Patient Led Inspections Initiative’ which replaced the annual PEAT inspections. Following this work, she was invited to work with the DoH/AHCP PAS 5748 steering group (known as the Rotherham Group) which reviewed the PAS 5748 guidance published in 2011. This work was recognised when BSI submitted it for public consultation, and it was subsequently incorporated and adopted into the revised PAS 5748 (2014) edition.
Lorraine was a founder member of the ‘BSA Cleaning Advisory Group’ which advises and lobbies the government on cleaning related matters; this work has resulted in the launching of ‘The Responsible Cleaning Operator Scheme’ 2015 which was nationally acclaimed and endorsed by the UK Cleaning sector.
Yvonne has been working within the FM sector since 1995 starting as a pot washer and cleaning operative with Compass. After progression through the ranks in 2000 Yvonne became the General Manger for a large Healthcare Trust with Medirest, quickly progressing to Regional Operations Manager. In 2007 she gained further knowledge and experience working for Balfour Beatty as Head of Soft Services for Healthcare, Education and Blue Lights. In 2012 Yvonne joined G4S as a Soft FM Solutions Specialist working within in all sectors creating innovative service delivery models. In September 2015 Yvonne joined OCS as Head of Cleaning covering the UK, Ireland and Middle East a position she is very passionate about, Yvonne is responsible for ensuring the OCS model is delivered to the highest standards, using the latest technology and innovation and a bespoke training programme for their cleaning operatives.
Andy has worked within higher education since 1994. Andy became a member of BICSc in 2002 at a time when he was working as a Housekeeping Manager at Warwick University. Andy has consistently encouraged the delivery of BICSc standards.
Between 2010 and 2014 Andy was part of the Estates team at Warwick University where he continued to deliver BICSc training and assessment. During this time he was appointed as Cleaning Services Manager at Aston University in Birmingham. In 2016 he became the Facilities Officer and is now responsible for cleaning, portering, postal services and the campus wardens.
Andy has a CIPD qualification in Human Resources and during 2018 he also completed the BIFM level 4 certificate.
Andy will bring years of experience and knowledge to Council and is passionate about his new role as part of BICSc Council.
The cleaning industry is Andrew second calling after serving 16 years in the UK Armed Forces, so although a relative newcomer to the sector he brings a wealth of knowledge in regards to learning & development, team dynamics and behavioural change.
In 2015 he joined the ISS Cleaning Excellence Team and in doing so was exposed to so some of the most knowledgeable and experienced cleaning professional in the business, this accelerated his understanding and appreciation of the sector, as well as the obstacles that hold it back.
He is currently employed on the ISS PwC account as the Senior Operations Manager where he is responsible the 6 sites that makes up the London region as well as overall responsibility for Learning & Development, Standards, mobilisations as well as the Health, Safety and wellbeing across the 23 sites.
Andrew cares deeply about education, wellbeing and creating pathways for individuals who want to progress within the industry.
Soo has worked in the cleaning and FM industry for over 30 years, working her way up from a cleaning operative in local schools when her children were little to her current position as Technical Director for Birkin Services.
Soo first became associated with BICSc in 1992 when her then employer, OCS, placed her on a BICSc training course at SC Johnson Wax at Frimley Green. From that moment on Soo was hooked and started using BICSc best practice and applying the standards on every account she worked with. In 2001 she took her BICSc association one step further and completed more BICSc COPC skills with SC Johnson Wax (now Diversey Sealed Air) at Frimley Green and continued with her qualification to become a BICSc assessor.
Since 2001 Soo has trained more than 300 managers, supervisors and cleaning operatives in PBICSc and CPSS skills and has opened four ATP training hubs for her employers, along with developing in-house induction training programs for her staff to lead them into BICSc Licence to Practice and CPSS 2.0.
Soo has continued her education with BICSc and has now qualified in delivering training and assessment for Accommodation Skills within the CPSS skills suite. In 2011 she was elected onto the BICSc Council.
Five out of five council meetings attended in 2017
Lorraine has been a member of BICSc for over 16 years. She is also the current Chairman of the Employers Group for Cleaning Industry Apprenticeships.
Lorraine came to cleaning from a career in catering; BICSc was the first course she completed, and from the first day of chemical competency, she was hooked and wanted to train and assess to BICSc standards.
At the time there was no local branch meeting, so with help from BICSc headquarters, in 2005 Lorraine restarted the London & Home Counties region. It is now thriving with many events throughout the year. In 2013 she was honored to be made a Fellow of the Institute. 2013 was also the same year Lorraine became a member of the Worship Company of Environmental Cleaners and achieved the Freedom of the City of London.
In 2012 Lorraine became Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner, training first aid, IOSH and NEBOSH courses along with all other health and safety courses. She has a passion for training, mentoring and coaching people, and therefore it has been a natural progression to turn this devotion into a career.
Health and safety and the environment is Lorraine’s specialty, and she currently represents BICSc on the Cleaning Industry Liaising Forum, a committee set up by the Health and Safety Executive to oversee health and safety in the cleaning industry.
Lorraine has worked in the service industry, across many sectors and has a broad portfolio of experiences including overseeing companies in achieving accreditations in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, Investors In People, and other safety accreditations
Three out of five council meetings attended in 2017
Melanie has worked in the cleaning industry since 1983, initially supporting her way through college by cleaning, then progressing through various industry sectors such as food manufacturing, commercial cleaning, and industrial cleaning, before moving into facilities management.
On joining VINCI, Melanie encountered a facilities management company who subcontracted out all of their services. The lack of training, support, and passion towards cleaning by the subcontractors and VINCI Managers inspired her to create a framework to enable VINCI to self-deliver. Melanie focused on innovation and recognition of achievements both internally and externally. Three years on VINCI now employ over 650 cleaning operatives.
BICSc gave the recognised standard and became the core element in VINCI’s delivery, utilising its methodology in their RAMS. VINCI now have a rolling programme of BICSc accredited training to ensure that all managers, supervisors, as well as cleaning operatives, are trained.
Melanie is a passionate supporter of BICSc and believes that she can contribute to its future, as a client in being objective, giving an FM business perspective and assisting in the development of a sustainable strategy to ensure an economically viable future and to remain a prominently recognised force in the delivery and advancement of cleaning.
Four out of five council meetings attended in 2017