Chef Assistants

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; Chorley; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is hiring a Catering Assistant to support chefs with food production across wards, dining rooms, and satellite venues. The role requires adherence to food hygiene standards and a team-focused approach to deliver high-quality patient and staff meals.

The ideal candidate will hold GCSE-level education and Level 2/3 Food Hygiene certificates, with HACCP knowledge and COSHH awareness. Experience in catering and customer interaction is preferred.

Qualifications

• Good general education to GCSE standard.
• Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene.
• Level 3 Certificate in Food Hygiene.
• Level 2 certificate in HACCP.
• Food Production Qualifications - C&G 706 /NVQ Level 2.
• COSHH qualification; Previous experience in the Catering Industry.
• Previous experience in dealing with the public.
• Knowledge of Information Governance.
• Awareness of hygiene standards in a healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively with colleagues to share catering task information.
• Interact with customers in person and by phone to explain catering services.
• Undertake duties related to food service: prepare service areas and equipment, serve at events, deliver and collect meal trolleys, and tidy up.
• Prepare simple food items using standard equipment and techniques.

Skills

Communication

Customer service

Teamwork

Food handling

Education

GCSE level education

Level 2 Food Hygiene

Level 3 Food Hygiene

Level 2 HACCP

Food Production NVQ Level 2

COSHH qualification

Job description

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., Your day to day role will assist with all associated duties connected with the preparation and delivery of staff and patient meal services. You will assist our chefs with food production for all 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., The Chef Assistants job is demanding yet fulfilling, to get the most out of it you will need to be able to do the following

• 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 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
• Prepare simple food items using appropriate food preparation equipment, including:
• washing, cutting and weighing of ingredients
• cooking simple food and snacks
• storage of food item
• Undertake cleaning either manually or using mechanical equipment provided e.g. cleaning of areas, washing of crockery, cutlery and utensils
• Report any defective equipment or health and safety hazards to immediate supervisor
• Proactively support the continued development of the catering service
• Maintain and develop own competence
• Good general education to GCSE standard
• Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene
• Basic Health and Safety
• Level 3 Certificate in Food Hygiene
• Level 2 certificate in H.A.C.C.P
• Food Production Qualifications - C&G 706 /NVQ Level 2
• COSHH qualification, Previous experience in the Catering Industry
• Previous experience in dealing with the public
• Knowledge of Information Governance
• Awareness of the standards of hygiene and cleanliness within a healthcare setting
• Knowledge of Therapeutic diets
• Awareness of confidentiality in an NHS environment

One LSC Overview

One LSC is a new collaborative partnership shared service formed by the five NHS Trusts serving the Lancashire and South Cumbria population of 1.8 million people. We are a shared service run by the NHS, for the NHS and are hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on behalf of the partner Trusts of the Lancashire and South Cumbria system.

One LSC stands for 'One Lancashire and South Cumbria' and reflects the Lancashire and South Cumbria System ambition to have one team serving Lancashire and South Cumbria in a joined-up way. It is jointly run by the five Trusts as a collaborative partnership. The Trusts that make up One LSC are:

• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

One LSC brings together the Digital, Data and Technology, Estates and Facilities, Finance, People Services and Procurement and Logistics services from each of the provider Trusts to create one central community of professionals. Under one leadership team, they will provide services for and on behalf of all Trusts. The aim is to bring services more closely together so that we can deliver the best service possible to each of our partner organisations. At the core of One LSC delivery is eliminating duplication, removing unwarranted variation, realisation of the benefits of sharing common systems and processes and ensuring we deliver value for money for our partners, our system and, ultimately, for the communities we serve.

Please note that this post is Part of One LSC - a corporate collaboration hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and providing Estates and Facilities Services to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have 10,000 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 and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Equal Opportunities

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

Salary and Application Details

• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.

Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)

If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed. The cost for an Enhanced DBS, is £45.90 and for a Basic & Standard, this is £24.90 this cost includes a £4.90 admin fee.

Please note: a young person must be in part-time education or training until they're 18. 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, Enhanced DBS check £54.40 and Enhanced DBS check with Barred List(s) £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.