Catering Assistant

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust; Whitehaven; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33

NHS Discounts

Salary Sacrifice schemes

Vivup counselling service

Relocation assistance (where eligible)

Job summary

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a Catering Assistant (Band 2) at West Cumberland Hospital. You will support the catering team with a range of duties to provide high-quality meals for patients, staff, and visitors.

The post is 89.95 hours per pay period; shifts run seven days a week between 07:00 and 19:00, with flexible opportunities. Training includes Food Safety Level 2 and allergen awareness, and there are opportunities to progress into supervisory

Qualifications

• GCSE English language or equivalent.
• Food hygiene certificate.
• Previous experience in a catering role.
• Experience working in a hospital environment is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist in carrying out a range of catering duties to provide high-quality service.
• Support patient, staff and visitor meals and the Costa caf outlet as required.
• Attend Food Safety Level 2 and allergen training; follow health and safety procedures.
• Potential to progress into supervisory or specialist roles.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Initiative

Hygiene procedures

Health and safety

Education

GCSE English language or equivalent

Food hygiene certificate

Job description

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Catering Assistant

The closing date is 30 October 2026

Catering Assistant - Band 2 - 89.95 hours available - West Cumberland Hospital

Our Catering Department plays a vital role in patient care and staff wellbeing.

The successful applicant will assist in carrying out a range of catering duties in an efficient and effective manner, ensuring all who use the service are provided with a high quality service.

We provide meals for our 260-bed hospital, fresh food for the staff and visitor restaurant, and serve at our Costa caf outlet.

Main duties of the job

The catering department operates seven days a week between 07:00-19:00 so are able tooffer flexible opportunities perfect for those looking to work around other commitments or gain experience in a supportive environment

Training provided to all new staff including Food Safety Level 2 and allergen training.

Career progression: Opportunities to grow into supervisory or specialist roles.

About us

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of 'safe, high quality care every time':

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment.Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit theUK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:

• 27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
• NHS Discounts*
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*
• Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems
• *Subject to eligibility

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date

Person Specification

Qualifications

• GCSE English language or equivalent
• Food hygiene certificate

Knowledge and Experience

• Food preparation and catering practices
• Previous experience in a Catering role.
• Working in a hospital environment.
• Cash machine usage.
• Temperature record taking.

Skills

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work alone and in a team environment.
• Able to use initiative appropriately.
• Ability to follow health, safety and hygiene procedures.
• Awareness of appropriate image/appearance to suit service needs.

Personal Circumstances

• Ability to work shift patterns
• Ability to work effectively under direct supervision, or as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Reliable, adaptable and dependable
• Evidence of ability to communicate with key staff ie ward staff

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust