Guest Services Manager

The Guest Services Manager is responsible for overseeing all non-clinical hospitality services within the hospice, ensuring a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for patients, families, visitors, and staff. This includes leadership of catering, housekeeping, laundry, and coffee shop operations, as well as coordination and management of kitchen and service volunteers. The postholder will manage teams, maintain service standards, ensure compliance with health, safety, and infection control regulations, and contribute to a positive patient and family experience. Key responsibilities include the effective operation of food services (including patient meals and coffee shop), maintaining cleanliness and hygiene standards across the hospice, managing laundry services, and leading and supporting volunteers involved in hospitality functions. The Guest Services Manager will also oversee budgets, staffing, training, and continuous service improvement. This role requires strong leadership, organisational skills, and a commitment to person-centred care, ensuring all services enhance the wellbeing and comfort of those receiving palliative and end-of-life care. Communicate with patients, staff, visitors, volunteers, carers and external suppliers to ensure effective and efficient delivery of catering and housekeeping functions. Maintain good working relationships with colleagues to encourage a strong sense of team working throughout the catering and housekeeping teams and functions. Coordinate the effective deployment of volunteers in the catering team, housekeeping and laundry. Liaise with external stakeholders such as maintenance engineers and suppliers for matters relating to housekeeping/catering equipment and servicing. Liaise with Managers in the identification and procurement of equipment and furniture, in line with Hospice policy and procedure. Liaise with the Estates and Facilities Manager to maintain the fabric of the hospice and required refurbishments for example Living Well Centre (LWC), In-Patient Unit (IPU) and Coffee Shop. Liaise with County Council and health and safety providers for compliance with legal matters, i.e. environmental health and food safety. Liaise with clinical colleagues and multidisciplinary team to ensure that the menus and recipes reflect patients nutritional requirements and preferences. Liaise with clinical colleagues and dietetic and speech and language therapy specialists to meet the needs of patients who require specialist therapeutic diets and/or those with ethnic / cultural dietary requirements. Plan and co-ordinate the rotas for staff and volunteers in the areas of catering, housekeeping and laundry. Prioritise own workload, considering the nature of the job. Ensure that staff rotas are kept up to date using the electronic database (staff care) Carry out a range of audits in line with the best practice / national standards in food preparation and hygiene and environmental cleanliness. Implement action plans to rectify any shortfalls on food hygiene / preparation and environmental cleanliness audits for own area of responsibility Proactively manage catering and housekeeping supplies within budget to ensure continued service delivery and the capacity to meet changing need. Planning and organisational skills Manage own time effectively and prioritise own workload. Regularly liaise with environmental and infection control teams to ensure food hygiene and preparation practice and housekeeping cleaning procedures are appropriate and up to date • Maintain appropriate health and safety audits for catering and housekeeping functions. • Set and maintain a professional, clean, and hygienic environment. Allocate cleaning and laundry tasks for each housekeeper and monitor the quality and thoroughness of the work against agreed checklists • Plan, organise and implement deep clean regimes as required • Coordinate and supervise ancillary services for the Hospice to ensure high standards are maintained for effective and efficient service delivery • Allocate, monitor, and record hours worked by each housekeeper and member of the catering team, using the internal recording system (Staff Care). Arrange cover for housekeeping and catering services to cover holidays and absences. • An ability to work on your own initiative as well as working with team members. • Coordinate and secure adequate volunteer input into catering, coffee shop, and laundry functions. • Maintain servicing logs to assure safe and timely servicing of laundry/clinical equipment. E.g. washing machines, driers, hoists, beds, chairs, clinical waste bins Maintain and ensure annual servicing audits are acted on and recorded. Physical skills Ability to use and ensure team use catering and housekeeping equipment correctly. IT/Keyboard skills Patient/Client Care Assist patients/relatives with issues relating to catering, housekeeping or related equipment. Ensure confidentiality is maintained Policy and Service Development Comply with and ensure team comply with Hospice policies and procedures by ensuring members are informed of policy and procedural changes and updates. Propose and discuss any ideas for service development and improvement Report any incidents/accidents using incident reporting software. Contribute to review and development of Policies and Procedures which relate to Guest Services e.g. Laundry Policy, Catering Policy Financial and Physical Resources Manage the delivery of services within agreed budgets for the purchase of food, cleaning materials, overalls and equipment. Budget holder for Guest Services. Negotiate with key contractors and suppliers to ensure we are getting the best value. Ensure sufficient equipment, uniforms and cleaning materials are supplied and that stock is rotated appropriately to minimise waste and keep within budget. Check invoices and advise suppliers immediately of any discrepancies in weekly stores delivery. Advise manager of any quality issues or increase in cost of products used. Report as necessary any faults re: equipment or office accommodation and ensure safety and security of the building is met. Human Resources Ensure that all housekeeping and catering staff actively contribute to the quality of service provided by the Hospice and communicate effectively with the nursing team. Responsible for day-to-day management of catering and housekeeping teams Participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff and volunteers Attend mandatory training and training courses related to duties of the post Conduct annual appraisal for key staff and ensure regular 1-1s with catering and housekeeping staff are maintained Maintain confidentiality in relation to all work matters Information Resources Maintain and ensure environmental health and COSHH guidelines are adhered to and applied in all the catering and housekeeping services/activities. Responsible for the coordination of staff and volunteer rotas within the ancillary services Research and Development Continually look for ways to improve the quality of the service provided to guests, patients, visitors, volunteers, and staff. Contribute to the Clinical Services Annual Audit Schedule where relevant to Guest Services e.g. Infection Prevention and Control Audits • Freedom to Act Work on own initiative in the absence of line Manager Adopt a flexible approach and use own initiative in the management of workload • Advise line Manager of any difficulties that arise associated with the provision of the service • EFFORT & ENVIRONMENT • Physical • Required to exert physical effort on occasions when setting up and clearing tables for functions. • There is an occasional requirement to exert light physical effort for several long periods during a shift. Mental Concentration is required when undertaking checklists and records in line with Environmental Health requirements and during the preparation and production of food There is frequent requirement for concentration for predictable work patterns such as analysing data for cleaning audits, checking detailed documents and invoices and carrying out calculations. • Emotional Occasional exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances when working on the In-Patient Unit. • Working Conditions Occasional exposure to heat, humidity and noise as well as exposure to risks entailed in handling very hot foods, kitchen utensils, chemicals and equipment Take appropriate action to minimise any risks • Data Protection and Confidentiality All employees have a responsibility in line with information governance to maintain confidentiality and ensure the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 are applied to patients, clients, staff, volunteers and Hospice business information, including electronic information. Only information required to fulfil the duties of the role should be accessed by the post holder. All employees have a responsibility to use electronic systems in a way that preserves the dignity and privacy of people, helps to ensure services of the highest quality, and is compliant with the law and Hospice policies and procedures. Infection Control • All employees have a responsibility to ensure the risk of infection to themselves, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by: Attending mandatory training and role specific infection prevention education and training Challenging poor infection prevention and control practices • Ensure their own compliance with Hospice Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedure. Equal Opportunities The Hospice welcomes all persons without regard to race, religion or belief, age, gender re-assignment, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marriage, or civil partnership, physical or mental disability. The Hospice aims to provide services in a manner that enables all members of the community to access them. Job description Job responsibilities The Guest Services Manager is responsible for overseeing all non-clinical hospitality services within the hospice, ensuring a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for patients, families, visitors, and staff. This includes leadership of catering, housekeeping, laundry, and coffee shop operations, as well as coordination and management of kitchen and service volunteers. The postholder will manage teams, maintain service standards, ensure compliance with health, safety, and infection control regulations, and contribute to a positive patient and family experience. Key responsibilities include the effective operation of food services (including patient meals and coffee shop), maintaining cleanliness and hygiene standards across the hospice, managing laundry services, and leading and supporting volunteers involved in hospitality functions. The Guest Services Manager will also oversee budgets, staffing, training, and continuous service improvement. This role requires strong leadership, organisational skills, and a commitment to person-centred care, ensuring all services enhance the wellbeing and comfort of those receiving palliative and end-of-life care. Communicate with patients, staff, visitors, volunteers, carers and external suppliers to ensure effective and efficient delivery of catering and housekeeping functions. Maintain good working relationships with colleagues to encourage a strong sense of team working throughout the catering and housekeeping teams and functions. Coordinate the effective deployment of volunteers in the catering team, housekeeping and laundry. Liaise with external stakeholders such as maintenance engineers and suppliers for matters relating to housekeeping/catering equipment and servicing. Liaise with Managers in the identification and procurement of equipment and furniture, in line with Hospice policy and procedure. Liaise with the Estates and Facilities Manager to maintain the fabric of the hospice and required refurbishments for example Living Well Centre (LWC), In-Patient Unit (IPU) and Coffee Shop. Liaise with County Council and health and safety providers for compliance with legal matters, i.e. environmental health and food safety. Liaise with clinical colleagues and multidisciplinary team to ensure that the menus and recipes reflect patients nutritional requirements and preferences. Liaise with clinical colleagues and dietetic and speech and language therapy specialists to meet the needs of patients who require specialist therapeutic diets and/or those with ethnic / cultural dietary requirements. Plan and co-ordinate the rotas for staff and volunteers in the areas of catering, housekeeping and laundry. Prioritise own workload, considering the nature of the job. Ensure that staff rotas are kept up to date using the electronic database (staff care) Carry out a range of audits in line with the best practice / national standards in food preparation and hygiene and environmental cleanliness. Implement action plans to rectify any shortfalls on food hygiene / preparation and environmental cleanliness audits for own area of responsibility Proactively manage catering and housekeeping supplies within budget to ensure continued service delivery and the capacity to meet changing need. Planning and organisational skills Manage own time effectively and prioritise own workload. Regularly liaise with environmental and infection control teams to ensure food hygiene and preparation practice and housekeeping cleaning procedures are appropriate and up to date • Maintain appropriate health and safety audits for catering and housekeeping functions. • Set and maintain a professional, clean, and hygienic environment. Allocate cleaning and laundry tasks for each housekeeper and monitor the quality and thoroughness of the work against agreed checklists • Plan, organise and implement deep clean regimes as required • Coordinate and supervise ancillary services for the Hospice to ensure high standards are maintained for effective and efficient service delivery • Allocate, monitor, and record hours worked by each housekeeper and member of the catering team, using the internal recording system (Staff Care). Arrange cover for housekeeping and catering services to cover holidays and absences. • An ability to work on your own initiative as well as working with team members. • Coordinate and secure adequate volunteer input into catering, coffee shop, and laundry functions. • Maintain servicing logs to assure safe and timely servicing of laundry/clinical equipment. E.g. washing machines, driers, hoists, beds, chairs, clinical waste bins Maintain and ensure annual servicing audits are acted on and recorded. Physical skills Ability to use and ensure team use catering and housekeeping equipment correctly. IT/Keyboard skills Patient/Client Care Assist patients/relatives with issues relating to catering, housekeeping or related equipment. Ensure confidentiality is maintained Policy and Service Development Comply with and ensure team comply with Hospice policies and procedures by ensuring members are informed of policy and procedural changes and updates. Propose and discuss any ideas for service development and improvement Report any incidents/accidents using incident reporting software. Contribute to review and development of Policies and Procedures which relate to Guest Services e.g. Laundry Policy, Catering Policy Financial and Physical Resources Manage the delivery of services within agreed budgets for the purchase of food, cleaning materials, overalls and equipment. Budget holder for Guest Services. Negotiate with key contractors and suppliers to ensure we are getting the best value. Ensure sufficient equipment, uniforms and cleaning materials are supplied and that stock is rotated appropriately to minimise waste and keep within budget. Check invoices and advise suppliers immediately of any discrepancies in weekly stores delivery. Advise manager of any quality issues or increase in cost of products used. Report as necessary any faults re: equipment or office accommodation and ensure safety and security of the building is met. Human Resources Ensure that all housekeeping and catering staff actively contribute to the quality of service provided by the Hospice and communicate effectively with the nursing team. Responsible for day-to-day management of catering and housekeeping teams Participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff and volunteers Attend mandatory training and training courses related to duties of the post Conduct annual appraisal for key staff and ensure regular 1-1s with catering and housekeeping staff are maintained Maintain confidentiality in relation to all work matters Information Resources Maintain and ensure environmental health and COSHH guidelines are adhered to and applied in all the catering and housekeeping services/activities. Responsible for the coordination of staff and volunteer rotas within the ancillary services Research and Development Continually look for ways to improve the quality of the service provided to guests, patients, visitors, volunteers, and staff. Contribute to the Clinical Services Annual Audit Schedule where relevant to Guest Services e.g. Infection Prevention and Control Audits • Freedom to Act Work on own initiative in the absence of line Manager Adopt a flexible approach and use own initiative in the management of workload • Advise line Manager of any difficulties that arise associated with the provision of the service • EFFORT & ENVIRONMENT • Physical • Required to exert physical effort on occasions when setting up and clearing tables for functions. • There is an occasional requirement to exert light physical effort for several long periods during a shift. Mental Concentration is required when undertaking checklists and records in line with Environmental Health requirements and during the preparation and production of food There is frequent requirement for concentration for predictable work patterns such as analysing data for cleaning audits, checking detailed documents and invoices and carrying out calculations. • Emotional Occasional exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances when working on the In-Patient Unit. • Working Conditions Occasional exposure to heat, humidity and noise as well as exposure to risks entailed in handling very hot foods, kitchen utensils, chemicals and equipment Take appropriate action to minimise any risks • Data Protection and Confidentiality All employees have a responsibility in line with information governance to maintain confidentiality and ensure the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 are applied to patients, clients, staff, volunteers and Hospice business information, including electronic information. Only information required to fulfil the duties of the role should be accessed by the post holder. All employees have a responsibility to use electronic systems in a way that preserves the dignity and privacy of people, helps to ensure services of the highest quality, and is compliant with the law and Hospice policies and procedures. Infection Control • All employees have a responsibility to ensure the risk of infection to themselves, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by: Attending mandatory training and role specific infection prevention education and training Challenging poor infection prevention and control practices • Ensure their own compliance with Hospice Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedure. Equal Opportunities The Hospice welcomes all persons without regard to race, religion or belief, age, gender re-assignment, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marriage, or civil partnership, physical or mental disability. The Hospice aims to provide services in a manner that enables all members of the community to access them.