Jo Ashley is the facilities manager for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. She oversees facilities operations across over 100 sites, including soft FM services like cleaning, catering, and environmental services. She has a team of 200 people providing these services. Ashley sees her role as primarily a people manager to interact with and rely on her team to adapt to changing needs and events. She aims to end the myth that facilities roles are just cleaning and wants facilities staff to be recognized for the breadth of skills required in their roles.

1. fm-world.co.uk 31 April 2018
VIEW POINT
A B I T A B O U T Y O U
BEHIND THE JOB
PHOTOGRAPHY:GETTY/ISTOCK
JO ASHLEY is facilities
manager for Mersey Care
NHS Foundation Trust
JOASHLEY
What do you do?
I have primary responsibility for
all soft FM provision covering
all non-secure in-patient and
community services, which are
operating in over 100 sites that
form the trust.
What attracted you to
FM, and how did you
get into the industry?
I stumbled upon facilities after
working in a different industry
and I found that I liked the
challenging and varied work
environment and I’ve stayed
for nearly 10 years.
How long have you been in
your current role?
Nearly two years in this trust.
I’ve worked in FM in the NHS
for five years and before that I
worked in the private sector.
Do you see yourself
predominantly as a task
or a people manager?
Definitely a people manager.
The role is so diverse and
changeable that you need to
be able to interact and rely on
your team to adapt and respond
to events, and oftentimes it’s
the relationships you have
that help you to resolve any
challenges and complete all of
your tasks.
Would you describe your
role as predominantly
operational or strategic?
I have responsibility for
all operational activities
carried out through our in-
house management team.
Operations are aligned to our
clinical model and estates
strategy so they are difficult
to separate out as functions.
Driving and formulating our
strategic goals is a major part
of my daily role.
How many people are there
in your FM team, and who
“ALL THE BEST
FACILITIES
MANAGERS
HAVE PRACTICAL
EXPERIENCE IN AT
LEAST ONE FUNCTION
OF THE ROLE”
Which “FM myth” would you
most like to put an end to?
I have a pet hate of people
referring to facilities roles
as “it’s just cleaning” or to
facilities staff as the lowest
in the pecking order in any
organisation, when we provide
a vitally important service to
patients, staff and visitors.
What single piece of
advice would you give
to a young facilities
manager starting out?
Get stuck in – all the best
facilities managers have
practical experience in at least
one function of the role, and
the more frontline experience
you have the better you will be.
Learning from those around
you with experience will teach
you not just the how, but why
things are done, and prepare
you better for surprises.
What was the weirdest day
you’ve had in the office?
There’s been more than one to
choose from. Massive floods,
slippers being mistaken for
rodents on a ward, a few
separate incidents involving
rabbits trying to get into
different buildings…
To whom would you
most like to say thank
you, and why?
My lovely facilities team now
at Mersey Care – I haven’t
had a better group of people
supporting me.
does the FM team
ultimately report to?
I have a 200-strong facilities
team who provide a wide
range of functions covering
cleaning, catering and
environmental frontline
services. These are supported
by site managers and service
leads who operate across our
footprint in the North West.
My top perk at work is…
After working 50 miles from
my home in my previous role,
living 15 minutes from our
offices seems like a luxury!
What has been your biggest
career challenge to date?
The competing pressures of
providing an excellent patient
experience while providing
value for money for NHS funds
is challenge enough.
If you could change one
thing about the industry,
what would it be?
I’d like to see a higher regard
for the breadth of skills that
FMs are required to have to
carry out their role. A lot of
people don’t understand how
important our services are,
especially in the context of an
NHS organisation. I’m pleased
to see changes to university
courses that are offering
FM-related undergraduate
and post-graduate degrees,
which will help strengthen
the profession together with
proposed enhancements
and options around specific
chartered status within BIFM.
Any interesting tales to tell?
Lots! Thankfully, the job is
never dull. I may have to cite
NHS confidentiality, though.
If I wasn’t in facilities
management, I’d
probably be…
I think I would still be working
in the NHS – nothing clinical,
but perhaps in a different
branch within NHS England
or the Care Quality
Commission.
30-31_VP FMatLarge__FM World 3130-31_VP FMatLarge__FM World 31 23/03/2018 17:1723/03/2018 17:17