A Clean Sweep for Staff

Derrycourt Team at GSA Awards

With the establishment of their own state of the art training academy, award winning cleaning specialists Derrycourt are making a clean sweep in staff development and education.

To clean up in the cleaning business you need a well-trained and committed team, is the belief of Derrycourt’s learning and development manager Anna Heather.

“We work with such a diverse range of businesses and each one has different requirements and regulations which our staff need to adhere to. It’s why we opened our own training centre and I believe it’s this commitment to training which has helped make the company such a success. Our team know we value them because we invest heavily in their skills while our clients appreciate the expertise of our staff.”

Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists is one of the Ireland’s leading contract cleaning companies. Established in 1992 by Ann and Martin O’Hanlon, the company remains family owned and managed, with Ann and Martin’s daughter, Avril McCarthy as General Manager.

Derrycourt employ 1,350 cleaning operatives with offices in Dublin and Cork providing services across the country via a network of regional and area managers. Derrycourt provide specialist cleaning services to over 600 client facilities across the public and private sector in a wide variety of industries including education, nursing homes, hospitals, pharma, manufacturing and retail to name but a few.

Extensive Training

When a staff member first joins Derrycourt they undergo extensive training to ensure they are up to the standards that both Derrycourt and their clients expect. Training includes full induction, manual handling, infection control, health and safety etc. and takes place at the company’s specially developed training centre. The training follows the guidelines established by the British Institute of Cleaning Science and many of the company’s trainers are BICSc qualified and approved assessors. Given the range of sectors serviced the company provides bespoke training depending on specific client needs with access to expert trainers in numerous courses, including First Aid, Crisis Prevention, Infection Control, GMP etc. It’s a testament to the work culture at Derrycourt that many members of staff have worked with the business for a number of years and the company actively promotes internally. Cristian Filip joined Derrycourt as a cleaning operative and is now a Regional Manager. In his 15 years working at Derrycourt, Cristian has received numerous promotions and awards due to his tireless work ethic, positive client relationships and attention to detail. “Since I joined Derrycourt the company has continued to grow year on year. The company fosters talent and rewards hard work. I was keen to build a career for myself with the business and they have helped me achieve my goals. I am very proud to work for Derrycourt and to see what we have achieved as both a company overall and for myself on a personal level. “ The company’s commitment to excellence means that it is also focused on developing the business’ management processes, supporting and training managers to enable them to provide the professional service required in this competitive sector.

Award Winning

Derrycourt’s dedication to training has resulted in a slew of awards all acknowledging their expertise and outstanding service. The company has received national and international honours including accolades from IASI (Irish Accommodation Services Institute), GSA (Golden Service Awards) and the ECJ (European Cleaning and Hygiene Awards).

Not surprisingly, given the size and success of the Derrycourt business, the company recruits regularly.

Head of HR Michelle Ryan says “We are cleaning specialists so naturally we recruit cleaning operatives, but we hire across all business functions. Particularly at the moment when we are focused on growing the company. Right now we are looking for a Sales & Marketing Manager and a Customer Support Administrator. It’s a tremendous opportunity to join a successful, award winning family business that recognises and rewards talent in a dynamic and vibrant sector.