Meet Rogi Rusch, Facilities Coordinator with our Facilities team here in St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS).
Rogi tells us more about his varied day with our Facilities Department, how his role connects him with other teams at SPMHS, and his standout moments in his job as Facilities Coordinator.
How I came into Facilities
Soon after I arrived in Ireland in 2015, I started working as an Operations Assistant in an events company and was subsequently promoted to Office and Operations Manager. Since this was a small company, it meant wearing several hats, including facilities. I joined SPMHS in 2023, and while there are several differences between that first job and my current position at SPMHS, the principle is the same: take ownership of the site and make sure it is running appropriately.
My day-to-day responsibilities
Here in SPMHS, my colleagues and I work with staff, service users and external contactors. My tasks can include raising work orders for remedial works based on requests made by phone, email, service user comment cards and our Household’s Department’s Facilities report. Other work orders include organising fob and key cards for access; managing room booking requests; dealing with storage of documents; liaising with contractors around paperwork such as Garda Vetting, insurance and risk assessment; scheduling Planned Preventive Maintenance with contractors and confirm Risk Assessment Method Statement is approved before service starts, and following up on services provided or remedial works required. I would take part in critical testing, such as the weekly test of the fire alarm system and generator. Additionally we would conduct monthly testing of the intruder alarm in the Pharmacy and Doctor Residence, pharmacy fridge alarm, lifts, wander alarm and water temperature. During the weekly Facilities audit we would go to wards and checking for possible issues that need the attention of Facilities. I also sit on the SPMHS Infection Control Committee, Art Committee and Room Allocation Committee.
I was surprised at the number of tasks and obligations that fall under the responsibility of our Facilities Department. In this role, there is a good variety of tasks and responsibilities, and therefore some good challenges. The variety of people we get in contact with, both in SPMHS and as external suppliers and contractors, is an enjoyable part of my job.
What my days look like
I have an early start at SPMHS. I live in Kildare, so I wake up at 5.50am to get one of the first trains to Heuston Station and use that time to do some meditation. I usually arrive a bit early, which allows me to have a nice porridge before starting work at 7.30am.
The first thing we do is check our check our 3505 voicemail and emails to log maintenance requests, create room keys or amend access for staff. This must be completed before 8am to allow the rest of the team to plan for the day.
Later in the morning, I work on key projects. One current project is improving the quality and reliability of information retained by Facilities through the SPMHS Offices Register update. This means updating the register with correct staff names and allocated offices, improving how the information is displayed, and creating a routine to keep the list up to date.
Usually, my workday also involves closing off completed work orders, chasing contractors for up-to-date paperwork, checking for room booking requests, raising purchase requisitions and replying to requests for information.
For lunch, I like to head to our Ridgeways canteen and sometimes share the table with one of my colleagues. If I’m on my own, I take the time to listen to a podcast and catch up with the news.
Having started very early, my day at work finishes at 3.30pm. On my journey back home, I use the time on the train to study German. Once at home, I do some exercises such as calisthenics, physiotherapy or Pilates. The day finishes with a nice dinner with my wife, followed by either watching a series or a discussion about our current or next home project, travel or other events. When I’m not working, I like to meet new and known people, learn new things, visit new places, and skydive to conquer my fears!
Standout moments
The first time I took part in a fire evacuation drill at SPMHS was a standout moment for me. It was my first month in my role. I was asked to stay in the lift lobby to observe and take notes on what happened. It was quite interesting to see the different reactions people had, and later to be present at the short debrief between the Nursing Director, the Assistant Director of Nursing, Facilities Manager and the Health and Safety Officer, where they discussed what could be done to improve safety in case of a fire emergency.
What I’ve learned
For anyone considering working in facilities, I would suggest they learn about lifesaving responsibilities, such as fire prevention/fighting and legionella control. Secondly, I would encourage them to look at how facilities and other departments can share responsibilities towards environmental goals, such as reduction in energy use and better waste management.
I would advise anyone to take mental health seriously. Not everyone is conscious about how mental health works or how it can affect us. Simply by being conscious and understanding mental health, there is a higher chance that a person will have compassion for someone experiencing from mental health issues and treat them with dignity.
The best piece of wellbeing advice I have received is to balance your wheel of life. This is mainly to balance your personal and professional hats, but, also, within our personal life, we need to find a way to keep a balance between family, social life, health, leisure and finances and whatever else is in your life.
