Bracknell Forest Council

In August 2023, we were awarded the cleaning contract for Bracknell Forest Council. The contract covers over 40 sites within the Bracknell Forest area. These sites include educational institutions such as schools, vital community hubs like libraries and community centres, business units and commercial centres, and their main Time Square Council Office. After much preparation and planning, we officially commenced our operations at Bracknell in January 2024.

During mobilisation, we undertook TUPE consultations at the earliest instance to confirm the number of transferring staff. While a significant portion of the site staff chose to transfer to YBC, there remained vacancies that needed to be filled. These included crucial roles like a dedicated Contract Manager and cleaning operatives across various sites, including the Time Square and some school sites.

By employing different recruitment methods, we ensured that we reached a wide pool of local applicants. This involved using various channels to target different groups of the community such as using our social media presence to post vacancies on various platforms and within our local Facebook community group, online job search boards like Indeed, and employee referrals from our staff’s personal networks of people.

We were able to fill cleaning operative positions through the Bracknell community groups on Facebook and through word-of-mouth recommendations from existing and transferring staff. By prioritising early recruitment, we had sufficient time for enhanced DBS checks and our security vetting procedures. For the Contract Manager position, we promoted an experienced Area Supervisor who had been with us for years. This gave us the assurance that this key role was given to a very competent, capable, and trusted individual who is fully trained and vetted.

We treat each school within the Bracknell contract as an individual client and account for their specific requirements. For instance, we provide a monthly Customer Service Review for each school, as well as a detailed Quality Audit. During these monthly meetings, we meet with each school’s facilities manager who will score our cleaning standards and service delivery on a scale of 1 to 5, providing specific feedback. The results are reported back to Bracknell Forest Council, with copies sent to the School Representatives. Our systematic reporting process allows us to maintain high standards across all sites.

During the course of the contract, one of the sites at Bracknell Forest Council urgently required toilet rolls, an item not typically included in their contract. We were able to quickly source the product within our internal warehouse and delivered it to the site within just 2 hours of their initial request. To mitigate against similar issues in the past, we maintain an internal warehouse at our head office stocked with various equipment and chemicals, readily available for deployment to our sites at short notice. Following this, at the client's request, we visited the site to conduct an assessment the next day to determine their ongoing needs. We placed an additional order with a local supplier to ensure continued provision of essential supplies.

With our careful approach to planning and our responsiveness, we are able to face challenges promptly and effectively, minimising any disruptions to service delivery. Our ongoing commitment to understanding the changing needs of local authorities ensure our clients feel valued and satisfied with our services.