HEFCE 2003/27
Value for money initiative

This report is for information and guidance

The UK Value for Money Steering Group

Cleaning management in higher education

Value for money study

This report, commissioned by the UK Value for Money Steering Group, identifies the key management issues in developing and reviewing cleaning services in HEIs, to support continuous improvement and secure value for money. It addresses strategic and practical issues, drawing on good practice in the sector and in the cleaning industry as a whole.

Table of contents and foreword (read on-line)

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Report
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CINTO publication ‘Getting it right’
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Foreword
Executive summary
1.	Results
	1.1 Key performance results
	1.2 Customer results
	1.3 People results
	1.4 Society results
2.	Enablers
	2.1 Leadership enablers
	2.2 Policy and strategy enablers
	2.3 People enablers
	2.4 Partnerships and resources enablers
	2.5 Processes enablers
3.	Case studies
	3.1 Thames Valley University
	3.2 University of Leeds
4.	Background to the study
5.	Consultation with other sectors and representative bodies
6.	Working groups and contributors
	6.1 UK Value for Money Steering Group
	6.2 Project Management Committee
	6.3 Expert Working Group
	6.4 Consultation Group
	6.5 Contributing institutions
7.	Terms of reference for the report
8.	Glossary, bibliography and additional sources
9.	National occupational standards

Foreword

The challenges faced by cleaning services managers in higher education institutions are not unique. However, for the HE sector in particular, these challenges are characterised by the adoption of a wide range of approaches to the management, funding and setting of quality standards for cleaning services.

Overall, the management of cleaning services in universities and colleges is undertaken in a cost-effective and efficient manner. However, the experience of one institution (summarised below) highlights some of the common problems faced by the HE sector:

few opportunities to establish common standards for cleaning
a lack of training opportunities for cleaning staff, who also experience low morale
high levels of cleaning staff turnover and absence
no evidence of quality assessments
little customer contact
absence of service level agreements.

To support the continued development of cleaning services, this value for money study has identified some important findings and recommendations for cleaning services, using the EFQM Business Excellence Model as a framework.

For the sector as a whole, the study recommends the adoption of recognised national standards for cleaning in HEIs, the creation of a national representative body for managerial staff, and the development of key performance indicators for cleaning services.

We commend the report to HEIs and hope that it will help senior managers to develop economic, efficient, and effective processes for cleaning services.

Professor David Wallace, Vice-Chancellor, Loughborough University.
Chair, UK Value for Money Steering Group.

Professor Christopher J Carr, Principal and Chief Executive, St Martin’s College.
Co-Chair, Cleaning Project Management Committee

Mark Q. Swales MSc MHCIMA, Head of Business and Facilities Operations, Sheffield Hallam University.
Chair, Cleaning Expert Working Group

HEFCE 2003/27 Value for money initiative