The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Are You Being Served? - Massive Decline In Directly Employed Maintenance Workers

Are you being served
11 April 2018 | Updated 13 April 2018
 

In days of yore, nearly all public and private sector departments had their own in-house maintenance team. But not anymore Building Cost Information Service research has found - highlighting a massive decline in directly employed maintenance staff.

From the early 80s, when public sector organisations were required to put maintenance work out to tender, the work has either been let to private sector organisations or the direct labour organisations (DLO) have themselves been privatised, says the report which focuses on the public sector.

BCIS (which operates under RICS - the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has obtained figures, under freedom of information requests to the National Health Service and Local Government, that shed light on the numbers of maintenance workers still directly employed in the health and local authority sectors.

 

NHS - 1,862

The results suggest that there are now very few NHS maintenance staff paid under the nationally agreed Agenda for Change wage awards for engineers, craftsmen or labourers. The total number of staff employed, using the above job roles and as submitted by individual NHS organisations, is just 1,862.

A similar reduction in directly employed Local Authority maintenance staff levels was found in surveys carried out by Local Government. The surveys estimated that between 2005 and 2017 the number of craftworkers had fallen from 12,000 to 4,000.

 

Forecasts

BCIS had a particular interest in the subject as the decline has tended to change the wage awards under which maintenance staff are employed. The mix of wage awards forms part of the models for RICS maintenance indices and forecasts.

However, BCIS also warns there are no official statistics to validate the data. For example, the NHS advised that there may be other directly employed staff members carrying out maintenance duties but not under the defined job descriptions.

Picture: The old fashioned notion of an in-house maintenance team has practically gone

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 11 April 2018

Share



Related Articles

Five New Hospitals in England to be Rebuilt by 2030

Unsafe hospital buildings in England that pose a risk to patient and staff safety will be prioritised with new funding to rebuild them by 2030. Airedale in West...

 Read Full Article
Avrenim Announces New Project Wins Worth Over £3.25m

Liverpool FM firm Avrenim has announced a number of new healthcare, commercial and green energy contract wins, with the contract values totalling in excess of £3.25...

 Read Full Article
East London NHS Foundation Trust Appoints New FM Assistant Directors

The East London NHS Foundation Trust has appointed two new assistant directors to the Estates and Facilities Directorate. The trust is looking to improve and develop...

 Read Full Article
SFG20 Launches Online Tool to Help FMs Estimate Maintenance Costs

A digital tool to help facilities managers accurately price the specific maintenance requirements of any building has been launched by SFG20. The SFG20 Resource...

 Read Full Article
Sodexo Renews FM Contract at Queen’s Hospital in Romford

Sodexo’s catering, retail and soft services FM contract with Queen’s Hospital in Romford has been extended for a further five years. Sodexo has delivered...

 Read Full Article
NHS Trust Deploys New Software to Manage Property Leases

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust has deployed a new online solution to improve its day-to-day management and control of its asset base, in line with...

 Read Full Article
Hazards in England’s Homes Cost NHS £401m Per Year

Research from the Building Research Establishment shows that hazards which cause occupants to fall and injure themselves in the poorest quality homes in England are...

 Read Full Article
Novus Awarded North West and Midlands Healthcare Contracts

Novus Property Solutions has been awarded three hospital-based contracts in Preston, Birmingham and Liverpool. Novus recently completed an external works contract with...

 Read Full Article
Health Agency Urges Adults to Wear Face Masks When Ill

Guidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency states that adults suffering from respiratory illnesses should wear face masks if they have to leave home. Amidst high...

 Read Full Article
Martin Samworth Named as New Chair of RICS Board

RICS has announced that its new Board Chair will be Martin Samworth FRICS. The establishment of this new RICS Board is one of the key recommendations from June...

 Read Full Article