In his education spot Colin Hanks, our Training & Education Manager, outlines what BICSc has to offer for users or would be users of microfibre.

In supporting and broadening the popular Cleaning Operator’s Proficiency Certificate scheme, we have introduced a suite of skills that deal specifically with cleaning using microfibre technology. The use of microfibre cleaning techniques has seen an increase and it is to ensure that the highest standards are achieved that a range of assessments have been developed.

This month features Denise Arnold, an elected  member of Council and of the Finance & General Purposes Committee.

Denise Arnold writes: “I began my career in the cleaning industry in the 1980s in London as a Housekeeper with the Grand Metropolitan chain.

This included attending a City & Guilds course so I received my first cleaning related qualification, the C&G 708. I moved around the hotel industry with various chains but eventually moved into local government principally for more regular hours and the pleasures of weekends off! I experienced the trials of CCT and came to appreciate the value of a well written specification. I then had the opportunity to move to the Midlands to establish a branch of Cooper Cleaning and was with them for seven years as Senior Operations Manager.

Lancaster Cleaning - or Lancaster Office Cleaning Company to give it its full title - opened its brand new Training Academy at 3 Beaufort Court, Admiral’s Way at Canary Wharf, London. Lancaster, now part of the Rentokil Initial group of companies, has long been a corporate member and exemplary supporter of the Institute - and a past winners of the BICSc Training Award at the Golden Service Awards.

We were delighted and honoured when Laurence Bull and Anne Bradley asked Colin Hanks to open the new centre before a large number of invited guests including Peter Lloyd, divisional managing director of Rentokil Initial, and Andy Deeker, Lancaster’s managing director of operations. Lancaster has always been a by-word for training in which Laurence and Anne play key roles. Colin, in his introduction before cutting the tape and declaring the Academy open, had some cogent things to say about training and the facilities. He said: “This exciting and well equipped Academy has been designed to meet the highest standards to which Lancaster has always espoused. Staff will benefit hugely from skilled and motivated trainers and access to this excellent training environment.”

By Eibhlin O’Somachain, communications & marketing manager, British Cleaning Council.

Most of us will be shocked and dismayed at the seemingly daily reporting of knife crime now occurring in the UK. Whether it is in fact worsening or the reporting of it is just increasing is another matter, but it certainly is doing nothing to help ease the problem.

A report from 29 July 2008, Solihull

The annual British Toilet Association conference and AGM were again held at the National Motorcycle Museum Conference complex in Solihull.

The conference was well attended and attracted delegates from BTA members, senior representatives from local authorities and companies involved in providing and supplying toilets. The agenda was designed to provide an overview of innovation and offer solutions to toilet providers. In particular, the agenda sought solutions for local authorities who may otherwise close toilets faced with costs of abuse, decline in standard of provision and anti social behaviour.