Soft Facilities Management covers the people-facing services that shape everyday life inside a building — from cleaning services and catering to security, waste management, and broader workplace support. While hard FM keeps a building's engineering systems running, soft FM is what determines whether the spaces inside it are clean, safe, comfortable, and genuinely functional for the people who use them every day.

As organizations place growing emphasis on employee experience, hygiene standards, and workplace safety, the ability to plan, deliver, and monitor soft FM services has become a core management skill. To meet this need, the Soft Facilities Management training course, offered by The British Academy for Training and Development, equips facilities professionals with the operational knowledge and service-management tools needed to run these functions effectively.

Through a practical focus on service quality, vendor management, and workplace support standards, participants learn how to deliver consistent, cost-effective soft services that support productivity, wellbeing, and organizational reputation.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define the scope of Soft Facilities Management and its relationship to overall facilities operations.
• Plan and manage cleaning services programs that meet hygiene and quality standards.
• Oversee catering operations, from vendor selection to service quality and food safety compliance.
• Implement effective waste management systems, including segregation, recycling, and disposal practices.
• Coordinate security services to protect people, assets, and information within the workplace.
• Deliver broader workplace support services that enhance occupant experience and productivity.
• Manage service contracts, vendors, and in-house teams delivering soft FM functions.

Target Group

• Soft Facilities Management professionals and coordinators
• Facilities and workplace services managers
• Cleaning, catering, and security supervisors
• Office and workplace experience managers
• Procurement staff managing soft FM service contracts

Introduction to Soft Facilities Management

• Defining soft FM and distinguishing it from hard FM functions
• Core service categories within soft facilities management
• The link between soft FM quality and employee experience

Cleaning Services Management

• Planning cleaning schedules and quality standards
• Selecting cleaning methods, equipment, and materials
• Monitoring cleaning performance and handling service issues

Catering and Food Services

• Managing catering vendors and service agreements
• Food safety and hygiene compliance
• Meeting workplace dietary and service expectations

Waste Management

• Waste segregation, recycling, and disposal processes
• Regulatory compliance for waste handling
• Sustainability practices within soft FM operations

Security Services

• Physical security planning and access control
• Coordinating security personnel and technology systems
• Emergency response and incident management procedures

Workplace Support Services

• Reception, mailroom, and front-of-house services
• Space and desk management for occupant comfort
• Measuring service quality and occupant satisfaction

Vendor and Contract Management

• Selecting and managing soft FM service providers
• Setting and monitoring service-level agreements (SLAs)
• Balancing cost efficiency with service quality across all soft FM functions