The day is a chance to recognise the essential, behind-the-scenes work of our incredible Estates and Facilities (E&F) teams.
From clean environments and nutritious meals to safe buildings and functioning equipment, our E&F staff are central to great patient care. This year, our senior estates colleagues across the Trust took part in ‘Back to the Floor’ visits, spending time with teams on the ground to show appreciation and learn more about their daily work.
A Message from Adam Fahn, Assistant Director of Estates and Facilities
“On Estates and Facilities Day, I want to personally thank every one of our colleagues in E&F. You are the backbone of our Trust ensuring that our patients, visitors and staff are cared for in safe, clean and welcoming environments every day.
"This year’s ‘Back to the Floor’ visits were a chance for our senior estates colleagues to walk alongside you and understand the skill, commitment and pride you bring to your work. We see you and we’re grateful for everything you do.”
Highlights from Across ELFT
Bedfordshire
Amanda at Woburn Road
Amanda worked as a one-woman team at Woburn Road to see first-hand the rigorous work involved in keeping our sites safe and hygienic.
"Be the change that you wish to see. As part of my Give Back day I decided to take up the challenge of cleaning the butler sink in the WC. I used brillo pads, paint scraper and elbow grease to complete the task, keeping it as eco-friendly as possible with no chemicals used.
"The sink has been in this state for many months and I made a pledge to the staff at Woburn Road that one day I would attempt to change this. Today I did just that and the reaction from staff and service users was worth the 3.5 hours it took. I also printed out new hand wash posters and no smoking/vaping posters and laminated them. It was a small contribution but one that was greatly received and appreciated."
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Lorraine and Bianca serving meals at Calnwood Road
The catering duo joined forces at Calnwood Road, supporting food prep and service and hearing directly from staff and patients.
London
Emma in Newham with GFM
Emma rolled up her sleeves to help cleaning teams at The Newham Centre for Mental Health gaining insight into their routines and challenges.
"I joined Cristina the Soft Service Manager for GFM at Newham Centre for Mental Health, recently we have been working in partnership to revitalise the soft services at Newham Centre.
At the start of my FM career I worked as a Domestic Assistant on a zero hour contract so it was fantastic to be able to go back to the floor and remember where I started!"
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Dal visits multiple London sites
Dal spent the day moving across various Trust locations, meeting teams and recognising their contributions.
"Mr Kwaku Duah has worked at the Appleby Centre since 2020 as a domestic staff member. Although Mr Duah works for OCS he has established good working relationships with ELFT staff, who he said are very supportive.
"Mr Duah starts work at 06:00 and opens the Centre at 07:00 for the patients to access services. He finishes his shift at 14:00, when another OCS colleague takes over for the rest of the day. Mr Duah said ‘It is a very nice work environment at Appleby Centre and I enjoy working here.'"
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Ditta at Mile End with Barts Health Stalls
Ditta supported the E&F awareness stalls at Mile End Hospital, where teams engaged with staff and showcased their services.
Barts facilities had an appreciation day for facilities staff with food served to celebrate. They also show casted cleaning equipment / products for hospital visitors.
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Nathan with Rydon Maintenance Teams
Nathan spent the day with our Rydon colleagues, learning more about the behind-the-scenes work that keeps our estate running.
Thank you to all our Estates & Facilities teams
From engineers and cleaners to porters and caterers, we’re incredibly grateful to every person working in Estates & Facilities across ELFT.
If you’d like to shout out a colleague in E&F, share your thanks on the intranet comments below.