OCS has become the soft facilities provider for ELFT sites in Bedfordshire, Luton and East London.
OCS will provide cleaning services, food services, portering and a pharmacy shuttle at key sites throughout the Trust. Staff contracted to the previous provider, G4S, have all transferred over on enhanced terms and conditions.
Both organisations are committed to making this a smooth transition for staff and ensuring that patients and service users have what they need from day one.
David Stevens, ELFT’s Director of Estates, said, “I am delighted to be embarking on this new partnership with OCS. As we learnt during the pandemic, cleanliness and hygiene have never been more critical in health care settings, and patient food quality is critically important to wellbeing and recovery. So we wanted to ensure we worked with an organisation committed to providing a high quality service to our service users and our staff. Like us, they believe in fairness and equality, and in developing a skilled and competent workforce who are equipped to work to high standards.”
OCS has extensive experience in many sectors including hospital settings. They are a national leader in facilities management and known for their high standards.
Caroline Chautemps, Area Director, said, “I am very excited to welcome our new colleagues on board. We are passionate about providing the highest levels of service within a healthcare environment and we are committed to supporting ELFT in delivering the highest quality care to service users and local communities.”
Staff who are transferring to OCS have had team meetings and one-to-one meetings about the change. OCS will appoint staff representatives and hold staff representative forums where issues can be discussed openly and resolved.
OCS was selected because, like ELFT, they believe in fairness and equity, and they realise that the key to successful service delivery is the development of a skilled, engaged and competent workforce.
Photograph left to right: Julius Ajayi (ELFT), Frank Riedel (ELFT), David Stevens (Director of Estates), Caroline Chautemps and Ian Nisbet, Managing Director, OCS Healthcare and Education
Image credit: NHS
