CASE STUDIES A Targeted Approach
SYR tell us more about their partnership with the Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and their efforts to raise cleaning standards and improve infection control.
The formation of a new health trust from the amalgamation of different services creates many practical headaches but also opportunities.
For the team responsible for housekeeping services at the new trust in the West Midlands, the partnership meant the opportunity to improve cleaning standards by introducing a method of working with standardised equipment across all sites.
The Black Country Partnership NHS Trust is a major provider of mental health and learning disability services to people of all ages. In 2014 it unveiled its brand new £1m dementia resource hub for in-patients, out-patients and the community, thanks to capital funding from the Department of Health. The Lighthouse in West Bromwich proved to be the catalyst for a shake-up in cleaning services.
Alison Lane, Assistant Facilities Manager at The Lighthouse commented: “The Trust was created from the amalgamation of mental health, learning disabilities and children’s services from Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley. They each brought with them lots of different cleaning methods
and materials. I had to say we are not continuing with all these different systems, we are improving our service and providing a clear view of what direction the Trust will go in. It took two years but we are there now.”
Following trials, the Trust opted for cleaning equipment and chemicals from SYR.
Alison Lane said they had opted to roll out SYR’s equipment across the Trust’s 75 buildings based on quality and ease of use, and outcomes of trials. She added: “It was the demonstration of SYR’s Filtakleen chemicals, which clumps the dirt and ensures it sinks to the bottom of the bucket below a special grid so it cannot be stirred up by mopping - which really sold it to me.
“That was the evidence which showed that, by keeping the water clean, one lot of solution can be used to clean a much bigger area, and you don’t have to keep emptying and refilling the bucket.
“It ticked every single box for cost saving, infection prevention and manual handling. Infection Control were also very supportive of the choice.”
Colour coding of the chemicals was another crucial factor, along with the portion control pods fitted on the buckets which makes correct dosing foolproof. In all, the Trust purchased chemicals, trolleys, high-level equipment, dust control, disposable mops, buckets, Spraygee flat surface cleaner and Rapid Mop, a water-fed pole for daytime light cleaning. All of SYR’s equipment is based on minimum moisture and minimum chemical cleaning, which was ideal for the Trust where daytime cleaning was needed.
The Trust also asked SYR to produce a bespoke chemical for use in the kitchens. Alison continued: “We wanted to use SYR throughout, and because we were going down the colour coding route, we wanted it in green. We needed something that was a sanitiser, cleaner and degreaser in one, as we were using three different chemicals in the kitchen. SYR was able to develop one specifically for us. And because it is colour coded, clinicians know what to use if there are no domestic staff on duty.”
With around 180 cleaners working across the sites, training in the new methods and equipment was crucial, and again the Trust was able to work closely with SYR to meet this need. SYR Healthcare Manager Matthew Rea and Matthew Compson, from SYR’s Taskforce team, led a full week of training followed by pocket sessions over the course of a month. Taskforce offers on-site training and on-going support to all SYR customers to ensure they get the most benefit from their equipment.
With the new cleaning routines now firmly established, Alison Lane said the Trust were seeing improved standards and were grateful for the support of SYR which had made the switch much simpler and more effective.
www.syrclean.com - 22 -
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