Facilities Assistant

Job Title: Facilities Assistant
Business Area Organisation-wide
Contract Type Permanent
Working Pattern 3 days per week- year-round
Pay Scale £15,600-£16,800 (Already Pro rata)

Role purpose

To ensure that all Navigators premises across Greater Manchester are safe, secure, well‑maintained and welcoming, supporting the smooth running of daily provision and the wellbeing of students, staff and visitors.
The Facilities Assistant will work flexibly across multiple sites, maintaining consistent standards and responding to operational priorities as they arise.

Key responsibilities

Multi‑Site Working

• Work across multiple Navigators sites throughout Greater Manchester, travelling between locations as required to meet operational needs.

• Maintain consistent standards of safety, maintenance and presentation across all sites.

• Prioritise and manage workload effectively across different locations, responding flexibly to changing demands.

• Build positive working relationships with staff at all sites, ensuring clear communication and effective handovers.

Security and Site Access

• Open and close buildings across multiple sites as required, including for events and activities outside normal operating hours.

• Lock, alarm and secure all buildings, gates, doors and windows, ensuring sites are left safe and ready for use.

• Act as a key holder and participate in a rota system, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and emergency call‑outs.

• Respond to emergency call‑outs across sites, taking appropriate action to secure premises and reporting issues promptly.

Safeguarding, Health & Safety

• Maintain a safe environment at all times across all sites, with safeguarding of children and young people as a primary responsibility.

• Carry out, record and monitor routine health and safety checks, including fire alarms, emergency lighting and site inspections.

• Identify, report and where possible make safe hazards and defects, ensuring affected areas are appropriately cordoned off.

• Ensure contractors working across sites adhere to safeguarding requirements, risk assessments and agreed safety procedures.

Facilities and Maintenance

• Undertake general maintenance and minor repairs across sites, including:

• Basic plumbing tasks

• Replacing light tubes and bulbs

• Painting and decorating

• Installing shelving and fixtures

• Minor repairs to cleaning equipment

• Monitor the condition of buildings and proactively address defects to prevent deterioration.

• Liaise with and supervise contractors across multiple sites, ensuring work is completed to required standards.

• Maintain accurate records of maintenance work, faults and actions taken across all sites.

• Assist with moving furniture, equipment and deliveries between and within sites as required.

Grounds and External Areas

• Maintain external areas across sites, including:

• Litter picking and emptying external bins

• Sweeping paths and entrances

• Clearing drains, gullies and gratings

• Managing ice, snow, leaves, moss and weeds

• Carry out basic grounds maintenance such as grass cutting, shrub pruning and general gardening where required.

Operational and Team Support

• Prepare premises across sites for meetings, inspections, events and activities, adopting a flexible approach to out‑of‑hours working.

• Provide clear handovers and updates to colleagues, particularly where work is shared across multiple locations.

• Support centre teams to ensure the smooth day‑to‑day operation of Navigators provision.

• Attend meetings and training sessions as required.

Personal and Professional Conduct

• Act courteously and professionally with students, staff, parents, visitors and contractors at all times.

• Work reliably and independently, using initiative to identify and resolve issues across sites.

• Maintain confidentiality and comply with all organisational policies, including safeguarding, health & safety and equality.

• Demonstrate commitment to Navigators’ values and continuous improvement

Skills and abilities 

• Strong practical maintenance skills, with the ability to carry out minor repairs, basic plumbing, decorating and general upkeep tasks safely and competently. 

• Ability to manage workload independently across multiple sites, prioritising tasks effectively and responding flexibly to changing operational needs. 

• Good organisational and time‑management skills, including the ability to plan travel between sites and meet deadlines. 

• Ability to identify hazards, defects and maintenance issues proactively, taking appropriate action to make areas safe and escalate concerns when necessary. 

• Clear and confident communication skills, enabling effective interaction with staff, students, contractors and visitors across different locations. 

• Ability to supervise contractors on site, ensuring safeguarding, health & safety and agreed work standards are maintained. 

• Strong problem‑solving skills, with a calm and practical approach to unexpected issues or emergency situations. 

• Ability to maintain accurate records, including maintenance logs, health & safety checks and handover information between sites. 

• Basic IT skills, including email use and digital record‑keeping or fault‑reporting systems. 

• Ability to work flexibly, including early starts, occasional out‑of‑hours working or emergency call‑outs where required. 

• A professional, reliable and approachable manner, supporting the creation of safe, calm and welcoming environments for children and young people.

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Experience and qualifications

Essential

• A good standard of general education, with sufficient literacy and numeracy skills to complete records, communicate effectively and follow health and safety procedures. 

• Relevant experience of facilities, site or building maintenance, including general upkeep, minor repairs and routine safety checks. 

• Demonstrable competence gained through practical experience or relevant training in facilities, maintenance, building care or related trades. 

• Experience of working independently, using initiative to identify issues, prioritise tasks and respond appropriately without close supervision. 

• Experience managing a varied workload, balancing planned maintenance with reactive tasks across different priorities. 

• Experience of working across multiple locations or environments, or clear evidence of being able to manage responsibilities across more than one site. 

• Experience of health and safety compliance in the workplace, including identifying hazards, reporting defects and following safe systems of work. 

• Experience communicating effectively with a range of people, including staff, contractors and visitors. 

• Experience of maintaining accurate records, such as maintenance logs, checklists, fault reports or handover notes. 

• A full UK driving licence with access to your own vehicle (Business insurance) and the ability to travel around Greater Manchester

• Willingness to undertake mandatory training, including safeguarding, health and safety and any other training required to support the role.

• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths. 

Desirable

• Experience working in an educational, alternative provision, youth or child‑centred setting. 

• Experience of supervising contractors on site, ensuring safeguarding and health & safety requirements are adhered to. 

• Experience of multi‑site facilities responsibility, particularly within education or public‑facing services. 

• Experience of opening and closing premises, including key‑holding, out‑of‑hours working or emergency call‑outs. 

• Experience of grounds maintenance, including litter management, basic gardening or seasonal tasks. 

• Experience supporting inspections, audits or compliance checks, such as health & safety, safeguarding or fire safety. 

• Trade‑related or facilities‑related qualifications or training, e.g. basic plumbing, electrical awareness, fire safety, IOSH Working Safely or similar. 

• First Aid qualification, or previous first aid training. 

• Experience using digital systems, such as email, fault‑logging or maintenance tracking systems.

Behaviours and attitudes

• Empathy: Foster a supportive environment that encourages understanding and compassion among learners and staff. 

• Integrity: Uphold honesty and strong moral principles in all interactions and decisions. 

• Resilience: Encourage learners to develop coping strategies and the ability to bounce back from challenges. 

• Trust:   Build a culture of trust where learners feel safe to express themselves and take risks in their learning. 

• Authenticity: Encourage learners to be true to themselves and embrace their individuality. 

• Commitment: Instil a sense of dedication to personal growth and the learning process.

• Honesty: Promote transparency and truthfulness in all communications and assessments.

• Enjoyment: Create a joyful learning environment where learners find pleasure in their educational experiences.

• Learning: Encourage a lifelong love of learning and curiosity about the world. 

• Respect: Cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect among learners, staff, and the wider community.