Catering Assistant (Band 2) - Catering - Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Preston; On-site; GBP 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Join the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team as a part-time Catering Assistant at Royal Preston Hospital. You'll be responsible for food service, adhering to hygiene standards, while working within a supportive team environment. This role offers a chance to make a difference in patient care and develop your skills in a reputable healthcare setting.

Benefits

Development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Catering experience is desirable but full training will be provided.
• Willingness to work towards Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety.
• Understanding of food hygiene standards and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with food service in hospital settings including wards and dining areas.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene in food preparation and service.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and customers.

Skills

Customer Services

Food Hygiene

Education

Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene

GCSE Standard

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Main area Catering Grade Band 2 Contract Permanent: 1 x 16 hour post Hours Part time - 16 hours per week (Variable shifts) Job ref 438-PB2950-A

Site Royal Preston Hospital Town Preston Salary £24,169 Per Annum, Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 10/06/2025 23:59 Interview date 17/06/2025

Job overview

1 x 16 hour permanent post

Our team is just that – a team – all supporting each other and working together to achieve the best outcomes, and we are really proud of this. We cannot wait to welcome you to the team when you start and will have experienced Catering Staff to help you along the way.

Our service is one where your passion, drive and motivation will genuinely make a real difference. Don’t just take our word for it, have a chat with Gina McMonagle our Assistant Catering Manager.

Catering experience is desirable along with a Level 2 Certificate in food safety though this is not essential, as full training will be given.

You will deal with food service in areas including wards, dining rooms and satellite venues. It goes without saying that you will be required to adhere to departmental standards and food hygiene regulations. You will also act at all times in a manner that upholds the Trust’s values, working as part of a team to ensure efficiency and excellent customer care.

This is a challenging but rewarding job role and there’s no doubt that will need motivated, enthusiastic team players, who are willing to work hard within a strong team, to provide a KEY service within the hospital for both staff and patients.

Come and join us here at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals a place where we are proud to work

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Working for our organisation

We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties to include, but not be limited to:

• To assist with all associated duties connected with the Retail Outlet that serves staff and Visitors.
• Barista Training would be an advantage in this role alongside Customer Services experience, but not essential as full training would be given.
• The post-holder will be required to adhere to departmental standards and food hygiene regulations.
• To act at all times in a manner that upholds the Trust’s values, working as part of a team to ensure efficiency and excellent customer care.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues to ensure an accurate exchange of information about catering tasks and service needs
• Communicate with a range of customers in person and over the telephone to understand individual needs and provide information relating to the catering service
• Undertake all duties relating to food service, including: -
  • preparing food service areas and equipment
  • serving food and drinks in patient / staff dining outlets and on the patient meal assembly belt
  • serving food and drinks at hospitality events held on Trust premises and occasionally in other locations
• delivering and collecting meal trolleys to/from wards and departments
• clearing and tidying up after any catering operation
• Undertake cleaning either manually or using mechanical equipment provided e.g. cleaning of areas, washing of crockery, cutlery and utensils
• Operate cash registers in retail areas, demonstrating diligence at all times

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• Good general education to GCSE standard
• Willingness to work towards Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety, COSHH, Food Hygiene and Allergen Awareness (in-house training to be provided)
• Level 2 certificate in H.A.C.C.P
• Basic Health and Safety
• Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene
• Level 2 Certificate in Food Safety

Knowledge & Experience

• Previous experience in the food/catering industry
• Previous experience in dealing with the public
• Awareness of the standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the food industry
• Knowledge of Therapeutic diets
• Awareness of confidentiality in an NHS environment
• Knowledge of Information Governance

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.

AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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