Cleaning

Policy

This policy sets out the types of arrangements for school cleaning contracts, and provides details of the responsibilities for both central and school staff in managing cleaning arrangements, contracts, and standards, in order to keep school environments safe and clean.

Summary

Metropolitan schools

• Principals or a nominated member of school staff must work with their school cleaning service provider to complete and agree upon a cleaning services plan – which is drafted and provided by the cleaning services provider for their school campus. For more information refer to the guidance chapter Cleaning metropolitan Melbourne schools: establishing services and agreeing a cleaning services plan.
• The cleaning services plan is an agreement between the school and their provider detailing requirements for cleaning services specific to the campus.

Regional schools

• School councils of regional schools are responsible for entering into a School council agreement for the provision of cleaning services (DOCX) (cleaning contract) with a cleaning service provider.
• Regional school principals are responsible for managing the performance of their cleaning service provider against their cleaning contract and for updating their contract details on the Asset Information Management System (AIMS).
• The VSBA School cleaning unit is available to assist and support regional schools to obtain and maintain a cleaning contract.
• Regional schools unable to source a cleaning service provider can contact the VSBA School cleaning unit for assistance or to apply for an exemption to employ a cleaner as a local payroll School council employee or source an alternate arrangement such as a cluster or network cleaning partnership.

Details

Cleaning contract arrangements are different for metropolitan and regional schools. However, all principals and nominated school staff play a key role in ensuring school environments are cleaned to the appropriate standards under both metropolitan and regional arrangements. Central department staff such as the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) School cleaning unit, also play a joint role in managing and supporting cleaning contracts within schools.

Metropolitan schools

The department has centrally appointed contracts with cleaning service providers to clean metropolitan schools. Five providers have been appointed across 10 areas under the cleaning services agreements, which came into effect on 26 December 2024.

The cleaning model for these contracts is performance-based and all cleanable areas must be cleaned to meet the required standards set by the department. Minimum frequency requirements are also in place, with service providers required to clean more frequently if needed to maintain the relevant standard.

Responsibilities of principals and key school staff

The principal can self-appoint or nominate a member of staff as their school representative for managing the cleaning at their school or campus.

The principal or the school representative is responsible for:

• conducting an initial meeting, and then after that an annual review in conjunction with their service provider for the completion of a bespoke Cleaning service plan which will drafted for the school by their provider
• collaborating and cooperating with the VSBA School cleaning unit in relation to scheduling internal and third-party on-site audits, when required
• managing cleaning issues, concerns or complaints by:
  • communicating minor cleaning requests, changes or issues directly with their service provider’s local cleaning team, and ensuring this is documented on the communication book or other agreed upon method
  • escalating unresolved issues or major cleaning concerns, such as failure to deliver cleaning services in accordance with the cleaning services plan, by submitting a cleaning incident via AIMS
• arranging for emergency cleaning by:
  • submitting an incident report in AIMS
  • calling their service provider – details including the emergency clean criteria, and the phone number of all service providers can be found in Cleaning metropolitan Melbourne schools in the Guidance tab
• ensuring relevant site-specific information is shared with the cleaning service provider, as per the Contractor OHS Management policy
• notifying the Conduct and Integrity Division of any incident involving cleaners which relates to child safety so that the Conduct and Integrity Division can form a view as to whether a reportable allegation has occurred and needs to be reported and investigated, as per the Reportable and Notifiable Conduct policy
• monitoring their building area changes and ensuring school plans are up-to-date in AIMS.

Responsibilities of all school staff

All metropolitan school staff are responsible for:

• reporting any non-cleaning related incidents with the cleaning service provider as per the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy and also the Contractor OHS Management policy
• protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, as per the Protecting Children – Reporting and Other Legal Obligations policy and by following the Four Critical Actions and any relevant local school level policies.

Department supports for schools

The VSBA School Cleaning Unit in consultation with the relevant school, is responsible for the engagement and overall management of a cleaning service provider for each school campus including:

• distributing a standardised induction to school cleaning service providers to give to school cleaning staff as part of their onboarding with the service provider, ensuring consistency and clarity in relation to the department’s relevant policies and procedures
• maintaining oversight of the cleaning providers performance, including supporting schools to rectify issues or concerns that have been escalated via AIMS, which may include:
  • following up issues with service providers
  • including AIMS data in performance reporting as part of the contract arrangements
  • supporting schools through rectifications or as needed to resolve issues
• in consultation with school staff, arranging internal on-site quality audits and third-party audits at relevant intervals.

Funding for metropolitan schools

For metropolitan schools, the contracted service providers are centrally funded through the department for the ordinary costs of cleaning their entitled spaces, as per their bespoke cleaning services plan, which identifies areas based on the school plan and is housed in AIMS.

The cleaning service provider provides bin liners but no other school consumables such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, disinfectant blocks and hand sanitiser. The metropolitan area-based cleaning model does not include cleaning school-owned assets such as school-funded teacher housing, structures or building changes that are not part of normally used school facilities, or leased facilities not used by the school.

Schools are provided with SRP funding each year for greater flexibility to purchase additional cleaning services when required, such as after external hirer usage of school rooms, before or after fetes or sports events, and out of hours use. Schools will receive this funding in instalments through SRP offline payments in Term 1 and Term 3 each school year.

When purchasing additional cleaning services, schools must use their nominated service provider and use the additional cleaning provision under the school cleaning services agreement. Under the model, each service provider must provide schools with a quotation on additional services at the school’s request. The service provider must quote based on the agreed pricing, as stipulated in the contract. For detailed information on additional cleaning please refer to the Additional cleaning services section in the Guidance tab.

For more information on metropolitan Melbourne cleaning, please refer to Cleaning metropolitan Melbourne schools in the Guidance tab.

Regional schools

The department provides funding directly to regional schools via the SRP, for schools to contract cleaning providers that best suit their local circumstances after undergoing the procurement process outlined in this policy, for up to 5 years at a time. The VSBA School Cleaning Unit, as well as the department’s Schools Procurement Branch is available to assist and support regional schools in this process.

Schools can also apply for exemptions or obtain support from the VSBA School cleaning unit to pursue alternative bespoke arrangements, such as the coordination of service providers across school-led clusters or partnerships, or an exemption to employ a school cleaner via the school’s local payroll.

Regional schools that are unable to source a cleaning service provider and would like to employ a cleaner directly can submit an application for exemption by email to cleaning@education.vic.gov.au

Responsibilities of principals

If utilising a cleaning service contract, regional school principals are responsible for:

• initiating and managing the procurement process to contact a cleaning provider (noting schools can use AIMS to search for local cleaning service providers (PDF) (staff login required), including utilising a school council agreement and uploading the contract and registering the provider (if not already registered) in AIMS. For more information on the process refer to Cleaning regional schools
• managing the cleaning service provider contract as per the guidance in this policy, including;
  • having a process for knowing who is on the school grounds, as per the department’s Visitors in Schools policy, and Contractor OHS Management policy, including annually or when a new cleaner is on-site, validating the Working with Children Check (WWCC) for all the employees who may work on-site, including labour hire employees, as per the department’s Working with Children Checks and other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors policy and the school’s own local WWCC register and procedure
  • providing an induction to all the employees who may work on-site, including labour hire employees, as per the Contractor OHS Management policy
  • responding to any need to vary the agreement as described in the guidance Varying the agreement
  • monitoring and reporting cleaning incidents
  • reviewing and updating contracts, as required
• monitoring their building area changes and ensuring school plans are up-to-date in AIMS.

If employing individual cleaners directly (via local payroll), regional school principals are responsible for:

• initiating and managing the process of obtaining an exemption
• ongoing compliance with the relevant HR and employment processes and entitlements, as per the School Council Employment policy, and all other relevant department policies such as OHS Induction and Training for School Staff, Suitability for Employment Checks, Reportable and Notifiable Conduct
• ensuring the relevant insurance arrangements have been obtained including WorkSafe WorkCover insurance.

Responsibilities of school councils

If utilising a cleaning service contract, regional school councils are responsible for:

• assisting in the procurement process when undertaking a contract renewal process or appointing a new provider, including completion of the School council cleaning checklist (DOCX)
• approving the contract with the successful provider from the procurement process by completing the school council agreement.

If employing individual cleaners directly (via local payroll), regional school councils are responsible for:

• approving the position as per the School Council Employment policy
• obtaining and approving the relevant insurance arrangements as per the Insurance for Schools policy and information from WorkSafe Victoria – WorkCover insurance.

Department supports for schools

The VSBA School Cleaning Unit in consultation with the relevant school, is responsible for:

• assisting with guidance and support for regional schools looking to modify or enter into new cleaning provider arrangements
• monitoring and managing exemptions for schools who require a bespoke approach or are unable to source a contract cleaning provider
• supporting schools to rectify issues or concerns that have been escalated via AIMS or raised directly to the VSBA School Cleaning Unit.

Regional schools can access additional guidance about establishing their School council agreement and reporting requirements in Cleaning regional schools on the Guidance tab. Supporting documents required to engage and manage a cleaning service provider are also available on the Resources tab.

Funding for regional schools

School funding for contract cleaning is included in the Student Resource Package (SRP) based on normal and low-use areas as determined by cleanable spaces identified in the school’s Cleanable Area Report. For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide) or email studentresourcepackage@education.vic.gov.au

In addition to contract cleaning SRP funding, further flexible funding is allocated directly to regional schools to purchase additional cleaning services when required, such as external hiring, fetes, sports events, and out of hours. Schools receive this funding through SRP offline payments in Term 1 and Term 3 each year.

Further additional funding has been allocated to regional schools to cover the requirement for school contract cleaners to be paid at least 5% above cleaning services award rate for all contract cleaners.

Definitions

Area supervisor or manager
The supervisor or manager of the cleaning service provider’s local cleaning team.

Asset Information Management System (AIMS)
The Asset Information Management System (AIMS) is a web-based, centralised portal that has replaced schools' existing asset information management systems.

Building area changes
Building area changes (for example, whether the changed areas are part of the school’s area entitlement and whether they involve designated cleanable areas) can impact the amount of funding a school receives for cleaning. For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide) or Repurposing and Renaming School Spaces, or email the Information and Reporting Unit at sams@education.vic.gov.au

Cleaning area entitlement
The cleaning area entitlement (normal use) for both primary and secondary schools is allocated in square metres according to enrolment bands of 25 students.

For more information, refer to Contract cleaning (Reference 28 of the SRP guide).

Contract administrator
For metropolitan schools, this is the VSBA School Cleaning Unit as the department’s representative responsible for managing the contractual relationship with the service provider. For regional schools this is the school principal.

School representative
The person nominated by each school to be responsible for the school’s relationship with the service provider. The school representative is usually the principal or school business manager. They are responsible for agreeing to the cleaning services plan, communicating cleaning incidents to the service provider and escalating any unresolved issues as per this policy and guidance.

Service agreement
The contract between the department and the service provider.

Service provider
The cleaning service provider appointed to deliver cleaning services to the school. In metropolitan schools the service provider is appointed by the department. In regional schools the service provider is appointed by the school council.

Related policies

• Child Safe Standards
• Contractor OHS Management
• Graffiti – Prevention and Management
• Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies)
• Reportable and Notifiable Conduct
• Student Resource Package – School Infrastructure
• Working with Children Checks and other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)