Supervise housekeeping services

This standard is about the maintenance of the housekeeping service and is likely to be used by a supervisor responsible for the activities within the area of work on a daily basis under the direction of the relevant manager.
In recent years, the importance of the housekeeping function as a key part of an accommodation offer has come to the fore. Standards of housekeeping and cleanliness play an important role in attracting and keeping customers. In terms of someone's personal development, housekeeping can help develop a range of useful and transferable skills including planning, organisation skills, people management and a keen eye for detail.

This standard deals with the preparation, supervision and review of the service, involving the planning of equipment and supplies, preparing staff rotas, briefing staff and collecting customer feedback.

When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to:

• Supervise housekeeping services

1. Schedule housekeeping procedures to take place at intervals which are suitable for maintaining the standards of the housekeeping service
2. Allocate staff and brief them on duties, relevant procedures and any variations relating to their work routines
3. Make sure staff have the skills, knowledge and resources they need when they  need them and encourage staff to ask questions if there is information that they do not understand
4. Make sure your staff follow the housekeeping procedures, maintain the appearance of the accommodation and public areas, conduct and present  themselves according to organisational requirements and standards
5. Lead staff to identify different customers and their real and perceived needs and communicate with customers in a manner that promotes a positive customer experience
6. Ensure the housekeeping service complies with relevant legal requirements, industry  regulations, professional codes and organisational policies
7. Inform your staff and customers about any changes to the service that may affect them
8. Monitor the quality of work and progress against plans and take effective action to manage problems that may disrupt the portering and concierge service when they occur, finding practical ways to overcome barriers
9. Control costs, make best use of available resources and proactively seek new sources of support when issues arise
10. Monitor and review procedures to ensure the service meets the needs of customers
11. Collect and pass on feedback and recommend improvements to the relevant people according to your organisation's requirements
12. Give feedback to staff to help them improve their performance where appropriate
13. Use effective methods to gather, store and retrieve information, accurately complete the required records and report on performance to support the service according to your organisational procedures

1. The roles and responsibilities of different people in your organisation and department for procedures in relation to the housekeeping service
2. How legislation affects housekeeping procedures, what the legal requirements are in relation to storing information about customers, staff and their comments and why the implications of legal requirements need to be regularly reviewed
3. The economic importance of an effective customer focused housekeeping service to the organisation and its staff members
4. How your organisation's policies can affect the development of procedures for the housekeeping service
5. Standards of personal presentation, customer care and behaviour for staff
6. How the housekeeping service integrates with other departments and the problems that may arise if the housekeeping service and other departments do not work together
7. How to allocate work to staff and monitor responsibilities to ensure standards are maintained
8. How to identify training needs and ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to carry out their work effectively
9. How to choose appropriate methods to brief your staff, including; verbal instructions, written instructions, demonstrations or diagrams
10. How to give feedback to staff in a way that motivates them
11. The different cleaning agents, materials and tools used in the  housekeeping service and how to use and store these
12. How the different surfaces and materials in your area of responsibility should be cleaned / cared for
13. The different ways of completing and storing records, computerised and paper-based, and the advantages and disadvantages of each
14. Why it is important to review procedures and how to do so and how to identify and suggest possible ways of improving the housekeeping  service
15. The health and safety standards that need to be followed with regards to the housekeeping service and the impact that a breach of these standards could have on customers, staff and the organisation
16. How to monitor the work of the housekeeping service and allocation and use of resources
17. The types of problems that may occur in the housekeeping service, how to deal with and report these and the limits of your authority when dealing with problems
18. Why you should maintain confidentiality when collecting feedback and how to report feedback
19. The importance of collecting feedback,  the procedures for obtaining and recording feedback from customers and staff  and why it is essential to the improvement of services and the overall management of the organisation
20. How to alter work allocation in response to feedback

The following behaviours are provided as guidance to underpin effective performance of a hospitality supervisor

1. You set examples of cleanliness and presentation, and have the confidence to deal with issues effectively and promptly
2. You make appropriate information and knowledge available promptly to those who need it and have a right to it
3. You pass on your knowledge and information to support the development of staff and colleagues
4. You model behaviour that shows respect, helpfulness and co- operation
5. You recognise recurring problems and promote changes to structures, systems and processes to resolve these

Effective methods to gather, store and retrieve information include cost- effective, time effective and ethical means.
Information includes from customers and staff.

This standard is a sector specific standard and has particular links with the following standards in the Hospitality Supervision & Leadership suite of standards: HSL1-6, HSL14, HSL18, HSL19, HSL23, HSL24, HSL29