Healthcare Cleaner

The purpose of the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner is to prepare a learner to operate as a Healthcare Cleaner. A Healthcare Cleaner performs cleaning tasks in medical facilities to achieve a clean, hygienic, and safe environment within the context of the prevention of the spread of infections and diseases. A qualified learner will be able to: • Apply personal hygiene and workplace safety standards. • Clean and disinfect healthcare environments. • Clean textile surfaces and hospital privacy curtains. Completing this qualification will benefit by becoming more employable as healthcare cleaners in both public and private facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, veterinary clinics, dental and medical consulting rooms, frail care and old age homes, sick bays, and first aid rooms. A qualified learner will demonstrate the following key attributes: problem solving and identification, decision making, communicating information, and applying appropriate methods and techniques.

Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner responds to a specific need in the South African cleaning and healthcare industries to provide a standard for the development of persons employed or to be employed as a healthcare cleaner in both public and private facilities such as hospitals, clinics, veterinary clinics, dental and medical consulting rooms, frail care and old age homes, sick bays, and first aid rooms. Effective cleaning and Hygiene standards are one of the most important factors in the control and containment of the spread of disease-causing illnesses within healthcare facilities. This qualification was developed to meet these needs. Healthcare cleaners play a crucial role in maintaining hygiene and safety in medical facilities, delivering significant benefits to the sector, society, and the economy: Benefit to the sector: • Proper cleaning and disinfection prevent healthcare-associated infections, reducing complications and ensuring better patient outcomes. • Cleaner environments contribute to faster recovery times and lower rates of readmission, improving the overall efficiency and reputation of healthcare facilities. • Compliance with health and safety regulations, supported by the work of cleaners, ensures facilities avoid penalties and maintain operational standards. Benefit to society: • By preventing the spread of infections, healthcare cleaners enhance public health, supporting efforts to control outbreaks and reduce disease transmission in the broader community. • Their work contributes to a safer and healthier environment for patients, staff, and visitors, fostering trust in healthcare systems. Benefit to the economy: • Reduced healthcare-associated infections lower the financial burden on healthcare systems, with fewer extended hospital stays and reduced need for costly treatments. • A healthier workforce in healthcare facilities leads to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. • The demand for healthcare cleaners creates employment opportunities, supports livelihoods, and stimulates local economies. No other national qualification that provides the requisite knowledge and skills for the performance of healthcare services is currently registered on the NQF. Stakeholders from different associations and organisations operating within the healthcare sector participated in the review of the qualification. Typical learners include school leavers with an NQF Level 1 qualification interested in working in a healthcare environment, or people who have been working in the healthcare environment without formal qualifications and have the desire to formalise their skills and knowledge. Healthcare Cleaners will be able to find employment as hospital cleaners, ward cleaners, low and medium-risk area cleaners, and medical facility cleaners.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL for Access to Training: Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors. RPL for exemption from modules: For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA): Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved. Upon successful completion of the EISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO. Entry Requirements: • An NQF Level 1 qualification.

• Apply knowledge and skills in relation to safety to maintain workplace hygiene and safety standards in a disciplined, well-structured and supervised environment.
• Apply knowledge and skills to maintain hygienic cleaning standards in various healthcare environments in a well-structured and supervised operating environment.
• Clean carpets and textile upholstery in healthcare environments using knowledge, skills, and equipment to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.
• Remove and replace privacy curtains in healthcare environments while observing infection control principles.