Cook

Choice Care; Winchester; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 14,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday including Bank Holiday

Sick pay entitlement

Employee Assistance Programme

Refer a friend £500

Birthday day off

Life insurance

Annual staff awards

Free monthly prize draw

Blue Light Card

Complex in-house training

Job summary

Choice Care is recruiting a Cook for Otterbourne House near Winchester. The role involves preparing balanced meals for residents, managing weekly shopping lists and budgets, and collaborating with staff to ensure safety and high standards in the kitchen.

The job requires organisation, a proactive attitude, and reliable communication. You will contribute to a supportive home environment with focus on resident well-being and meal quality.

Qualifications

• Organised and able to plan meals and budgets effectively.
• Clear written and verbal communication abilities.
• Reliable and proactive with a positive attitude.
• Willingness to learn and adapt in a care-home setting.

Responsibilities

• Create balanced, appealing menus for residents.
• Prepare and serve meals in the home.
• Follow all dietary requirements and allergens.
• Maintain safe food handling and hygiene practices.
• Manage weekly food shops and budget adherence.

Skills

Organised

Communication skills

Willing to learn

Can-do attitude

Job description

Hours:24

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?

Otterbourne House, which opened in 2015, has been designed specifically to meet the particular needs of people with learning disabilities and autism. The home currently supports up to seven men and women of various ages, with complex needs, who may also have a secondary mental health condition such as personality disorder, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Otterbourne House is located in the village of Compton, in a pleasant, semi-rural setting about two miles south of Winchester, four miles north of Eastleigh, adjacent to the M3 motorway. Like all Choice Care homes, Otterbourne offers structured activity programmes to support education and personal development, designed to maximise independence and enable residents to achieve their goals. Residents enjoy swimming, bowling, trips to the cinema and zoos, going clubbing, and trips to the seaside at Weymouth and to the Moors Valley. Residents are supported 24-hours a day and have access to our in-house Positive Behaviour Support Team to help their emotional and general wellbeing.