Catering Housekeeper - Hillingdon | The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Colham Green; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution in Colham Green is seeking a Housekeeper to provide essential support in maintaining cleanliness and assisting patients with meals in the ward. Responsibilities include kitchen management, serving meals, and ensuring hygiene standards. Ideal candidates should have previous experience in catering or housekeeping and excellent communication skills. Flexible working hours and various benefits are offered.

Benefits

Flexible hours

Full range of benefits

On-site nursery facilities

Restaurant access

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Previous experience in either a catering or housekeeping role.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer‑service skills.
• Basic food hygiene and COSHH knowledge is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist patients with appropriate meal selections.
• Serve patient meals and respond to ad-hoc requirements.
• Ensure patients have assistance with eating if required.
• Take full responsibility for the ward kitchen.
• Monitor the uptake of meals to reduce wastage.
• Complete all monitoring and reporting forms.
• Ensure the ward is safe and tidy.
• Maintain and rectify cleaning standards on the ward.

Skills

Customer service skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Ability to work independently

Job description

Our Facilities department provide a range of support services across the Hospital including catering, cleaning and housekeeping. These services help play a vital role in ensuring all areas of our hospital achieve excellent standards of cleanliness, catering and hygiene. We are now recruiting housekeepers to join our friendly and professional team.

Responsibilities

• Assist patients with appropriate meal selections, taking into account medical, special dietary requirements and religious needs in conjunction with medical staff.
• Serve patient meals, hot and cold beverages and snacks at scheduled intervals throughout the day and respond to ad-hoc requirements.
• Ensure patients have assistance with eating if required (e.g. food cut up, within easy reach) and advise nursing staff of any areas of concern.
• Take full responsibility for the ward kitchen, ensuring it is a clean and hygienic environment (including temperature monitoring, stock rotation, disposal of out‑of‑date food and ordering essential items).
• Co‑ordinate extra meal requirements that may arise during core working hours.
• Monitor the uptake of meals and record this information to reduce wastage.
• Highlight training/development needs of ward‑based assistant housekeepers to ensure appropriate legislation is followed and the highest possible standards of food service are provided.
• Complete all monitoring and reporting forms in relation to the provision of catering and beverage services.
• Monitor the ward’s maintenance and pest control request logbook, ensuring all requests are logged and actioned as appropriate.
• Ensure the ward is safe and tidy at all times, working with ward staff and the facilities team to comply with trust procedures, including the disposal policy and waste recycling.
• Respect the patient space, attending to patient belongings such as fruit and get‑well cards.
• Maintain and rectify cleaning standards on the ward, including spot cleaning after spillages and upkeep of patient bed areas.
• Ensure daily cleans of barrier rooms are carried out in accordance with ward requirements and infection control instructions.
• Carry out any patient‑related questionnaires as agreed and any other appropriate monitoring commensurate with the role.
• Inform the ward manager of the outcome of any monitoring and agree action where appropriate.
• Handle complaints and take appropriate action in line with the trust complaints procedure.
• Report any breaches of health and safety, security or non‑compliance noticed within wards.
• Receive, welcome and guide visitors on the ward, liaising with other staff as appropriate.
• Handle any other duties as may be required.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in either a catering or housekeeping role.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer‑service skills.
• Basic food hygiene and COSHH knowledge is desirable.
• Ability to work on one’s own initiative.

Benefits

• Flexible hours.
• A full range of benefits.
• On‑site nursery facilities (5% discount for staff).
• Restaurant access.
• A wide range of training and career development opportunities.