The Whiteley Homes Trust, “the Trust,” is a charity that manages Whiteley Village in Surrey. The purpose of the charity is to provide homes for older people of limited means from all over the country. Founded over a hundred years ago in Walton on Thames, Surrey, the Village is located in 225 acres of beautiful grounds and is a very special place to live and work.
Established in 1917, the village has many Grade 2 listed buildings and provides housing for nearly 400 older people of limited means. There are 265 Almshouses and 51 extra care apartments, and the Village also has a church, activity centre, pool, village hall, shop and community café. There is also a small number of market rent properties within the village.
The Caretakers play a vital role in ensuring the Village remains safe, well‑maintained and welcoming for all who live, work and visit here. Reporting into the Senior Caretaker, the team is made up of suitably qualified and experienced individuals who are able to work autonomously with competence, care and sound judgement. They work collaboratively with colleagues across all Trust teams to provide a co‑ordinated, responsive and supportive service. As visible and approachable figures within the Village, Caretakers naturally attract attention from Villagers and visitors, and therefore must demonstrate exceptional people skills, strong customer care, and confidence in engaging with older people in a respectful and reassuring manner.
Benefits of working for The Whiteley Homes Trust
We value our employees and offer a generous package of benefits including:
* 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing by one day after each year of service up to maximum of 36 days (pro-rata for part time employees)
* Extra day of leave each year (Trust Day) for William Whiteley's birthday
* Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave
* Generous Company Pension scheme
* Healthcare Cash Plan
* Company Sick Pay
* Blue Light Card Discounts
* Life Assurance
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Free car parking on site
Key Responsibilities:
* Be a highly visible presence in the Village through security patrols, communications in Village Publications and attendance at key meetings relevant to the role.
* Be vigilant, responding quickly and correctly in a crisis, ensuring the appropriate support is in place to maintain Village safety and the safety of Villagers, visitors and employees.
* To be responsible for maintaining the security of buildings and contents of charity buildings and personal dwellings within the Village, as directed.
* Be responsible for CCTV in the village, including maintenance and monitoring, provide access to contractors out of hours, including audit, downloading and communication as required.
* Observe, monitor and report any incidents of concern in relation to security of people and property, Health and Safety or fire regulations. Record observations, assisting with identifying trends and proactively offering solutions within the remit of the role, seeking advice on best practice where appropriate.
* Carry out security patrols across the village daily. Work with onsite contractors and (other stakeholders as required) to ensure security processes are aligned and communicated with employees and residents as necessary.
* Transportation of residents
* Locking and unlocking of West Gate and all trust buildings as required.
* Manage parking in the village to ensure vehicles are parked appropriately and safely.
* Responsible for cash transfers across the village to the accounts department.
* Act as the fishing bailiff
* Liaising with Surrey Police and the local Council when required to maintain security in the village.
* To assist with all events, including venue preparation, clean up after the event ensuring the building is secure.
* Undertaking light maintenance and building checks on buildings and equipment as directed by the Head of Property and Head of Estates to support the team in delivering high-quality and timely services that support the Village.
* Maintaining the swimming pool in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Training will be provided for the above task.
* Fire Marshall duties, including facilitating fire drills.
* Flexibility is required as you will be required to work weekends and bank holidays
* Work with the Estates team to ensure gritting is carried out across the Village ahead of expected cold weather