Supervise linen services Legacy

This standard is about the maintenance of the linen 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.

To deliver an effective linen service it's essential to ensure good communication with other departments in the organisation, particularly reception (front office).  For example, front office cannot allocate a room until it has been cleaned and inspected by the housekeeping team and the linen service is a key part of this process.   Guests expect clean, fresh linen during their stay.  The linen service has the responsibility for making sure that this happens, and that guest's expectations are met, or exceeded.

Overseeing the linen service involves ensuring all staff are fully briefed

and able to represent your organisation to customers.  It involves

having procedures in place but also contingencies just in case things go wrong. It involves constant monitoring of the service, gathering

feedback from staff and guests on performance and using this

feedback to seek ways to constantly improve.

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

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

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​​Supervise linen services

1. Allocate staff and brief them on duties, relevant procedures and any variations relating to their work routines
2. Ensure 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
3. Ensure your staff follow the linen service procedures and conduct and present themselves according to organisational requirements and standards
4. 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
5. Ensure the linen service complies with legal requirements, industry regulations, professional codes and organisational policies
6. Inform your staff and customers about any changes to the service that may affect them
7. Monitor the quality of work and progress against plans and take effective action to manage problems that may disrupt the linen service when they occur, finding practical ways to overcome barriers
8. Control costs, make best use of available resources and proactively seek new sources of support when issues arise
9. Monitor and review procedures to ensure the service meets the needs of customers
10. Collect and pass on feedback and recommend improvements to the relevant people according to your organisation's requirements
11. Give feedback to staff to help them improve their performance where appropriate
12. 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. How to plan efficient linen services

1.1. The roles and responsibilities of different people within your department and in the organisation that relate to running the linen service

1.2. Your organisation's objectives and policies that are relevant to the running of the linen service

1.3. Why it is important to have contingency plans and how to develop them

1.4. How to write procedures and work instructions

2. How to work out what resources are needed to operate efficient linen services

2.1. How to estimate the time required for activities in the linen service

2.2. How to estimate your requirements for additional resources for activities in the linen service

2.3. Who to approach to get approval for the use of additional resources

3. How to operate efficient linen services

3.1. How the linen service integrates with other departments in the organisation

3.2. What may happen if the linen service and other departments do not work together

3.3. How to implement the requirements of health and safety, employment and equal opportunities legislation and other industry specific regulations and codes of practice

3.4. How to communicate effectively with others

3.5. How to explain procedures to staff, taking account of their abilities and circumstances

4. How to monitor linen services

4.1. How to monitor staff performance against your organisation's standards

4.2. The types of problems that are likely to occur when running a linen service and how to deal with them

4.3. The different ways of completing and storing records, computerised and paper-based, and the advantages and disadvantages of each

4.4. What action you should take when legal requirements are not met

4.5. What the limits of your own authority are when dealing with problems

4.6. Who to approach when you do not have the authority to implement a solution to a problem

5. How to gather and act on feedback

5.1. How to collect and analyse feedback

5.2. Why it is important to seek views and gain feedback from your staff and customers

5.3. The types of recommendations that could be made to meet customer needs and improve efficiency

5.4. Who to present recommendations to and how to support them with appropriate evidence

​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:HSL1-6HSL14HSL17HSL19HSL23HSL24HSL29​