OCS Achieves Sparkling Results in Asset Skills Team Clean Challenge Awards

Two OCS cleaning teams have achieved sparkling results in this year’s Asset Skills Team Clean Challenge Awards. After a raft of fiercely contested regional heats and the competition final in Birmingham, the OCS team at Chepstow Hospital scooped second place, while the company’s team at Aegon in Edinburgh achieved third place. Bill Ochs from Aegon, Edinburgh, was also awarded Best Supervisor for Scotland. The teams were recognised for their skills and technical knowledge at the recent annual awards ceremony in Glasgow. This is the third year of the Team Clean Challenge, a high profile annual competition created by Asset Skills to raise the profile and professionalism of the cleaning industry. OCS Cleaning Director Paul Thrupp commented: “The staff have been a credit to our business and have placed us firmly amongst the industry’s highest performers. It’s a true demonstration of the quality service we aim to deliver to our customers.” Kath Collins, OCS’s contract manager at Chepstow Hospital, expressed her delight at her team’s success: “I’ve worked in cleaning for a number of years and this was a fresh and challenging experience. Our team all agreed that the competition took us out of our comfort zone and helped us identify areas for future professional development.” Fran Murray, manager of the team at Aegon in Edinburgh, commented: “I’ve always emphasised that cleaning is a skilled profession and this reinforced the message to our staff. Everyone came away with added confidence.” Competitors in the Asset Skills Team Clean Challenge were required to demonstrate the range of skills which they use as professional cleaners in a variety of scenarios and within a given time allocation. Cleaning managers completed a range of tasks, including site surveys and estimates, job costs and risk assessments, briefings and quality checks, as well as prioritising and allocating work. Cleaning operatives were judged on their ability to comply with Health and Safety, respond to change and undertake work using appropriate techniques and skills.