Caretaker
Career outlook for caretaker
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£16,000
£16,000
Experienced
£22,000
£22,000
Currently employed in Scotland
4,400
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would look after buildings such as schools, community centres and flats. You’d check the buildings and arrange repairs and cleaning so they are safe and well-maintained for the people who use them.
You would:
- Supervise cleaning staff
- Do day-to-day maintenance and minor repairs
- Book contractors to do major repairs
- Check that heating, lighting and alarm systems work
- Order fuel, cleaning materials, new equipment and furniture
You’d open the building in the morning and lock it at the end of the day or evening.
You’d arrange the chairs and tables for meetings and clear them away afterwards. If rooms are available for hire then you’d take the bookings for them.
When the building is shut you’d check that the doors and windows are locked. You’d try to prevent vandalism or break-ins.
If you work at a school you might also drive the school minibus to take pupils out on educational trips. The pupils may call you the ‘jannie’.
You could also work as a mobile caretaker and be responsible for buildings at several different locations.
You’d need to understand health and safety regulations, and security and hygiene issues.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
43%
Part-time
46%
Self employed
11%
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- Time management
- Taking initiative
- Managing resources
- Developing a plan
- Attention to detail
- Cooperating
- Building relationships
- Problem solving
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Qualifications
No formal qualifications are required.
Most employers value a good general education.
Useful subjects
- English
- Maths
Helpful to have
A driving licence is sometimes an advantage.
It helps if you have skills such as joinery, plumbing or electrical work.
You may need to pass a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Disclosure check for some jobs.