Soft Services FM Manager

• Provide effective leadership and day-to-day management for Catering, Domestic and associated soft FM teams within the delegated service area.
• Plan, coordinate and monitor daily service delivery to ensure services are safe, timely, responsive and aligned to patient, visitor and staff needs.
• Develop staffing rosters, work schedules, work instructions and escalation arrangements to support flexible and resilient service delivery.
• Manage competing priorities, operational pressures and service interruptions, taking appropriate action to maintain continuity and safety.
• Deputise for the senior Facilities leadership team within scope of competence and delegation
• Act as the lead manager for Catering, Domestic and associated Soft FM services, providing specialist advice, guidance and interpretation of policies, procedures and service standards.
• Monitor and review service performance against agreed KPIs.
• Independently assess operational issues and make decisions regarding service prioritisation, staffing deployment and resource allocation.
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning and organisational change initiatives.

• Oversee safe and effective catering and food and beverage services, including patient food service, staff/visitor retail provision, ward-based beverage services and associated support arrangements where applicable.
• Ensure catering services comply with food safety legislation, HACCP principles, allergen management, organisation policies and relevant NHS food and drink standards.
• Work with dietetic, clinical and ward teams to support nutritional requirements, special diets, hydration, protected mealtimes and patient-centred food service.
• Monitor meal quality, timeliness, availability, stock control, waste, patient feedback and service performance, implementing corrective action when required.
• Support menu review, procurement and supplier management to maintain safe, nutritious, sustainable and value for money food provision.

• Oversee domestic, cleaning, housekeeping and environmental services across delegated sites, ensuring clean, safe and welcoming environments.
• Ensure cleaning schedules, frequencies, risk categories, audit processes and remedial actions are implemented in accordance with agreed standards and local policy.
• Work closely with infection prevention and clinical colleagues to respond to infection risks, outbreaks, enhanced cleaning requirements and environmental concerns.
• Lead or support cleanliness audits, environmental audits, PLACE-related activity and local quality inspections, ensuring action plans are completed and evidenced.
• Promote safe use, storage and maintenance of cleaning equipment, materials and chemicals in line with COSHH and health and safety requirements.

• Maintain robust systems for performance monitoring, audit, incident reporting, risk assessment and assurance across Catering and Domestic services.
• Investigate and respond to complaints, concerns, incidents and service failures, ensuring learning is captured and improvement actions are implemented.
• Prepare reports, action plans, briefing notes and performance updates for relevant governance meetings and senior managers.
• Ensure documentation, records and evidence are accurate, accessible and maintained in line with information governance and organisational requirements.
• Support business continuity planning, emergency preparedness and resilience arrangements for soft FM services.
• Develop, implement and monitor service performance indicators, quality standards and assurance measures.
• Lead investigations into complaints, incidents and service failures including root cause analysis.
• Analyse audit outcomes, performance information, complaints data and service intelligence.
• Ensure compliance with statutory legislation, NHS standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead and support service improvement and transformation projects

• Provide line management for delegated staff, including recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal, absence management, performance management and wellbeing support.
• Promote a positive employee relations climate, supporting staff engagement, inclusion, communication and team development.
• Ensure staff complete mandatory training, role-specific competency checks and refresher training, including food safety, infection prevention, COSHH, health and safety and customer care.
• Coach, motivate and develop supervisors and team leaders to deliver consistent standards and take accountability for service outcomes.
• Manage conduct, capability or grievance matters in line with organisational policies, seeking HR advice when required.
• Lead and manage supervisors, team leaders and staff.
• Develop workforce capability through coaching, mentorship and succession planning.

• Manage delegated pay and non-pay budgets, monitoring expenditure and identifying opportunities for cost control and value for money.
• Support procurement, contract monitoring, stock management and supplier performance relating to soft FM services.
• Ensure equipment, materials and consumables are available, used appropriately and maintained safely.
• Contribute to business cases, service reviews and options appraisals for improvement, investment or service redesign.
• Promote responsible use of resources, waste reduction and sustainability in line with organisational green plan objectives.
• Monitor expenditure against delegated budgets and produce forecasts
• Identify and implement cost improvement initiatives and efficiencies.
• Ensure effective utilisation of resources and value for money.

• Maintain effective communication with clinical teams, corporate services, contractors, suppliers, patients, visitors and staff.
• Use negotiation, influencing and problem-solving skills to resolve operational issues and secure cooperation across services.
• Provide clear written and verbal updates, including reports, meeting notes, risk updates and service improvement plans.
• Represent Catering and Domestic services at relevant operational, quality, health and safety and governance meetings.
• Model the organisation's values and behaviours, promoting dignity, respect, inclusion and a compassionate approach in all interactions.
• Act as the primary point of contact for facilities-related operational issues.

Essential

• Degree level qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience in facilities management, hospitality, catering, domestic services, hotel services or a related operational management discipline.
• Food Safety Level 4 or equivalent, or willingness to work towards within an agreed timeframe.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to facilities, leadership, health and safety, food safety or service improvement.

Desirable

• Facilities management qualification, ILM/CMI management qualification, or membership/associate membership of a relevant professional body.
• Food Safety Level 3, HACCP qualification, COSHH assessor training, IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent.

Essential

• Proven experience of supervising or managing operational teams in catering, domestic, hotel services, facilities management or a comparable customer-focused environment.
• Experience of managing service quality, rosters, audits, action plans and performance standards.
• Experience of working with budgets, resources, stock control, procurement or contract monitoring.
• Experience of handling complaints, incidents, staff issues and competing operational priorities.
• Experience of working with health and safety, infection prevention, food safety or cleanliness standards in a regulated environment.

Desirable

• Experience in an NHS, healthcare, community healthcare or other public sector environment.
• Experience supporting PLACE audits, cleanliness audits, food service reviews or service improvement programmes.
• Experience of policy or SOP development and implementation.

Essential

• SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
• In-depth nowledge of catering operations, food safety, allergen management, HACCP and safe food service principles.
• In-depth knowledge of domestic services, cleaning standards, COSHH and infection prevention requirements.
• Ability to lead, motivate, develop and performance manage staff with a compassionate and fair approach.
• Strong communication skills, including ability to write reports, deliver briefings and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse performance information, audit findings, risks and complaints and develop practical improvement plans.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and ability to use electronic systems for reporting, rostering, audit or service management.
• Understanding of confidentiality, data protection, equality, diversity and inclusion requirements.
• Experience of managing delegated budgets and monitoring expenditure against financial targets.
• Experience of leading service improvement, transformation or change initiatives.
• Experience of monitoring KPIs and developing improvement plans.
• PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
• Visible, supportive and inclusive leader who acts with integrity and professionalism.
• Customer-focused, patient-centred and committed to improving the experience of patients, visitors and staff.
• Able to remain calm, organised and decisive when managing operational pressures or service disruption.
• Flexible and resilient, with ability to work across sites and respond to service needs.
• Able to embrace organisational values and signature behaviours: Compassion, Action, Respect and Everyone.
• Committed to safe working, continuous improvement, sustainability and effective use of public resources.
• Commitment to ECCH CARE Values and Signature Behaviours.
• (Compassion - We Listen, We Learn, We Lead| Action - My Accountability, My Responsibility | Respect - Respect Our Resources: People, Time and Money | Everyone - Work Together, Achieve Together).

Desirable

• SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge of NHS National Standards of Cleanliness, NHS food and drink standards, PLACE methodology, NHS Premises Assurance Model or similar assurance frameworks.
• Project management, change management or quality improvement skills.
• PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
• Ability to undertake occasional flexible working to support service assurance, audits or operational escalation.