Head Chef

NHS; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Head Chef to lead a dynamic catering team. The candidate will be responsible for menu creation, staff training, and ensuring high standards of food safety. The ideal applicant will possess supervisory experience and relevant catering qualifications. Join us in making a difference in the quality of food service for our community. This role offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to contribute significantly to patient care.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable supervisory experience.
• Demonstrable experience within a catering environment.
• Experience in a similar position oriented towards customer service.

Responsibilities

• Deliver safe and nutritious meal service to all users.
• Train and mentor catering/kitchen staff.
• Manage food hygiene regulations and health safety policies.

Skills

Ability to use own initiative

Good organisational skills

Ability to motivate and encourage staff

Ability to deal with complaints

Ability to manage, motivate and lead a team

Ability to work well under pressure

Education

706/1 & 2 or equivalent NVQ grade

Management Certificate or competencies

Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

Head Chef

The closing date is 12 December 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Head Chef. We are looking to recruit a hardworking, enthusiastic individual to join our Catering Team Trustwide.

The successful post holder will use flair and creativity to create new menus. You will assist the catering department to reach its full potential by developing new systems of work.

The post holder will be required to work as part of a team in a fast‑paced environment and you will be able to use your initiative to prioritise and organise daily duties.

At the time of advertising, this role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. For this reason, we are unable to sponsor anyone for a skilled worker visa for this role.

We are happy to accept applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. Such applications will be considered alongside all other applications.

Main duties of the job

You will assist with managing the team to provide safe and nutritious meal service to service users, staff and visitors.

You will be responsible for training, mentoring and the reallocation of rotas when required.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID‑19 to protect patients.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high‑quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non‑clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we are run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To effectively deliver a catering service to service users, staff and visitors in line with NHS Estates Plan for Better Hospital Food and Food & Health Policy at the above unit.

Lead, train and supervise a team to departmental standards ensuring food hygiene regulations and Health and Safety policies are adhered to.

Ensure meals are produced to recipes and are ready for service to agreed deadlines.

JOB DIMENSIONS

(e.g. budgetary or supervisory responsibilities)

• Responsible for the management and training of catering/kitchen staff. Responsibility for the ordering, monitoring and recording of catering provisions.
• Authorising signature on timesheets.

KEY RESULT AREAS

The postholder will be required to:

• Have an active input and work with the Catering Manager to compile and create new menus, using flair and creativity, preparing documents to trust standards.
• Undertake stock takes and inventories.
• Deal with comments and feedback with necessary actions to maintain food safety and hygiene provisions.
• Organise and manage the process of food delivery to service users ensuring departmental procedures and standard operating procedures are being adhered to.
• Responsible for the recording of ward liaison procedures and ensuring appropriate actions are being taken.
• Assist in developing the catering service to reach its full potential by developing new systems of work.
• Responsible for the stock control and daily ordering of catering provisions and acting on any delivery problems.
• Responsible for the reallocation of duty rosters in the event of sickness and absence.
• Assist the Catering Business Manager in menu planning.
• Responsible for the training of new employees.
• Act as a mentor for modern apprentices.
• Take necessary action from Environmental and internal hygiene inspections.
• Provide information to service users and ward teams regarding catering meal services.
• Responsible for the checking of daily departmental documentation and acting on any discrepancies.
• Ensure special dietary requests are met, liaising with the dietician as and when required.
• Reporting faults to the Estates department.
• Responsible for recruitment and selection, appraisals, sickness and absence monitoring and work allocation of staff.
• Maintain monthly expenditure and income records.
• Assist in service change and policy development.
• At the discretion of the Catering Business Manager undertake any other duties in other areas of the department to ensure the smooth running of the service.

Trust Values

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g., service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respect at all times. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

• Honest, open, transparent
• Respectful
• Person first and in the centre
• Improve and be outstanding
• Relevant today, ready for tomorrow
• Families and carers matter

Person Specification

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Ability to use own initiative.
• Ability to motivate and encourage staff.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to deal with complaints.
• Ability to manage, motivate and lead a team.
• Ability to work well under pressure and able to prioritise.

Experience

• Operational / technical skills and stock control knowledge.
• Ability to use own initiative.

Training

• Demonstrable supervisory experience.
• Demonstrable experience within a catering environment.

Personal Attributes

• A good communicator, able to converse easily and well at all levels.
• Flexible towards working arrangements.
• Ability to work in a stressful situation.

Qualifications

• 706/1 & 2 or equivalent NVQ grade.
• Management Certificate or able to prove competencies at this level.
• Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Strong Health & Safety / Food Hygiene and HACCP skills.
• Experience in a similar position being responsible for standards and service working within a service led and customer focused environment.
• Working knowledge of NHS Plan Better Hospital Food Programme.
• Knowledge of special diets.
• Health eating training.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.