Catering Assistant

West Sussex County Council; Littlehampton; On-site; GBP 5,000 - 6,000; Part time

Job summary

A local government council in Littlehampton is seeking a Catering Assistant to provide effective front-line catering services. The role involves ensuring hygiene standards, creating a positive dining atmosphere, and has a part-time schedule of 10 hours per week. Ideal candidates will have customer service experience and a passion for healthy eating. Competitive salary and term-time only contract offered.

Benefits

Local government pension scheme

Work-life balance

Training and development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day operation of the kitchen ensuring hygiene and safety.
• Create a welcoming atmosphere and provide exceptional customer service.
• Regularly lift, move, and handle large equipment.
• Complete documentation for Health & Safety and Food Safety.

Skills

Basic literacy and numeracy skills

Level 2 Food Safety Certificate

Experience in customer service

Health & Safety procedures knowledge

Communication skills

Understanding of special educational needs

Passion for healthy eating

Job description

About the Job

Calling all individuals with experience in catering and hospitality!

We're looking for a Catering Assistant to join us and contribute to our mission of providing front-line catering services that assist pupils with life skills and the preparation of healthy, nutritious food.

Are you keen to learn more about a rewarding career in Catering? Explore our Catering Opportunities page here.

Salary: £5,684 to £5,773 per annum (pro rata for part time and calculated to term time only)

Working Pattern: Part time (10 hours per week) Monday to Friday 09:30am to 2:00pm

Contract Type: Permanent, Term Time Only (39 weeks plus 5 cleaning days - no inset days)

Location: Cornfield School, Cornfield Close, Littlehampton West Sussex, BN17 6HY

Interview Date: Tuesday 21 October 2025

A term time only contract is for our staff who are employed to work only during periods when schools are open. Your pay is calculated on an annual basis and then you are paid over twelve equal monthly instalments.

About the Job

Your role as a Catering Assistant goes beyond just cooking. You will also play a vital role in fostering a positive dining experience for students.

From creating a welcoming atmosphere to providing exceptional customer service, your friendly and approachable nature will ensure that students feel valued and cared for during mealtimes.

There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in this role, including:

• Support the day-to-day operation of the kitchen including preparation, cooking, and cleaning to the required standards, ensuring hygiene and safety measure are maintained.
• Thriving in busy environment and support colleagues to maintain high professional standards.
• This is an active role, which includes regularly lifting, moving, and handling large equipment.
• Complete written documentation for Health & Safety and Food Safety legislation and business requirements.

With a term time only contract that allows a work/life balance, great pension plus a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers. There\'s never been a better time to join!

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• Level 2 Food Safety Certificate.
• Experience in customer service, including written and verbal communication.
• Experience with Health & Safety procedures in a commercial setting.
• Good at communicating and can connect well with children and staff, showing strong written and verbal skills.
• An excellent understanding for the differing needs of young people with special educational needs.
• A genuine passion for promoting healthy and balanced eating.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

What to expect from working with us

• A Term Time Only (TTO) contract where you will only work during periods in which schools are open.
• Excellent work-life balance with evenings, weekends, and bank holidays off. Supportive and welcoming team environment.
• An excellent local government pension scheme
• Maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform
• Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01214.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV, and complete the application form, explaining how you meet the key skills in the attached job description. Please ensure all that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

Struggling to apply? Book onto a Digital Support Session in a library near you to get help navigating our application form.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page

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