No10 Housekeeper

Job summary

The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minster to deliver the Government’s overall priorities and to communicate the Government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. From the Policy Unit, Press Office, Switchboard and Custodians, Facilities Team, to the Events & Visits team and the Private Office support; the diverse Downing Street team draws on varied expertise from across the Civil Service and beyond. The teams come together to deliver excellent service to the Prime Minister while also making No10 a great place to work.

Job description

As a Downing Street Housekeeper, you will be responsible for delivering a safe and compliant cleaning services on time whilst providing a leading customer experience to a high-profile site. Strong attention to detail, whilst maintaining excellent working relationships with all building users is an integral part of this role.

At No 10 we are committed to providing our colleagues with knowledge, skills and tools that enable them to deliver exceptional service to our internal customers. The Workplace Experience of the site is one of your key responsibilities to create a memorable experience and moments that matter to all internal and external stakeholders.

In return, you will have the opportunity to work at the heart of the Government and to support the Prime Minister’s team in a unique and historic environment, ensuring delivery of the highest quality services.

Working Hours

Successful candidate would have the following options for part time working hours:

5 days, Mon-Fri per week either

5.30am -8.30am (excluding breaks) = 15 hours per week

or

5.30am - 10.00am (includes 30 mins unpaid break) = 20 hours per week

Responsibilities

• Be the forefront of exceptional housekeeping team and perform tasks assigned as per the housekeeping manual.
• Reporting to Supervisor for any task related issues, and Facilities Manager for monthly 1-2-1 and learning and development opportunities.
• Supporting any key events in and occasional out of normal working hours.
• Promote collaboration across all operational and support teams, preferred suppliers, and customer groups.
• Promote sustainability and work with the line manager to introduce eco-friendly practices.
• The right individual will have attention to detail, a commitment to driving service improvements and a passion for working as part of a close-knit team.
• You will be accountable and responsible for the delivery of routine, planned and periodic cleaning onsite. Proper training will be provided on-site.
• You will ensure that all working areas are kept to the highest standard of hygiene, Health, Safety, and presentation to promote the workplace experience.
• You will report any maintenance issues to the relevant team, as they arise at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure all staff observe the site rules and maintain a smart appearance, wearing the companies always uniform and appropriate PPE whilst at work.
• You must be able to adapt and change rota/shift in staff absence within contractual hours.
• Responsibility for ensuring compliance with Health, Safety, Environmental and COSHH regulations and be confident that all internal Policies and Procedures are adhered to by you and your team.
• You must be prepared to perform any other reasonable duties as requested by your supervisor or line Manager.
• You should be ready and willing to always deal with individual customer requests in a polite and professional manner and escalate where necessary.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Experience;

• An excellent team player.
• Numeracy and technology literate.
• Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation and interpersonal skills.
• A proactive and positive ‘can do’ attitude.
• Calm and professional approach at all times.
• A high level of flexibility and a positive attitude to change and improve the overall service delivery.
• Live within a practical travelling distance for the region.
• Must meet the requirement for SC clearance.

Desirable Skills & Experience;

• BICSc qualification is desirable.
• Cleaning experience within Public Sector OR commercial environments is preferable.
• Requires specialist knowledge and high degree of initiative, creativity with a wide scope for discretion.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,642, Cabinet Office contributes £9,166 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application process

Please include a CV and use the personal statement (500 words max) to explain how your skills and experience make you a suitable candidate for the role.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

CV and personal statement will be assessed using the Success Profiles Framework.

Selection process

Candidates successful at sift will be invited to Behaviour and Strength based interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – June

Expected interview date/s – June

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via corecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is Part-time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : No10 Recruitment
• Email : No10Recruitment@no10.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 344kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)