The Voice Spring/Summer 2022

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

1982-2022

BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL

THE VOICE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

MAKING THE SECTOR’S VOICE HEARD LATEST RESEARCH SHOWS INDUSTRY’S SIZE AND SCALE

ALSO INSIDE:

MANCHESTER CLEANING SHOW PREVIEW

GOOD PROGRESS FOR INDUSTRY APPRENTICESHIP

BURNOUT RISK DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGES

FIGHTING TO MAKE THE SECTOR’S VOICE HEARD

BY BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL CHAIRMAN JIM MELVIN Despite the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing, there is hope that we are returning to some kind of normality after a long, hard winter dominated by the pandemic.

The past months have been particularly challenging for many cleaning and hygiene operatives.

As those in our sector know, the role of sector staff is frontline and essential to keeping key workers and the public healthy, safe and well and personnel are skilled, professional and trained to a high standard.

During the fight against Covid-19, industry personnel have been vital to helping prevent the disease from spreading and are crucial to the return to work and normality by keeping buildings hygienically clean, working quietly, efficiently, bravely and skilfully throughout.

We in the BCC pay tribute to sector staff and we look forward to helping celebrate their contribution at the Cleaning Show in Manchester on 6-7 April. You can find out more about the show on the next page.

The severe staff shortages the sector faces have placed an added burden on colleagues who are already coping with the extra process and procedures needed to keep buildings clean. Turn to page seven to find out more.

The need for urgent Government help for the sector to deal with the recruitment crisis, along with achieving recognition of the role of cleaning and hygiene operatives as being an essential and key occupation, have been two of the

most important aims of our work lobbying the Government.

We hoped the formation of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry early last year would help us make the industry’s voice heard at the highest levels but progress in some key areas has been slower than we would have liked.

It is perhaps not surprising considering that the Coronavirus pandemic has dominated the national agenda but it is disappointing all the same.

Nevertheless we are still determined to achieve our key strategic objectives, so we have been rethinking our approach and want the sector to join us in a collective effort. Watch out for more updates on this soon.

Our latest research report will provide crucial evidence for our lobbying work, showing as it does that the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry remains one of the ten biggest industries the UK. Find out more on page four.

One area where we have been delighted with progress is in the drive

INFO@BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG PAGE 2

for an accredited training programme and apprenticeship for the sector.

Find out about the proposed Cleaning Hygiene Operative on page five.

There’s a lot more news to read on page six, including how we are helping to tackle domestic violence, good news on accreditation schemes run by BCC member the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) and details of well-earned accolades for two leading industry figures.

On page seven, you can also find out about another initiative which is helping recognise the expertise of our sector, the Chartered Practitioners Register run by another BCC member, the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC).

Jim Melvin Jim Melvin British Cleaning Council Chairman

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

1982-2022

BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

HAVE YOU REGISTERED FOR THE MANCHESTER CLEANING SHOW? With just a few days to go before the Cleaning Show visits Manchester, there is still a chance to register for free to attend, if you haven’t already.

If you are in the region, don’t miss the opportunity to go to the first faceto-face Cleaning Show in the city for more than three years - it is the ultimate destination for the cleaning and hygiene sector to connect, learn about and discover new products, services and suppliers.

When the industry’s leading regional event returns to the north of England, it will be at a new venue, Manchester Central convention complex, on 6-7 April. The British Cleaning Council and Quartz Business Media jointly organise it.

Not only will it provide the chance for the sector to network and meet each other in person once again but visitors will also be able to see the industry’s latest products and innovations and attend the ever-popular conference programme.

Exhibitors include some of the sector’s biggest and most innovative names and the show’s fascinating conference programme will feature an array of key topics all chosen to be relevant to industry professionals.

They include sessions on how robotics and cobotics can enhance current cleaning practices and how smart sensor technology can help facilities professionals manage workplaces in the post-Covid era.

One session will look at what companies can do to reduce C02 emissions and other greenhouse gases and another will cover the latest in sustainable product development and chemical-free cleaning systems.

There will also be discussions on the Living Wage, machine hire, domestic abuse in the workplace and marketing for your business.

As part of the conference programme, you can also hear British Cleaning Council (BCC) member the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) outline a roadmap towards sustainability and give valuable advice on how to avoid unscrupulous traders.

Another BCC member, the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), will brief attendees on training and delivery styles for cleaning service providers.

Former BCC Chairman Paul Thrupp is opening the show with an update on progress in key areas.

At the BCC stand, you can find out about the latest research on the sector and other important industry topics. A number of BCC members will be joining us on the stand and some are also exhibiting.

Above all the Manchester Cleaning Show is a chance to celebrate our industry and workforce, particularly after the fantastic commitment shown in the last two gruelling years.

The cleaning and hygiene sector employs approximately five per cent of the UK workforce, making it one of the UK’s top ten biggest industries.

The pandemic saw the industry rightly gain recognition for the importance of our work and the skill, bravery and hard work of our personnel in keeping people and places safe and healthy while on the frontline in the fight against the pandemic.

With this growing and much deserved recognition, it will be exciting to celebrate our superb cleaning teams at the Manchester show.

FOR MORE ABOUT THE SHOW, VISIT WWW.CLEANINGSHOW. CO.UK/MANCHESTER/ PAGE 3 WWW.BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG

RESEARCH REPORT SHOWS INDUSTRY STRENGTH Latest research has thrown up some interesting insights into the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry and the condition of the sector as a whole.

BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL THE CLEANING, HYGIENE AND WASTE INDUSTRY RESEARCH REPORT

The number of sector businesses grew to 69,005 in 2021 and the number of employees working in the sector remained static at 1.47 million, according to statistics in the new British Cleaning Council research report.

The number of people employed in the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector in 2021 was approximately five per cent of the UK workforce, ensuring that it remains one of the top ten biggest industries in the UK, the report said.

According to the latest information available, the industry contributed £58.9 billion to the UK economy in 2019, up from the previous year, showing that it went into the pandemic in robust health. All subsectors, bar landscape service activities, saw a year-on-year growth in turnover up to 2021.

The report recorded that turnover in the sector increased by 22 per cent from 2015 to 2021, a similar figure to growth in the economy as a whole, further showing the strength of the industry.

Sector staff had been on the frontline in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the report also noted, with the current pressures, increased workloads and ongoing uncertainty leaving many exhausted.

The BCC releases a research report packed with interesting and revealing facts and figures about the sector every year.

This year’s report says that the number of sector businesses grew

from nearly 66,420 in 2020 but included a number of opportunistic firms which started up during the pandemic offering cleaning services.

The BCC and members have warned previously that consumers need to be wary of purchasing cleaning products and services from rogue traders which sprang up during the pandemic to profit from public alarm about Covid-19.

The report said that the cleaning and hygiene industry directly employed over 941,000 people in 2021, two per cent less than the previous year. The much higher figure quoted above includes cleaning across other industries such as public services and hospitality. Many BCC member organisations also reported a greater interest in firms joining.

A BCC survey of the sector during the first year of the pandemic demonstrated how variable the impact of Covid-19 had been on the industry, with some sectors and businesses seeing work drying up and staff going into furlough, while others saw a boom in demand.

The research also found that the cleaning and hygiene industry is quite competitive and nearly nine in ten

INFO@BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG PAGE 4

2022

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

1982-2022

BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

firms are micro businesses, employing less than ten individuals.

It also identified some challenges for the sector, including a record number of job vacancies (see page 7 for more on this topic). Employers in the cleaning sector need to adapt to a rapidly changing workforce if they are to win the ‘frantic’ battle for workers, it said.

With 27 per cent of the workforce aged over 55 years, the industry needs to do more to attract younger staff to replace an ageing workforce, the report said.

In terms of training, it also highlighted the ‘good headway’ made with the proposal for a Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship (see page 5 for more). A repeated request across all areas of the industry is the need for basic, entry level qualifications, the report said.

FOR A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF THE RESEARCH REPORT, EMAIL COMPSEC@ BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

INDUSTRYWIDE APPRENTICESHIP MAKES GOOD PROGRESS A long-needed industrywide training programme and apprenticeship for the cleaning and hygiene sector made excellent progress towards becoming a reality this year.

Consultation on initial proposals for the Apprenticeship Levy funded and accredited programme took place a few weeks ago.

The feedback is being considered by a Trailblazer group, sponsored by the British Cleaning Council, which is leading on developing the Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship.

The Trailblazer group will put their updated proposals before approving body The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) later this year and it is hoped that they will be given the greenlight.

To have reached this stage is hugely encouraging given that previous attempts by the industry to establish a training programme and apprenticeship did not make it past the first hurdle.

There is currently no apprenticeship scheme for the sector which provides the training in the technical skills needed by cleaning and hygiene operatives working outside health care.

With no suitable option for investing Apprenticeship Levy funds on training staff, many large businesses in the sector continue to pay their Apprenticeship Levy but it goes

straight to the Government rather than being reinvested in the industry.

The Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship would also provide a recognised career pathway which will attract new entrants to the industry, something which is badly needed due to the current severe staff shortages in parts of the cleaning and hygiene sector.

BCC Chairman Jim Melvin said: “We are delighted that the proposed Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship has made such good progress this year.

“It is a hugely important initiative for the cleaning and hygiene industry in so many ways. We have been crying out for this for years.

The formal training programme will also help address ill-founded ideas held by some outside the industry that sector staff are low-skilled.

For all these reason, businesses and organisations in the sector have been overwhelmingly behind the idea.

“There is still a way to go and it is not a done deal but I am very optimistic about the prospects of the apprenticeship being launched later this year.

“I want to thank the Trailblazer group for their hard work and also all the stakeholders who have given their support so far.“

It also builds on the huge amount of training expertise in the sector, including the recently launched Chartered Practitioners Register from BCC member the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) and the years of expertise in training held by the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc).

After the BCC began the drive for another attempt to set up the training programme and apprenticeship last year, a number of major companies from the sector along with supporting stakeholders, many of them BCC members, came together to form the Trailblazer group.

In November last year, IfATE gave the go ahead for the Trailblazer group to draft up proposals – a move which delighted industry leaders.

The Trailblazer published its initial proposals in January and invited cleaning and hygiene sector employers, training operatives, providers and assessment organisations to have their say.

Twenty-nine cleaning and hygiene sector organisations gave feedback and they have been thanked by the BCC. PAGE 5 WWW.BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG

BCC JOINS INITIATIVE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The British Cleaning Council has joined an initiative against domestic violence and is inviting the rest of the cleaning and hygiene sector to review it and join.

The BCC has become a member of the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), a network of large and small businesses including the BBC, Chelsea FC and John Lewis, which supports employers to address the issue in the workplace.

BCC Chair Jim Melvin said: “Domestic abuse is unfortunately all too common in today’s society and often the victims are too afraid to seek help or don’t know where to turn.

“We want to play our part in raising awareness in our sector about this issue and we fully encourage other organisations in the cleaning and hygiene industry to support EIDA too.”

Figures show that one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetimes.

EIDA membership gives employers the expertise and help needed to support employees in the right way, at the right time.

FOR MORE ON EIDA, VISIT WWW.EIDA.ORG.UK

EXCEPTIONAL CONFORMANCE TO CHSA ACCREDITATION Buyers of cleaning and hygiene products can continue to rely on the guarantee of the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association’s (CHSA) Accreditation Scheme mark following exceptional compliance during 2021.

The CHSA’s independent inspector conducted 143 audits during the year, inspecting every member of the CHSA. More than 3,800 individual items were checked across all the schemes making sure “what’s on the box is what’s in the box”.

FINDINGS INCLUDED: • paper-based and woven products achieved 92 per cent label compliance • audits showed that 92 per cent of all plastic-based products met the requirements • manufacturers of cotton-based products achieved 97 per

cent compliance on the labels checked and 96 per cent on products • the 17 members of the accreditation scheme for manufacturers of cleaning and hygiene chemicals were reviewed • every distributor member of the CHSA was audited.

The CHSA also conducts due diligence on applications to join the association and an audit.

Mike Stubbs, Chairman of CHSA Accreditation Schemes said: “Maintaining the integrity of our accreditation scheme is essential so we are delighted members have again maintained standards, achieving very high levels of compliance. Buyers of cleaning and hygiene products can continue to trust the mark. Our standards, your guarantee.”

FOR MORE, VISIT WWW.CHSA.CO.UK

AWARDS FOR INDUSTRY MEMBERS A leading figure in the cleaning and hygiene industry was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2022.

Kim Phillips is a Director at the British Cleaning Council, as well as the National Chairperson of BCC member the Association of Building Cleaning Direct Service Providers (ABCD) and Head of Catering and Facilities Services at Rotherham Council.

Kim Phillips - BCC Director

She was recognised for public service after supporting communities within the borough, including during the Covid-19 crisis.

She said: “I am one of hundreds of employees across the country who have endeavoured to fight the pandemic and keep everyone safe. I would like to dedicate the award to all the unsung frontline heroes who have maintained a positive attitude in the face of adversity, which is just as important to success as ability.”

• At last year’s Cleaning Excellence Awards, former BCC Chairman Paul Thrupp was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in developing the sector’s All Party Parliamentary Group.

INFO@BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG PAGE 6

Paul Thrupp - former BCC Chairman

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

Cleaning and hygiene industry leaders have continued to call for Government help due to the severe staff shortages affecting the industry.

Delia Cannings, Deputy Chair of the BCC

STAFF AT RISK OF BURNOUT DUE TO SEVERE STAFF SHORTAGES

Late last year, a British Cleaning Council (BCC) survey of sector firms representing over 30,000 employees in total recorded nearly 2,000 vacancies.

difficulties keeping the UK’s buildings hygienically clean thereby putting the health of members of the public at risk, particularly if a new variant emerges.

One firm said the number of vacancies had increased by 252 per cent in the previous six months, and another by 267 per cent, both astonishing figures.

Delia Cannings, Deputy Chair of the BCC, as well as National Lead for Education and Training at the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals (ahcp), said the healthcare sector had been particularly badly affected by the recruitment crisis.

The majority of companies taking part in the survey reported that staff leaving included foreign nationals going home or employees moving to other roles.

The immigration system introduced in the wake of Brexit classified cleaning and hygiene operatives as low-skilled, making it much more difficult for overseas staff to find work in the sector.

The cleaning and hygiene industry has always depended on employees of all nationalities but UK nationals have been traditionally hard to attract to the industry.

Over the winter, the situation was so severe that industry leaders warned that cleaning staff in healthcare, hospitality and other parts of the sector were facing burnout due to extra workloads caused by measures put in place to stop Coronavirus spreading, combined with the recruitment crisis.

With Covid infection rates still relatively high, the crisis could also lead to

She said: “My healthcare cleaning colleagues are proud of their work and do their best to fill the gaps. Therefore longer shifts and overtime have become commonplace in an effort to support colleagues who are already exhausted and on their knees.

“This is not sustainable and will impact on people’s physical and mental health.

We are seeing cases of staff turning to alcohol and substance abuse, and anxiety, depression and domestic abuse are all rising. I fear we will see colleagues burning out in the longer term.“ The BCC is urgently calling for the Government to work with the industry to ensure an immediate solution to the staffing issues and, in the longer term, help ensure that there is a clear skills pathway to ensure the industry becomes an attractive career choice.

CHARTERED PRACTITIONERS REGISTER CONTINUES TO GROW Since the launch of the Chartered Practitioners Register by the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) last year, 12 people have been awarded their chartered status.

Five further entrants will receive their awards at the WCEC court lunch in May and a further fifteen cleaning industry professionals have registered to begin their chartership journey including completing their formal expressions of interest.

There is also further interest from across Europe and as far as the United Arab Emirates.

The register is not only an award for WCEC members. All senior roles within the cleaning and FM industries are eligible to apply.

To join the next cohort of entrants, the deadline to make final submissions is 3 June 2022.

detailed explanation of the chartership journey process. There are lunchtime and evening sessions to provide more attendance flexibility.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CONTACT CPR@WC-EC.COM

Video conference workshops are scheduled for 8 April. They offer a

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OUR MEMBERS THE ASSOCIATION OF BUILDING CLEANING DSPS THE ASSOCIATION OF HEALTHCARE CLEANING PROFESSIONALS THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR CLEANING IN HIGHER EDUCATION THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR CHEMICAL SPECIALITIES

ABOUT THE BCC

Established in 1982, the British Cleaning Council (BCC) is the authoritative voice of the UK cleaning, hygiene and waste industry, a sector worth £59bn a year to the country’s economy and one which employs around 1.47m people, making it one of the UK’s top ten industries.

The council’s membership is made up of 22 trade and membership associations which are all linked to the cleaning, hygiene and waste professions.

From contract cleaning to waste management, pest control to housekeeping, training providers to machine manufacturers, chemical suppliers to wheelie-bin washers – the BCC coordinates, campaigns and supports the affairs of the whole of the UK’s cleaning industry.

Key priorities for the BCC and its membership include seeking recognition and key worker status for sector staff, raising professional standards, employee health and well-being, career development and training, improved quality control and better procurement practices. We are also committed to promoting higher levels of cleaning and hygiene across all environments – commercial, domestic and public.

The BCC is also the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the UK Cleaning and Hygiene Industry and sponsors the Trailblazer group developing a proposal for a recognised and universal training accreditation for the whole of the industry, which would enable sector businesses to use Apprenticeship Levy funding for a cleaning apprenticeship.

The BCC is co-producer of the world-renowned Cleaning Show, which alternates annually between London and Manchester.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

1982-2022

BRITISH CLEANING COUNCIL

THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF CLEANING SCIENCE

THE BRITISH TOILET ASSOCIATION THE BRITISH PEST CONTROL ASSOCIATION THE BUSINESS SERVICES ASSOCIATION THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF WASTES MANAGEMENT THE CLEANING & HYGIENE SUPPLIERS’ ASSOCIATION THE CLEANING AND SUPPORT SERVICES ASSOCIATION THE DOMESTIC CLEANING ALLIANCE THE FEDERATION OF WINDOW CLEANERS THE INDUSTRIAL CLEANING MACHINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION KEEP BRITAIN TIDY THE NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WHEELED BIN WASHERS THE TEXTILE SERVICES ASSOCIATION THE UK HOUSEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

YOUR INDUSTRY • YOUR VOICE

Find out more: Online at www.britishcleaningcouncil.org Email info@britishcleaningcouncil.org Via Twitter @BritishCleaning On Facebook search “British Cleaning Council” On Linked In search ‘british-cleaning-council-bcc’

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANERS

FOR DETAILS ON EACH MEMBER AND A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE VISIT WWW.BRITISHCLEANINGCOUNCIL.ORG/MEMBERS