At 4am, before the first customers arrive and before the lights go down for the day’s screenings, Caroline Reilly is already at work inside the 15-screen complex at Vue Cinema Plymouth.
As a Cleaning Supervisor, Caroline leads a team of 10 colleagues responsible for maintaining every screening area, foyer, staircase and washroom to a consistently high standard. It is detailed, fast-paced work in a customer-facing environment where presentation shapes first impressions.
Caroline has worked at Vue Cinemas in Plymouth for almost nine years. Over that time, she has seen different management styles and service approaches. Today, she sets the standard herself.
Leading From the Front
Caroline is managing cleaning standards, working Monday to Thursday and weekends. She uses that time efficiently, organising workloads across her team and stepping in wherever needed to maintain consistent standards.
She does not lead from the sidelines. Most mornings she starts in the washrooms, then moves across screens and into the foyers, checking glass, floors and seating. The only time she sits down is briefly to complete weekly hours and planning.
Her approach is practical and fair. She uses a job board so colleagues can clearly see their allocated areas. Those on shorter shifts are assigned smaller screens. Longer shifts cover larger areas. The result is a balanced workload and a team that understands expectations.
“I’d never sit back and say, you do this, you do that. If we’re asking the team to do it, I’ll do it too. If you’ve got a happy team, you’ve got a happy workforce. Then everybody goes that little bit further.”
Caroline Reilly
Cleaning Supervisor – Vue Plymouth
Consistent Improvements
When Caroline stepped into the supervisor role, she was determined to improve audit scores. She began introducing small, consistent improvements and encouraged pride in the finished result. She recognised good work and made expectations visible. She also looked closely at audit feedback, identifying recurring points and addressing them directly with the team.
With the hard work and strong leadership from Caroline and the team, today’s audit scores are consistently above 90%.
“That makes everybody feel good,” she says. “They feel appreciated in what they’re doing, and they take pride in their work. I keep a close eye on what is picked up during the audits. I’m determined to get that 100%!”
Seeing It Through the Customer’s Eyes
Cleaning a cinema presents specific challenges. With limited natural light, dust builds quickly. Seats, carpets, glass and high-traffic foyers require constant attention.
Caroline encourages her team to think like customers, rather than sticking rigidly to minimum specifications, she focuses on what makes a visible difference. If glass is scheduled weekly but takes five minutes to refresh daily, she chooses daily. If seats look better cleaned with warm water and disinfectant rather than a quick spray, she changes the method. It is a mindset rooted in experience and accountability.
“I want it to look as best it can be for those customers coming in!” Ask yourself, if you were sitting in that screen, would you be happy with it? If you walked into that toilet, would you think it was clean enough?”
Caroline Reilly
Cleaning Supervisor – Vue Plymouth
The relationship with the cinema’s on-site management is built on open communication. If additional support is needed, they work together. Positive feedback is shared directly with the team, reinforcing pride in their work.
Support That Makes a Difference
Caroline is also clear about the importance of support from OCS. She speaks warmly about her Area Manager, Clare Foweraker, who visits regularly and stays accessible.
“When you need her, she’s there. That makes you want to work hard and keep standards high.”
Feeling supported and understood may seem simple, but for Caroline, it matters. It builds trust and reinforces the TRUE Value of frontline colleagues.
“Caroline has a very strong work ethic, as she is so dedicated to her role. She guides her team very well and is very productive in ensuring that the tasks are completed in such a busy and large site, ensuring that we always achieve great results.
“Anything I ask of her, actions or requests that are raised, Caroline ensures that they are seen to the very next day. She is an absolute superstar, and it is a pleasure working alongside her. Caroline also has a great relationship with the client on site, so they can also go directly to her if there any issues to resolve.”
Clare Foweraker
Area Manager – Cleaning
People at the Heart of Performance
Caroline’s husband and sister-in-law also work at the cinema, each with clearly defined areas. They start early, work efficiently, and take pride in the finished result. Even when they visit as customers, they cannot help scanning the screens and floors with a professional eye.
There is humour in it too. Caroline and her husband enjoy frequent trips to the cinema whenever their schedule allows, usually choosing a good comedy to sit back and laugh along with. Her favourite cinema treat is a hot dog with onions and tomato sauce, followed by chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. But, even then, standards are never far from her mind.
What stands out most is her sense of ownership. She understands that the environment her team prepares each morning shapes the experience of hundreds of customers each day.
Facilities management often happens behind the scenes. At 4am, there is no audience. Yet the impact is visible from the moment the doors open.
Through consistent leadership, practical improvements and a clear focus on quality, Caroline and her team create the conditions for colleagues, customers and communities to enjoy a clean, welcoming space.
