CQD client information guide · CQD-GUIDE-TUPE-02 · Rev 2.0 · October 2026
TUPE, short-term cover, and changing cleaning contractors responsibly.
For facilities, office and operations managers whose cleaning contract is ending, who are retendering, or who need cover while they appoint a permanent provider.
A careful guide for a sensitive transition
Keep the cleaning gap covered while the employment position stays visible.
What you will find inside
Six practical areas to help you understand the transition, record the right intentions and keep the handover properly documented.
01
What a service provision change is, and the points clients are often surprised by: the reason the contract ended makes no difference; a signed contract is not required; labels do not decide the outcome; TUPE rights cannot be contracted out; employees can object to transferring; and information and consultation duties apply.
02
The situations where a service provision change is generally not treated as occurring, including where the activities are fundamentally different, there is no organised grouping of employees whose principal purpose is carrying out the activities for the client, or the work is for a task of short-term duration.
03
The exception is applied on the facts and focuses on the client’s intention at the time. No decided case establishes that interim cleaning cover during a tender automatically falls within it. An open-ended “carry on for now” arrangement, or one repeatedly extended, is far less likely to qualify.
04
Initial discussion; a written interim agreement with scope, start date, fixed end date and purpose; information and liabilities addressed and liability allocation agreed in writing before commencement; mobilisation with a trained, DBS-checked and vetted team under ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 systems with site induction, COSHH assessments and risk assessments; then review and exit on the agreed date, with any extension agreed in writing and reviewed.
05
Review the existing contract, record intentions, set a fixed end date, start the selection process promptly, request employee information, allocate liabilities in writing, take legal advice, and plan the practical handover.
06
What the letter contains and what it states: the site, start date, end date and purpose; that the cover addresses a specific short-term gap while a permanent contractor is appointed; that it is not an indefinite replacement; that the arrangement ends on the agreed date or when the permanent contractor starts; and that extensions, information and liability allocation are dealt with in writing.
CQD’s interim cover
Interim cover is designed to be transparent, time-limited and properly documented. CQD will never present it as a way of avoiding legal obligations.
We talk through the gap, the site, the cleaning required and your timetable for appointing a permanent provider.
Before any work starts, the scope, start date, fixed end date and purpose are agreed in writing.
Relevant information and potential TUPE implications are addressed, with any employment-liability allocation agreed in writing before commencement.
We mobilise a trained, DBS-checked and vetted team under ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 systems, with induction, COSHH assessments and risk assessments in place.
Cover ends on the agreed date, or when the permanent contractor starts if sooner. Any extension is agreed in writing and reviewed first.
The fixed end date matters. The written interim agreement must be in place before commencement. Those points keep the purpose and limits of the arrangement clear.
A responsible handover
The wider CQD model
Interim cover is a defined, short-term arrangement while a permanent provider is appointed. CQD’s standard ongoing service is different: it is a fixed monthly subscription with no long-term contract. The two arrangements should be kept clearly distinguished.
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See ongoing commercial servicesAbout CQD
CQD Cleaning Services Ltd was established in 2012 and works with commercial premises. Our proof points are operational: established 2012, 14+ years, 500+ businesses served, ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / ISO 45001, BICSc member, CHAS accredited, fully insured, DBS-checked and reference-verified cleaners, cover teams for staff absence, response within 2 hours, mobilisation within days, fixed monthly pricing, no long-term contracts and 30 days’ notice.
Questions, answered carefully
No. It is general information only. Take independent legal advice on whether TUPE applies to your circumstances. Free, impartial guidance is also available from Acas.
It is time-limited cleaning with a defined scope and fixed end date while you appoint a permanent provider. It is not an indefinite replacement for the permanent cleaning service.
No. It depends on the facts. Whether a service provision change occurs turns on the circumstances.
No. CQD never presents interim cover as a way of avoiding employment obligations. If TUPE applies, we say so and deal with it properly.
It is defined and short-term, with a fixed end date. Any extension must be agreed in writing and reviewed before further services are provided.
We need the site, the cleaning required, your timetable for appointing a permanent contractor, and where you are with your existing contract.
If the timing is tight
Call 01494 911001, email mark@cqdcleaningservices.com or visit www.cqdcleaningservices.com.
