Assistant Cook

Blackburn with Darwen Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is seeking Assistant Cooks to join the staff team running a 13 bedded Residential Care Home providing short-term, rehabilitation focused care. The service will provide strengths-based, therapy-led residential care to adults coming out of hospital or at risk of admission.

The successful candidate will prepare menus and provide hot and cold meals in accordance with dietary and care needs.

Qualifications

• The advertisement does not specify formal qualifications beyond role requirements.
• Candidates should be prepared to work in a fast-paced, care-focused environment.
• Ability to follow dietary and care guidelines is expected.

Responsibilities

• Prepare hot and cold meals for residents in the 13 bedded Residential Care Home.
• Assist in menu planning in accordance with dietary requirements.
• Support the Registered Manager and team to deliver safe high-quality care.
• Work as part of a 24/7 operation with weekend rota.

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Contractual hours 37

Basis Full time

Package Available as part time or full time post

Terms and Conditions: Full time, Permanent, 37 hours per week
Department: People
Interview date: TBC

Assistant Cook roles – Short Term Residential Rehabilitation and Reablement Service.

Exciting Assistant Cook opportunities with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council – rated Good by CQC.

We are looking for Assistant Cooks to join the staff team running a 13 bedded Residential Care Home providing short-term, rehabilitation focused care. The service will provide strengths-based, therapy-led residential care to adults coming out of hospital or at risk of admission. As such, the service will primarily work with Older Adults, supporting them to maximise their independence and return home wherever possible. The service will be busy and fast-paced, working in partnership with our local hospital, community therapy and nursing teams and Primary Care.

The successful candidate will support the Registered Manager and her team to deliver safe high quality care and support to people accessing this service by providing good quality hot and cold meals for people accessing the service. This is an exciting opportunity to support adults from Blackburn with Darwen who need to undergo a short period of reablement support in order to regain independent living skills.

The right candidates will prepare menus in accordance with the dietary requirements of people accessing the service, and provide hot and cold food in accordance with the individual’s dietary and care needs. Our Assistant Cooks will work as part of a whole team that supports each other to enable the service to deliver great care and support. The service is open 24 hours a day, all year round, so the role will include some weekend working on a rota basis.

As a department, we are working to deliver an outstanding in-house provider service. We are developing the Council’s in-house provision to fully complement our commissioned services while delivering the highest standards of care. We have excellent collaborative working arrangements with our Commissioning team, as well as the wider Adults & Health department and the Place-based Partnership.

We are passionate about creating a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ applicants, disabled candidates, people with lived experience of services, and individuals seeking a new direction in their careers.

The closing date for this vacancy is Sunday 18 th October 2026. However, candidates will be assessed as soon as their application is received. Those who meet the shortlisting criteria will be invited to interview and offered an appointment without delay. As a result, an appointment to this post may be made prior to the closing date, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply promptly. Once suitable candidates are sourced the vacancy will be closed.