The Challenge
With a busy estate spread across multiple schools, the Vine Schools Trust needed dependable site staff who could hit the ground running, especially when facing unexpected absences or gaps during recruitment. Traditional recruitment methods were proving too slow and labour-intensive for the Estates and Facilities team, draining time and resources they couldn’t afford to spare.
The Solution
TIB Services provided the Vine Schools Trust with mature, proactive school caretakers ready to step in and make an immediate impact. Many of our candidates come from the military, emergency services, engineering or trades. Though they may not have worked in education before, they bring valuable life experience, teamwork, and a strong sense of responsibility, making them a great fit for school environments.
As Malcolm Over, Estates and Facilities Manager, commented: “Having these life skills allows them to deal with school situations with little concern.”
All TIB candidates are thoroughly pre-vetted, with Enhanced DBS and KCSIE checks, and are trained in safeguarding, compliance, and health & safety before starting a placement. This gives schools confidence that they are getting trusted professionals who are ready to support the smooth running of their sites from day one.
Malcolm continued: “The pre-training provided by TIB gave the candidates the edge when applying for full-time roles.”
The Outcome
What started as a staffing solution has grown into a trusted partnership. TIB has now supported the Vine Schools Trust with a number of school caretakers over the years, many of whom have gone on to secure permanent roles thanks to their impact on-site.
Our quick, reliable process has helped reduce the burden on the central estates team while ensuring every school has the support it needs. More than that, Malcolm knows he can pick up the phone and speak to a team that knows his schools, understands his challenges, and always delivers.
