Professional Development Plan for Cleaning Staff
The Department of Education and the Arts is committed to the provision of a safe and
healthy work environment and to the professional development of all employees.
These commitments are reflected in the Cleaners in Education Queensland Certified
Agreement 2003. Cleaners in schools and other education facilities are provided with
opportunities for training and representation on Health and Safety Committees as
specified in Part 4, at paragraphs 4.19, 4.20 and 4.21 of the Agreement.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Principal or Manager for training of cleaning staff include:
a) Ensuring new cleaners receive compulsory local induction on their first day
b) Providing for new cleaners to undertake structured Induction training, either
with a School Cleaning Advisor or with a supervisor and that the Cleaners
Induction Manual is readily available
c) Ascertainment of any individual requirements for language and literacy
support and referral to Paul Daniels
d) Providing timely advice of compulsory training schedules and facilitating
attendance
e) Providing encouragement and support to cleaning staff who elect to undertake
formal training
f) Ensuring a representative of the cleaning staff is invited to join the Health and
Safety Committee
g) Providing access to current editions of The Cleaners’ Chronicle
The responsibilities of cleaning staff include:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Completion of local and structured Induction programs
Attendance at scheduled training sessions conducted during paid time
Safe use of equipment and chemicals
Appropriate use of personal protective equipment
Reporting of faults and accidents according to departmental and school
procedures
f) Encouraging colleagues to access supportive language and literacy training if a
need is suspected
g) Implementation of best practices as provided through training
h) To elect a representative to the Health and Safety Committee in the workplace
where this is possible
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Training Provided
1.
Upon Appointment
a) On the first day a local induction program must be provided for newly
appointed cleaners. Orientation, introduction to other staff, timesheets and
administrative information, reporting requirements, the work area to be
cleaned, location of materials and equipment and basic OH&S information
should be provided for each new employee. The structured Induction Program
will supplement this.
b) The Induction Manual for Cleaners contains important information on the
work and the expectations of the Department of Education and the Arts for all
cleaning staff. This manual is intended to complement the induction
conducted at the local level. A copy of the manual should be accessible to all
cleaners on site. A copy should also be given to all newly engaged cleaners.
Newly appointed permanent cleaners will be provided with formal Induction
Training at the earliest opportunity. Cleaners are provided with a formal
invitation to the training, which is conducted by School Cleaning Advisors - at
quarterly intervals wherever possible.
Training is based on the Induction Manual for Cleaners and provides further
information regarding employment conditions, entitlements, duties,
responsibilities and health and safety issues.
For cleaners in remote locations, this training may be delayed until a
scheduled visit from the School Cleaning Advisor takes place. In this case, it
is advisable that the principal or registrar should go through the Induction
Manual with the cleaner on commencement of duty. The manual can be found
at: http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/fac-mngt/clean/sch/index.html. Any questions
the principal cannot answer should be forwarded to the School Cleaning
Advisor or to Paul Daniels, Senior Facilities Services Officer, Asset
Maintenance Unit, phone: (07) 3237 0006, for a response.
It is important that once a cleaner has read the Induction Manual for Cleaners
that they sign the Induction Record sheet on page 3 of the manual. A copy of
this sheet should be kept in the personnel file at the school.
2.
Workplace Language, Literacy and Numeracy
The Department of Education and the Arts will facilitate supportive training in
workplace language, literacy and numeracy for cleaners who need basic
calculations and/or who may be unable to read or write in Standard Australian
English, in accordance with the Cleaners in Education Queensland Certified
Agreement 2003. Such support may be valuable to employees from Non
English-Speaking Backgrounds and any staff who may be experiencing
difficulty with diluting chemicals, reading and understanding labels, forms,
newsletters or the Induction Manual.
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School administrators are requested to offer this training opportunity to
cleaning staff and refer any cleaners who express interest to Paul Daniels,
Senior Facilities Services Officer, Asset Maintenance Unit, phone:
(07) 3237 0006.
A record of training should be kept in the cleaner’s personnel file at the
school. Cleaners should be encouraged to provide feedback on the
effectiveness of their training.
3.
Compulsory In-service Training
The Department of Education and the Arts provides annual training on a
rostered basis for all cleaners. School Cleaning Advisors and Facilities
Services Officers conduct this training for cleaning staff during student noncontact days, including school holidays.
School Cleaning Advisors provide, in advance, timetables and locations for
annual training to schools and other facilities within their area of
responsibility. A three-year calendar provides information about the week of
attendance, with more detail provided closer to the time. Attendance is
compulsory for cleaning staff and time spent in training is paid time. Cleaners
are provided with information on issues such as team cleaning arrangements,
new equipment, new products, new techniques, key occupational health and
safety issues and administrative procedures. Compulsory training sessions are
held for 3 hours per annum.
4.
Accredited Training
Cleaners are encouraged to undertake the Certificate II and III in Asset
Maintenance (Cleaning Operations). Commonwealth Existing Employee
Traineeships in Certificate III may be available to existing cleaners who meet
certain criteria:
 Australian citizenship
 Work 15 hours/week or more
 Hold no qualification at Certificate III level or higher.
Arrangements are in place currently to enable many of those cleaners who do
not meet the above criteria to access the qualification. Continuation of these
arrangements, which are managed by Central Office Facilities Services
Officers, is, however, dependant on the continued availability of funding.
Arrangements are in place for certain Registered Training Organisations
(RTOs) to provide training and assessment in these qualifications. Schools are
requested to enrol cleaners through Asset Maintenance Unit in Central Office.
For further information, contact Geoff Fry, Senior Facilities Services Officer,
Asset Maintenance Unit, on 3224 4523.
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Certified training is encouraged by the Department but is not compulsory. A
person who gains a Certificate III in Asset Maintenance (Cleaning Operations)
will hold a nationally recognised qualification that is portable anywhere in
Australia.
5.
Occupational Health & Safety Training
Key Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issues are to be addressed
systematically with all cleaners, within induction training and at the
compulsory training delivered each year. Every opportunity is to be taken by
cleaning staff to gain understanding of and competency in OH&S. A cleaner
enrolled in an accredited training program is expected to undertake those
elective units of competency that deal with OH&S, should such units not be
compulsory units in the course.
Cleaners are encouraged to elect a union OH&S representative to represent
fellow workers in negotiations on health and safety matters. This is not a
formal Workplace Health and Safety Officer position and does not require a
qualification.
It is also recommended that a cleaning representative should be included on
the school Workplace Health and Safety Committee to monitor and implement
OH&S policies and procedures relevant to cleaning staff.
School administrators and/or the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
may provide opportunities for training to meet the needs of newly elected
cleaner OH&S representatives. Such training could include communication
skills, risk assessment and management, hazard identification and control,
health and safety policies and systems.
Record Keeping
Records of all training undertaken should be maintained in school personnel
files. Should a cleaner enrol in an accredited qualification, an Advice of
Qualifications Completed/Currently Undertaken form should be completed
and forwarded to the CSU/District Office for entry onto TSS. A further form
should be submitted on successful completion of the qualification, together
with a certified copy of the certificate.
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Record of Training – Cleaning Staff
Type of
training
Provider
Start
Date
Completion
Date
Advice
form
sent to
DO
Local Induction
N/A
Formal
Induction
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Compulsory
Training
N/A
Cleaner’s
initials
Certificate III
in Asset
Maintenance
OH&S
Representative
Training
Other training
N/A
Details:
Other training
Details:
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Handout for New Employees
Cleaners’ Training Opportunities
As a Cleaner, your contribution to maintaining a safe and healthy learning
and work environment for students and staff is recognised and valued by
the Department of Education and the Arts. Your health and safety is also
important. To ensure you can maintain cleaning standards without
endangering yourself or others, the following training opportunities are
offered:
On your first day, you will be given essential information to get you
started. You will be informed about safety procedures and given the
opportunity to familiarise yourself with the area to be cleaned and the
equipment you will use. Please ask questions to clarify anything you
don’t understand.
You should read the Induction Manual for Cleaners that your school
provides. This manual gives you information about your entitlements and
your responsibilities as an employee of the Department of Education and
the Arts. You will be introduced to the School Cleaning Advisor, who
will go through the manual with you. Your principal or registrar will
answer any urgent questions, so please ask.
Reading and working with numbers
Your school can help if you are having difficulties. You will be given the
opportunity to complete a short course in literacy and numeracy that will
be helpful in your work and in other aspects of your life.
Each year you will be provided with a timetable indicating when you are
to attend a short training session. This may be held at a different location
to the school where you work. The School Cleaning Advisor will give
you up-to-date information about new products, new equipment and
techniques. These valuable training sessions are conducted in work time
and you are required to attend.
Traineeship
You are encouraged to undertake a Certificate III in Asset Maintenance
(Cleaning Operations). This qualification is currently available as a
Traineeship for Existing Workers who meet certain criteria. There is no
change to wages or conditions for a person undertaking this traineeship.
On successful completion of the course, you will have a qualification that
is recognised throughout Australia. Ask your School Cleaning Advisor,
your registrar or principal for assistance if you would like to enrol in a
traineeship.
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Handout for New Employees
Cleaning Staff Professional Development Flowchart
INDUCTION TRAINING


Local induction training provided on first day
Followed by training using Induction Manual conducted by School Cleaning
Advisor or School Administrator
WORKPLACE LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NUMERACY
 If required
 Use and understand the language of the workplace and basic calculations
 Facilitated
by
Paul
Daniels,
Senior
Facilities
Services
Officer,
ph: (07) 3237 0006
COMPULSORY TRAINING



3 hours per year
Within work time (paid)
Conducted on student non-contact days
ACCREDITED TRAINING



Is encouraged
Available as a traineeship if requirements are met
Certificate III in Asset Maintenance (Cleaning Operations) - nationally
recognised qualification
Checklist for Cleaners’ Training
OH&S REPRESENTATIVE TRAINING
Only required by OH&S representative on workplace Health and Safety Committee
Contact Organisational Health Unit, Central Office, for short course.
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