Purpose
To assist state schools that are experiencing at least one of the following:
- recurrent resourcing issues that impact on the ability to deliver school cleaning to the minimum cleaning standards identified through site measured allocated cleaning hours (available on OnePortal for departmental staff)
- contractual arrangements that require cleaning to be undertaken at a level that exceeds the department's cleaning standards or by a specified provider.
Duration of program
Ongoing
Eligibility
- State schools with at least 1 term of being unable to engage staff for 50% or more of the school cleaning allocation are eligible to receive:
-
Recurrent cleaning—an appropriation in lieu of their notionally allocated cleaning hours for future semester where it is expected that the resourcing challenges will continue
-
Emergent health and safety clean—a supplementary deep clean to reinstate the minimum cleaning standard prior to the end of the following term
- Departmentally owned facilities located at state schools that are cohabited or the department has committed to support services via a lease agreement, service level agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar agreement, where the cleaning services cannot be delivered by staff cleaners in accordance with the certified agreement provisions.
- Hayman Island State School as cleaning must be undertaken by the leaseholder.
Allocation of funds
Funding is only provided for the alternative arrangement cost of cleaning services or direct cost of staff cleaning including location allowances. Incidental costs incurred for departmental staff for example accommodation, travel, meal allowances, overtime, etc are not covered by this appropriation.
Recurrent cleaning
Funds allocated will be to meet the minimum cleaning standards only, based on the allocated cleaning hours and frequencies, irrespective of the mix between alternative cleaning arrangements and staff cleaning. Any cleaning above the minimum cleaning standards is excluded.
Funding will be based on either:
- 150% of the cost of the notionally allocated cleaning hours (based on notional salary), where no contract cleaning quote is available
- the alternative arrangement cleaning quote for hours equivalent to the notionally allocated cleaning hours, where no staff cleaning is available
- the alternative arrangement cleaning quote for hours equivalent to the balance notionally allocated cleaning hours and the intended staff cleaning hours, noting the total hours can’t exceed the notionally allocated cleaning hours
- the actual cost for the previous semester
and
- any adjustment for the actual cost of the cleaning for the previous semester (true-up); less
- any actual costs charged to school based salaries in the previous semester.
Funds can be used to employ a mix of staff and alternative arrangements to deliver cleaning services to the minimum frequencies. Any staff cleaning must be school purchased by the employing school, not charged to school based salaries.
Schools must continue to endeavour to engage staff cleaners whilst receiving the appropriation. Schools must consult with the relevant union prior to and, as required, whilst receiving their cleaning allocation via appropriation.
Where a school has achieved at least 80% staff cleaners in the last semester, they may wish to return to receiving a notional staffing allocation via school based salaries rather than the appropriation. A final true-up process will occur in the term that the school returns to school based salaries notional staffing allocations and may result in a final payment or recoupment from the school.
Emergent health and safety clean
Reimbursement of the cost of a one-off emergent clean conducted by a professional contractor organised through QBuild to bring the cleaning back to the minimum standard. This can be done for a school transitioning into recurrent cleaning under this appropriation or for a school that is continuing with staff cleaning but requires make up cleaning.
Departmentally owned facilities located at state schools—cohabited or tenanted
Departmentally owned facilities located at state schools that are cohabited or the department has committed to support services via a lease agreement, service level agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar agreement, where the cleaning services cannot be delivered by staff cleaners in accordance with the certified agreement provisions, an appropriation will be provided for either one of the following:
- the value of the alternative cleaning services for the entire site
- the value of the alternative cleaning services for the DoE occupied areas of the site.
Payments are based on actual costs to engage alternative cleaning arrangements for standard cleaning activities, as per the cleaning scope of standard cleaning activities outlined in the relevant agreement.
The centre manager should progress a request for service through QBuild outlining the scope and cleaning services requirements, including reference to the cleaning frequencies of the relevant agency. Centre managers can contact the School Facilities Operations Advisor for advice on cleaning services model and preparing the scope.
Hayman Island State School
Under the agreement with the leaseholder, cleaning must be undertaken by Hayman Island Resort staff.
Payment details
| Semester 1 | In line with monthly payment | 50% |
Note: On receipt of the alternative arrangement cleaning invoice, schools must pay the invoice within the required timeframes to meet departmental standards.
Data requirements
| School based salaries FTEs and cost | School Financial Resourcing | As required |
| Invoice(s) supplied by QBuild contractor | QBuild contractor | As required |
How to apply
Where state schools are unable to fill cleaning positions with department employed school cleaners, they should contact their regional office School Facilities Operations Advisor for advice.
Recoupment process
Recoupments may be undertaken where the funded activities are cancelled or no longer being delivered by the school.
Contact
Principals should contact their School Facilities Operations Advisor if they have any questions in relation to their school cleaning program, cleaning services model, request for quote or see the OnePortal school cleaning page.
For specific information regarding the school cleaning allocation, please contact the Facilities Services Officer, School Facilities Operations on (07) 3034 4549.