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“I have more to offer than a set of screwdrivers and a paintbrush!”

Martin is our Maintenance Operative, also known as our handyman, at Saxonwood care home in Battle! Before working at Saxonwood Martin was a handyman at an equestrian centre and also had a career of 27 years in IT.  

Martin has important role at Saxonwood and we thought it would be interesting to hear what he gets up to…

“The very first thing I do when I get in is to check the maintenance log to see if anything has happened over night that needs addressing. I touch base with the senior carers and the management team to see if there are any priorities for the day.

I promptly do a walk around the home, all the corridors, the boiler room and also our gardens to check everything is ok and then I make up a priority list of what I need to get done during the day.

Today, I welcome a contractor to lay a new carpet in a bedroom. It’s my job to show contractors around and make sure they have a safe visit, including giving them information about fire exits.

We’ve recently had a resident move out, I check if anything is broken in their room, for example, if their curtains need attending to, or any furniture needs replacing or moving, as well as painting any walls that may need a fresh coat of paint.

I help redecorate the room and arrange the room, working closely with our housing keeping team to make sure it looks great and ready to welcome a new resident later in the week.

At 10am I complete the weekly fire alarm check. I purposefully set the alarm off from a little red box and check the fire panel to make sure the ‘fire’ is showing in the right zone. I shut the alarm noise off and thoroughly check the home to ensure all the fire doors have closed and reassure residents. I also test the emergency lights are working. Fire safety is an important part of my role.

Next, I complete the weekly compliance checks, one of these is a legionella flush. For this, I run the hot and cold taps roughly 3 minutes each in rooms that aren’t used much, to check the cold water isn’t above 20 degrees and the hot is between 40 and 44 degrees. This temperature control helps to reduce the risk of legionella.

Today I’m completing some of my monthly checks which include testing all the window handles and latches and checking the fire extinguishers. Every three months I also test the nurse call system.

This afternoon we have a new resident moving in and we always like to make them feel as settled as possible. I put up the resident’s photos and pictures around the room and help bring in their furniture. I introduce myself and talk them through what happens if they hear the fire bell. I also replace their hearing aid battery.

At the end of the day I complete some other jobs including fixing a corridor rail and replacing a blown light bulb.

I enjoy working in residents’ rooms as it gives me the opportunity to chat and hear all the amazing things they’ve got up to during their lives.

I love all the activities and camaraderie with the staff and residents. Everyone has a positive happy attitude and outlook. From a maintenance point of view it’s nice to feel part of the team and I have more to offer than a set of screwdrivers and a paintbrush!

When we have events at Saxonwood I get involved, I’ve run stalls for children including fishing games and paddling pools. I was even an ugly sister in last year’s staff Christmas pantomime!

Working here is making a difference to older people. I work in a fun environment and every day is different. I think the most important qualities to bring to this role, apart from being good at what you do, is a willingness to help out and try new things (even if that does mean dressing up as Santa!), being a team player, showing empathy and having a sense of humour.”

If you’re interested in joining our team as a Maintenance Operative please visit our website, at the time of publication we currently have a vacancy at Woodlands care home in Crowborough and welcome you to get in touch.