Head Porter

Job overview

We are seeking a dedicated and professional Head Porter to join our team at South West London & St George’s Mental Health Trust. You will play a key role in delivering a high-quality porting service for our patients and staff across all sites. This is a dynamic and rewarding role that requires attention to detail and a willingness to challenge current processes to develop the portering teams to be both efficient and to deliver enhanced services which will benefit the porters and the Trust.

You will provide support to the Soft FM department and key to assisting the Trust to meeting it’s sustainability targets. You will also be a key contact to contractors and visitors to the Soft FM department.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

• To be the Operational Lead with responsibility for the delivery the highest possible standard of Portering Service to Patients, Staff and Visitors at all times.
• To be responsible for shift supervision including the compilation of scheduled and portering requested duties daily to produce monthly performance reports.
• Maintain efficient and accurate records, quality audits, training records and equipment audits including staff records and operational changes and updates.
• To be responsible for ensuring the vehicles are maintained, taxed, MOT and serviced. Any incident/accidents are reported to the insurance company.
• To manage the teams to ensure the correct transfer of clinical, domestic and recycling waste from all areas to external waste compounds
• Ensure that all work is undertaken in line with health, safety, security and Trust policies and procedures including infection control.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To manage and direct the team on Portering activities including, domestic and clinical waste removal, blood sample/blood product collections, transport of medical gases, post duties and departmental cover, etc. using machinery in full compliance with safe operating procedures as required.
• To be responsible for shift supervision including the compilation of scheduled and portering requested duties daily to produce monthly performance reports.
• Responsible for allocating duties and shifts using the agreed staff roster system ensuring effective Portering cover within allocated budgets and provide monthly payroll information to the Soft FM Manager ensuring all shift enhancements and overtime is captured correctly. To lead Portering Chargehands to ensure continued service supervision during times of absence, annual leave or sickness in line with agreed Working Time Directive arrangements.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues and managers within the wider Estates and Facilities team.
• Responsible for ensuring that all Portering staff work in accordance with Health and Safety Guidelines and Trust/Departmental policies and procedures at all times.
• Lead on the planning of work schedules/staffing levels, highlighting to the Soft FM Manager any perceived need for staff overtime and bank expenditure to meet fluctuating service activity/demands.
• To ensure all shifts are staffed appropriately at all times, staff contingency plans are in place. Wherever possible, initial absences must be covered by the Charge Hand Porters
• To compile monthly performance data reports analysing trends and contributing to the wider department’s continuous improvement aims.
• To ensure all mandatory training for the team is up to date, supporting where necessary.
• To lead on the recruitment and selection of staff to ensure staff levels meet service requirements in conjunction with the Soft FM Manager. To proactively manage the process of managing sickness absence in line with Trust policy including the completion of Return-to-Work documentation and holding formal/informal sickness review meetings with staff.
• To lead on the stages of disciplinary, capability and grievance action, in accordance with the relevant HR polices.
• Maintain efficient and accurate records, quality audits, training records and equipment audits including staff records and operational changes and updates.
• To be responsible for developing and maintaining a procedure folder (SOPs) to enable relief staff to undertake portering/post/pharmacy delivery duties when required.
• To ensure the teams are directed to ‘top up’ wards with clean linen based on minimum stock levels and that dirty linen is collected from wards on a daily basis.
• To manage the teams to ensure the correct transfer of clinical, domestic and recycling waste from all areas to external waste compounds
• To schedule off site jobs ensuring completion in a timely manner and to follow up to ensure client satisfaction.