Since I first joined Fidelis as financial controller in 2018, a lot has changed. Of course, we all know that the world transformed in the face of a pandemic. Indeed, we’re still not sure what recovery from the pandemic really means for the commercial world. But here at Fidelis, there have been huge adjustments too. We’ve grown the business; we’re now a team of over 400 people with a turnover in excess of £6 million. We’ve joined forces with another fantastic cleaning company; since April 2021, we’ve been part of the REACT Group. And alongside REACT Specialist Cleaning, we’re able to offer our clients a wider and deeper range of cleaning services.
4 core values, one consistent approach to contract cleaning
We’ve always been proud of what sets Fidelis apart as a contract cleaning company. In my first blog, I wanted to reflect on how we’ll continue to hold true to the core values that we’ve always worked with, now we’re part of a larger group.
- Staff: our people make our company
We recognise that our people are our company’s biggest assets. Our operatives are fully trained and smartly uniformed. They’re always equipped with the right PPE (personal protective equipment) and empowered to do their best in each circumstance. We’ve developed a detailed induction process, with everything from right-to-work checks to initial training. We provide our colleague charter, which sets out roles and responsibilities on both sides, based on mutual respect. And we’re keen to encourage personal development among our team, with some great examples of colleagues who’ve been promoted to managerial roles having started as cleaning operatives. (We’ll be looking at some examples of that in later blogs). Taken together, that’s why we have a brilliant record of staff retention, in an industry which typically relies on more casual working patterns.
- Service: we become part of each client’s team
We view each of our clients as a partner. We’re always up-front about our terms and conditions, so there’s never any small print in our contracts. Where possible, we’ll provide a dedicated team of operatives who get to know the organisation and who can become part of the local team. This consultative approach was particularly helpful during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. We were able to advise on appropriate cleaning regimes to keep our clients’ staff, customers, and service users safe. And as we recover from the pandemic, we’ll still be there to work collaboratively on new cleaning regimes.
- Safety: we don’t take risks with our client’s staff or our own
From the perspective of our staff, we embed a health and safety culture throughout. Training on the safe use of cleaning equipment and products, and appropriate PPE, is a huge component in our operatives’ induction. For the more specialist cleaning jobs at height or below ground, such as maintenance pits at manufacturing sites, we provide full training and accreditation for our operatives. And we carefully consider our clients’ safety too. We always make sure to carry out health and safety assessments on new sites, and we’ll be sure to limit trip and slip hazards with suitable signage and cordons.
- Sustainability: we’re committed to excellent environmental management
We’re a cleaning company, so of course we focus on improving indoor and outdoor environments every day. But we also take seriously our responsibilities towards protecting the broader environment. We’re working towards accreditation under ISO 14001 Environmental Management and are due to have that in place by April. This kitemark is the international standard that specifies requirements for effective environmental management systems. As a holder of ISO 14001, we’ll continuously work to improve our own environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste. And documenting our sustainable approach, such as switching to hybrid and electric vehicles, is increasingly part of contract tenders. So we’re already seeing the financial benefits of being sustainable – as well as playing our part in securing the future of the planet.
Remaining true to these company values
Achieving sustainability requires innovation. But we’re finding that such innovation can help us stay true to all our four core values. Take the shift towards battery-powered cleaning equipment. It will make our operational staff’s jobs easier, as equipment is often lighter. They’ll provide a better service, as equipment is usually more manoeuvrable. Without trailing wires and attendant trip hazards, the equipment is safer. And as battery technology improves, this should provide us with yet more sustainable cleaning solutions. We’re actively seeking out other innovations that can help us remain true to all our values.
In Latin, “fidelis” means faithful and trustworthy. That’s exactly what we’ve always aimed to be as a company, towards our clients and our people. And that’s what we’re going to continue to be as part of the REACT Group. With new opportunities outside our current geographical and sectoral base, we’re confident that we’ll be able to make a difference to the companies we work with. Whether we’re working on conformance cleaning in a school or providing confined space cleaning at a manufacturing facility, you can rely on us to deliver. That’s because at Fidelis, the difference is us.
To find out more about Fidelis Group and our values-driven contract cleaning business, contact one of the team today.
- Telephone: 0845 431 0382 | 0121 289 3258
- Email: info@fidelisgroup.co.uk
- Website: www.fidelisgroup.co.uk
Post by Jon Shaw
Jon is Managing Director at Fidelis Contract Services Ltd, a business dedicated to performance and professionalism in contract cleaning. Having been part of Fidelis for four years, and MD since December 2021, Jon knows the value of keeping the company’s staff safe and in building trust for successful, sustainable long-term partnerships with clients in a range of sectors.
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