Kitchen Assistant

Bupa; Colchester; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals on shift

28 days holiday

Pension plans

Flexible working

Job summary

Bupa Colonia Court Care Home in Colchester is looking for a Kitchen Assistant to support the kitchen team and deliver high-quality meals to residents. The role involves assisting chefs, plating meals, and maintaining clean preparation areas while following food-safety guidelines.

The position is permanent, part-time (18 hours per week) with shifts 7am–6:30pm on a rota basis, including alternate weekends. In return, you get a benefits package and the chance to contribute to our care-focused

Qualifications

• A passion for food and delivering a pleasant dining experience.
• Basic Food HygieneCertificate needed.
• Able to communicate well with residents and staff.

Responsibilities

• Act as the link between the main kitchen and residents.
• Assist chefs in plating meals and preparing trolleys; keep prep areas clean.
• Monitor stock rotation and follow COSHH/HACCP guidelines.
• Assist with catering for events such as summer BBQs and Christmas parties.

Skills

Food preparation

Communication

Basic Food Hygiene

Education

Basic Food Hygiene Certificate

Tools

Kitchen equipment

Job description

Location: Colonia Court Care Home. St Andrew's Avenue, Colchester. CO4 3AN

Contract: Permanent - Part Time Time

Hours: 18 hours per week. Shifts on a rota basis between 7am - 6:30pm, including alternate weekends

Salary: £12.75 per hour

CQC rating: Good

Colonia Court offers nursing, residential and dementia care, as well as having a dedicated unit for people living with Huntington's disease. It can also offer a space for people to rest, relax and recover with short stays too. It could be a few weeks to experience living here, an advanced booking if you/ your loved ones are planning a holiday or break, a month while recovering from an operation or a more long-term move.

Situated in a pleasant, leafy suburb, Colonia Court offers residents a modern and purpose-built home surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens. Just a short bus ride away, the home is within easy access to Colchester. There are also shops nearby for residents to visit that are within walking distance.

It is important for residents to feel at home, so it creates a friendly environment with an individually appropriate balance of care and independence. Enjoying food is an important part of life. The chefs create well-crafted menus made with the freshest ingredients and try to cater for all ethnic groups. Soon after a resident arrives at Colonia Court, staff discuss their personal preferences and dietary needs with them.

There is a real sense of community at Colonia Court. The staff work to discover what residents enjoy doing and the home's social calendar is organised around those interests. So whether your loved one already has a hobby or would like to take up a new one, there are lots of exciting activities to get involved in. From picnics in the garden and lunch clubs to pamper days and exercise groups, the home has a full social calendar.

We make health happen

Here at Bupa, we support those when they need it the most. Our care homes are dedicated to delivering person-centred care, supporting independence and honouring choice to help our residents live their best lives. Our fantastic Kitchen Team are the magic behind each delicious dish we serve our guests. They are passionate about all things food and take great pride in each dish we prepare. We are looking for an equally passionate Kitchen Assistant to join the team and help deliver an excellent dining experience for our residents.

You'll help us make health happen by:

• Acting as the link between the main kitchen and our residents
• Assisting the chefs to plate meals, prepare food trolleys and ensure all preparation areas are kept clean and tidy
• Monitoring stock rotation, complying to company policies and procedures following all mandatory COSHH and HACPP guidelines
• Assisting with catering for special events such as summer BBQs and Christmas parties

Key Skills / Qualifications needed for this role:

A passion for food with previous experience working in a kitchen and a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate. You want to deliver an excellent service at each meal and make our residents feel at home. You'll understand the importance of maintaining high standards in and around the home, ensuring our residents enjoy a pleasant dining experience. Working with the wider kitchen and care home teams - you're comfortable communicating with others, cherishing the little moments with our residents.

Our benefits are designed to make health happen for our people. Viva is our global wellbeing programme and includes all aspects of our health - from mental and physical, to financial, social and environmental wellbeing. We support flexible working and have a range of family friendly benefits.

Joining Bupa in this role you will receive the following benefits and more:

• My Healthcare - Free access to 24/7 support, advice, and treatment for a variety of health-related issues, including remote GP appointments, physiotherapy and mental health support
• Annual allowance which you can redeem against a menu of Bupa healthcare products, all to the approximate value of £350
• Wagestream - Have early access to up to 40% of your earned wages within minutes
• 28 days holiday
• We offer a sick pay scheme to our frontline teams, as an addition to statutory sick pay, to help provide some reassurance and financial support during longer absences.
• Long service - For every milestone at Bupa we will reward you with ecards, extra holidays and money!
• Free meal on every shift
• Interest-free annual travel loan to enable the purchase of public transport annual season tickets
• We offer a range of Bupa pension plans - find out more on our career site
• Parental leave - We have schemes for adoption, birth parents and co parents -find out more on our career site
• Menopause Plan - Specifically designed to empower women to seek advice, choose their treatment and take control of their health
• Access to discounts at a wide variety of gyms and fitness facilities across the UK

Why Bupa?

We’re a health insurer and provider. With no shareholders, our customers are our focus. Our people are all driven by the same purpose - helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We make health happen by being brave, caring and responsible in everything we do.

We encourage all of our people to ”Be you at Bupa", we champion diversity, and we understand the importance of our people representing the communities and customers we serve. That's why we especially encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Bupa is a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. This means we aim to offer an interview/assessment to every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the role. We'll make sure you are treated fairly and offer reasonable adjustments as part of our recruitment process to anyone that needs them.