Hindsight is a luxury that is simply not afforded to school administrators and facility managers responsible for the safe procurement of cleaning and maintenance services from external organizations.

Safety is paramount. And that means who is cleaning your learning environment is equally important as how they are cleaning it.

The good news is that there are safeguards and approaches you can adopt when looking to enlist a cleaning and facility management partner.

Here are some simple guidelines we employ to keep staff and students safe, and parents assured.
<h2>1. Screening</h2>
It goes without saying that best companies will ensure their personnel hold up-to-date background and police record checks that you can view as part of the procurement process. This is the first step towards building trust between you and the prospective partner – if you have any doubts about the validity of their screening process, walk away.
<h2>2. Self-performing</h2>
A second, and often overlooked criteria, is to qualify suppliers that develop their own workforce. Companies that solely subcontract their services are less likely to have control over who cleans your environment and can typically have a higher turnover rates as they are not directly investing in their team – offering benefits, training and a fair pay structure that garners loyal and committed employees.

A potential ‘revolving door’ of subcontracted staff not only erodes trust and inhibits long-term relationships, it negatively impacts on understanding and invariably always affects the quality of service received.
<h2>3. Part of the ‘Family’</h2>
It’s important to know that the company you enlist has a strong set of values in place and is a cultural fit with your learning environment. Placing students and staff safety over profits, the company must employ workers who have been selected on more than basic criteria, that have an existing tenure of employment with the company and are thoroughly trained and trustworthy.

The Result? The right facility partner will work closely with you to achieve a long-term outcome, namely, placing trusted cleaners who will expertly maintain your site for years to come and who will become an integral part of your learning environment’s ‘family’.
<h2>You Deserve Brilliant</h2>
You can have the peace of mind of knowing exactly who is working at your
facility at all times. Safe in the knowledge that the people employed to maintain your site are comprehensively screened, highly trained professionals supported by equally dedicated managers that are in place for the long-term. Backed by a company that shares your values and concerns for the ongoing safety issues of your learning environment.

If your supplier can tick these boxes, you’re well on your way to a healthy and happy supplier partnership where the safety and security of both staff and students are assured.