Cook

Choice Care Group; Southampton; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday entitlement

Sick pay entitlement

Employee Assistance Programme

Refer a friend scheme

Choiceversary

Christmas bonus

Life insurance

Annual staff awards

In-house training

Birthday day off

Prize draw

Blue Light Card eligibility

HRT cost reimbursement

Financial wellbeing app

Job summary

Choice Care Group is hiring a Cook to prepare and serve healthy meals for residents in our Southampton homes. You will manage weekly budgets and shopping lists, and collaborate with staff to ensure safety and high standards in the kitchen.

The role emphasizes creating balanced menus, accommodating dietary needs, and maintaining strict hygiene while supporting residents’ wellbeing and daily activities.

Qualifications

• Personal attributes: organised, willing to learn, committed and enthusiastic, can-do attitude, good written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Creating appropriate, exciting and well-balanced menus for residents.
• Preparing and serving meals for the home.
• Ensuring all special dietary needs are followed.
• Familiarising yourself with residents’ allergens.
• Preparing food to a high standard.
• Maintaining relevant records and stock rotation.
• Ensuring the kitchen is clean and hygienic.
• Completing weekly food shops while managing budget and safety standards.
• Setting a professional example in methods, presentation, timekeeping and hygiene.
• Maintaining health and safety at work practices.

Skills

Organised

Willing to learn

Committed and enthusiastic

Can-do attitude

Written and verbal communication

Job description

Hours:30

Salary:£12.80 to £12.80Annum

Overview of the role

The role of the Cook is to prepare and serve healthy balances meals to residentsin our homes. You will oversee weekly budgets and shopping lists. On occasion you will work alongside other staff or residents in the kitchen making sure everyone’s safety is paramount.

Key duties

• Creating appropriate, exciting and well-balanced menus for residents
• Preparing and serving meals for the home
• Ensuringall special dietary needs are followed
• Familiarising yourself with residents’ allergens
• Preparing food to a high standard
• Maintaining relevant records and controllingstock rotation
• Ensuringthe kitchen is always clean and hygienic
• Completingweekly food shops whilst managing the budget and adhering to all safety standards
• Setting a professional example with all working methods, procedures, personal presentation, timekeeping and hygiene
• Maintaining health and safety at work practices at all times

Personal attributes:

• Organised and willing to learn
• Committed and enthusiastic approach
• The ability to maintainthe required quality and service standards set
• A can-do attitude
• Satisfactory written and verbal communication skills

What are the benefits?*

• Holiday entitlement - starting from 28 days inclusive of Bank Holidays
• Sick pay entitlement
• Employee Assistance Programme - comprehensive health and wellbeing support for staff
• Refer a friend scheme- enjoy a payment of £500 when you recruit a friend to Choice Care
• Choiceversary - staff receive vouchers of £75 after 5 years, £100 after 10 years and £150 after 15 years to celebrate their commitment to Choice Care
• Christmas bonus - vouchers for all staff members
• Life insurance
• Annual staff awards - this year each winner received £400 and we had over 30 winners in total
• Complex in-house training- this includes our Advanced Management Development Programme for managers in the making and our Foundation Management Development Programme for rising stars
• A paid day off on your birthday
• Free monthly prize draw - all frontline care colleagues are automatically entered into a monthly prize draw. Three winners, selected at random, receive£500 each, tax-free
• Blue Light Card eligibility
• Reclaim prescription costs for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and accessfree feminine hygiene products whilst on shift
• Stream– a financial wellbeing app that enables you to: track your earnings; save withhigh-street beating interest rates; choose to access your earnings ahead of pay day withflexible pay; receive discounts with hundreds of retailers;learn with financial coaching and education, and much more

*minimum serviceperiods applicableto some benefits

Who are we?

Choice Care is one of the UK’s leading residential care providers for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions. With over 30years’ experience, we’re at the forefront of national best practice, with among thehighest CQC ratingsof any comparable organisation.

Our homes are more than just a place to live, they’re like a second family for everyone we support. Each home is a close knit community, with its own unique personality, and all the ups and downs of typical family life, built on trust and the promise of unconditional care. Our colleagues build close bonds with the people they care for, helping to create enduring, positive relationships that build confidence and self-esteem.

In every Choice Care home there’s a strong emphasis on living life to the full and having fun, with purposeful daily activities based on individual preferences and capabilities. Alongside this there areregular social events, projects, outings and holiday breaks which everyone canget involved in and express themselves through.

Where will youwork?

Sennen Lodge is a large, detached home that supports eight men and women, aged from their early 20s to 40s, with severe learning disabilities and autism. All residents are non-verbal. Sennen Lodge is in Bitterne, a few minutes from Eastleigh town centre and the local shops, with easy access to Southampton, three miles away. The home has its own Activity Coordinator who creates a structured activity programme to enable ongoing personal development through a range of individual and group activities. There is transport for visits to local leisure, recreational and educational activities. The residents enjoy bowling, swimming, donutting, trampolining, walks, picnics and going out for meals. They also go on regular outings to places like Thorpe Park, Longleat and Marwell Zoo.

SL000