Job summary
- Main area
- Estates Technician – Mechanical/Plumbing
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 220-WHT-3297
- Employer
- Whittington Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Whittington Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £37,259 - £45,356 Per Annum including HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Estates Technician – Mechanical/Plumbing
NHS AfC: Band 5
Covid-19 Vaccination
Getting vaccinated, and getting a booster, remains the best defence against COVID-19.
We encourage and support staff to get COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose as and when they are eligible.
Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Whittington Health NHS Trust.
For our current apprenticeship vacancies, please go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship and use Keyword ‘Whittington’
By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.
Job overview
To carry out the repair, maintenance or installation of all plant, equipment, systems and building structure/fabric associated with all Trust properties. This will consist of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), testing and calibration, fault finding, emergency response, defect correction and New works.
Main duties of the job
Required to have excellent communication skills, ensuring good working relationships are maintained with Estates Department staff at all levels and other staff disciplines internal and external to the department in the course of carrying out their duties.
Must be tactful and have persuasive skills in respect of providing and receiving complex and sensitive information.
Must possess training skills to undertake the training and/or instruction and evaluation of users of job specific systems and equipment.
Be capable of explaining operational and technical issues to estates staff and trainees, clinical/nursing staff, departmental managers and patients in respect of ward and department building and engineering systems and equipment.
Attend departmental meeting and briefings as required.
To have completed a recognised trade apprenticeship and hold a BTEC HNC/diploma in Engineering or equivalent City and Guilds qualification with practical and professional theoretical engineering knowledge acquired through a diploma plus significant equivalent experience in their specialist field.
Must complete recognised Btec Hospital Competent Persons accredited courses, and be appointed in writing, for work on Specialist healthcare systems as required.
Required to undertake mandatory and statutory training according to Trust policy and as identified in the Trust appraisal process.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please read attached Job Description for full details on this role.
Required to complete specialist accreditation courses for some the following:
• IEE Wiring Regulations
• Inspection and Testing
• Portable appliance testing.
• Pressure Systems
• L114 Safe Use of Woodworking Machinery
• HTM Authorised Person in appropriate discipline
• Electrical
• Ventilation
• Decontamination
• Medical Gases
• Water Systems
Accept and utilise any other training and development offered in order to carry out duties and responsibilities to achieve a high quality service.
The post holder will be employed to work appropriate to their core skills particularly around building and engineering plant and equipment maintenance.
They will however, progressively be trained to acquire elements of other skills with the intention of reaching levels of multi trade flexibility and competence to enable them to achieve and apply their ability where required.
Hold a full valid driving licence and carry out driving duties as required.
Must be experienced in fault diagnosis and analysis of complex critical equipment and systems, taking the necessary remedial action where appropriate considering a range of options and safety issues to effect repairs using ‘cause and effect analysis’ and detailed examination to gain a solution.
Problem solve technical issues, fault diagnosis and solution finding. Assess safety situations/analysis and diagnosis of faults in complex, multi-faceted equipment.
Organise complex programmes of specialist maintenance and testing procedures for a wide variety of healthcare systems.
Liaise with specialist service contractors, departmental managers and staff, and the in-house maintenance Estates Officers to co- ordinate work activity at mutually agreed dates and times.
Must be prepared to work a reasonable amount of overtime to undertake emergency repair work and planned maintenance work including operating theatre maintenance closures on bank holidays and weekends and cover for sickness and annual leave.
Required to have developed skills to work to fine tolerances and accuracy using precision fine tools for adjustments and calibration of instruments and controls.
Be capable of reading and understanding complex detailed design engineering drawings, and operation and maintenance manuals.
Utilise complex/sophisticated calibration and monitoring instruments using precision tools and measuring devices to obtain readings and test results and produce readings and results for records, and audit to meet quality assurance standards.
Monitor, calibrate and verify accuracy of test equipment used at recommended frequencies, to ensure they are meeting with NHS Technical memorandum standards.
Identify, arrange procurement and replacement of defective component parts and equipment on major items of engineering plant, cost effectively to the value of £2k.
The post holder must have a multi-skilled approach to a wide range of work of other trades outside their core trade skills, and be able to undertake work in a safe and effective manner,
complying with all relevant safety legislation and Estates Department safe working procedures on all works undertaken.
Carry out the full range of maintenance duties specific to their core trade as required, including non-routine, planned, corrective and breakdown maintenance tasks, this includes work on, or around, bedhead services and building fabric in wards and departments which will involve incidental patient contact.
Core Mechanical Responsibilities:
• Hot and cold water systems, plumbing services including rectification of blockages.
• Steam boilers, steam and condensate systems.
• Low temperature hot water heating systems, pumps and controls.
• Ventilation, air handling and chilled water systems.
• Hydrotherapy pool and water treatment plant maintenance.
• Compressed air systems.
• Site transport vehicle maintenance.
• Legionella and pseudomonas control.
• Compliance with current water regulations.
• Medical gas systems
• Ventilation and air-conditioning systems
• Building management systems (BMS)
• Refrigeration systems
Core Electrical Responsibilities:
• Standby Generators and associated equipment
• Uninterruptable power supplies
• Isolated power supplies
• Emergency lighting systems
• Low Voltage fixed installations
• Portable electrical appliances
• Fire Alarm systems
• Nurse call systems
• White goods
• Inspection and Testing
• Lighting
• Lifts
• Catering Equipment
• Laundry Equipment
• Security Access Control
• Competent Persons HTM 06-02 (Electrical Low Voltage Systems)
• Intruder alarm systems
• CCTV systems
Core Building Responsibilities:
• Fire Doors and closers
• Locks (Digital, Electronic)
• Building Fabric (Roofs, Walls)
• Fire stopping
• Roads, Footpaths
• External drainage
Undertake regular Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) of a wide variety of building and engineering services plant and equipment. Record and analyse results with reference to historical data and determine appropriate actions. Provide condition and non-compliance reports as necessary.
Undertake modifications and adaptations to plant and equipment in order to comply with legislative changes or National DoH hazard notices.
An element of multi skilling across the estates trades will be required, safety, competence and limitations of the individual’s expertise will be assessed and evaluated as part of the multi skilling process.
The post holder will be required to undertake the relevant training as required.
Unblocking of sluice machines, toilets, sinks and drains.
Re-washer of taps, float valves etc.
Wheels, castors, wheelchairs lubrication, cleaning and repairs.
Mechanical services Low Temperature Hot Water (LTHW) and Domestic Hot Water
System (DHWS) pump replacement.
Water heater and tea boiler replacement.
Provide training, coordination mentoring and technical support for engineering maintenance assistants and apprentices/trainees working directly under them on delegated routine tasks on a job by job basis and to check and evaluate their work.
Provide Training on and utilise complex test equipment linked to computer systems to provide accurate information required for all test sheets or log books and history files.
Must have good computer literacy skills to regularly use computerised systems such as the Building Management System to generate and analyse reports and act on results.
To collate and manipulate information from a variety of sources and generate reports using Microsoft software for further analysis.
Utilise departmental bespoke software to maintain accurate records for monitoring and compliance.
Commission or witness test new systems and equipment installations installed on Trust property. Reconfirm correct operation on a regular basis and provide cascade training to Estates staff and users.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NVQ 3, completed recognised apprenticeship in relevant base trade or relevant experience within trade specialism
Desirable criteria
- Health and Safety Qualifications or modules of technical qualifications ( IOSH One Day Working Safely. CSCS Gold Card )
- Previous AP or CP qualification in HTM's
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to interpret & work from drawings and specifications.
- Demonstrate ability to interpret & fault find on a diverse range of complex mechanical systems and installations
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with others, mainly verbal & in writing.
- Demonstrate competence in dealing with difficult and /or stressful circumstances.
- Ability to instruct other in relation to their designated task/work.
- Ability to work without supervision.
- Awareness of limits of own knowledge and ability/willingness to seek guidance and support.
- A willingness to work flexibly and in a versatile manner to cover maintenance on a wide variety of plant and equipment.
- Ability to works on own initiative and as part of a team.
- Ability to prioritise own work
- A willingness to demonstrate reliability & flexibility in their contribution to service delivery in the face of changing service demands
- Willing to undertake training relevant to the post.
- Willing to engage in new innovative working practices to improve the service.
- A commitment to own continuous personal development
- Basic IT
- Demonstrate knowledge of other crafts
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Background of mechanical work in the building industry / maintenance work
- A clear understanding of health and safety procedures in theory and practical application.
Desirable criteria
- Installation and/or maintenance experience in an industrial or domestic or commercial setting
- Relevant experience of NHS hospital environment
qualities
Essential criteria
- Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental
- Motivated to be genuinely kind and caring.
- Helps and co-operates with colleagues
- Pro-active and takes responsibility
- Willing to learn, open to change
- Motivated to make a difference in whatever way they can
- Takes pride in themselves, their appearance, their role and where they work.
- Actively supports the Trust’s values
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Annie Hurst
- Job title
- Interim Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities
- Email address
- [email protected]
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