Kitchen Assistant

The Chaseley Trust; Eastbourne; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chaseley Trust is seeking a Kitchen Assistant reporting to the Head Chef to help deliver high quality catering and dining services for residents in the home. You will support the Head Chef and catering team, help prepare dining rooms, assist with food preparation, maintain food safety and hygiene, and ensure respectful, person-centred service in daily meals.

Working seven days a week rota, you will liaise with nursing staff and residents to accommodate dietary needs and ensure smooth service

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef to ensure catering services and dining experiences are of the highest standard and quality.
• Prepare dining rooms for the next service, ensuring areas are clean and attractively presented.
• Assist residents with dining needs, respecting dignity and communication differences.
• Liaise with nursing staff and residents for daily meal choices, considering dietary needs.
• Help with food preparation tasks and serving meals to residents as required.
• Maintain food safety procedures and cleaning schedules in line with policies.

Job description

Reporting to the Head Chef the Kitchen Assistant is responsible for supporting the Head Chef to provide high quality of food service within the home.

The Kitchen Assistant will be part of the catering team ensuring the highest standards are achieved to meet the needs of the residents.

Head Chef Support & Dining Services

• Support the Head Chef to ensure the catering services and residential dining experience is of the highest standard and quality.
• Ensure that all regulatory and statutory requirements are met and company policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Promptly clear and prepare the dining room for the next meal service and ensure the area is clean, tidy and attractively presented. Including laying tables with clean linen, napkins, polished cutlery, glasses/beakers/mugs and condiments.
• Actively engage with residents in conversation related to their lifestyle choices at a level and pace that values the individual and respects their dignity and communication differences.
• Respond in a timely way to residents who are distressed or seek assistance if you feel unable to respond appropriately.
• Assist any resident in the dining room with any requests they may have, ensuring no resident feels in any way rushed or pressured to finish a meal.
• Liaise with Head Chef daily for menu changes and alternative dishes.
• Liaise with nursing staff, support workers and, where appropriate, residents for daily meal choices taking dietary considerations and preferences into account.
• Check with nursing staff for any resident appointments where a meal may need to be set aside or trips/excursions where the resident will not be requiring a meal.
• Inform the Head Chef immediately of any subsequent changes to meal choices made by residents and ensure, as far as possible, that all residents are provided with their choice.
• Check cupboards and fridges on all floors for items that belong in the kitchen.
• Ensure that all crockery, cutlery and glasses/beakers/mugs are clean, well maintained and stored correctly in the dining room.
• Clean, check and replenish juice dispensers for lunch and supper if required.
• Prepare fresh tea and coffee and replenish milk for the dining room for lunch and supper.
• Load trolleys with spare cutlery, trays and food containers for staff to take to floors. Add meals when Head Chef is ready, checking for specialist diets e.g. softs/puree. Clearly label plate cover with resident’s name.
• Provide refreshments for the residents and guests to the home. Prepare trolleys for afternoon tea/coffee and cakes. If required, deliver trolley to the Activities Room and Casbar. Serve hot drinks and then collect all dirty cups and crockery and return to dining room.

Catering

• Support the catering team in ensuring the nutritional content of the meals provided caters for the dietary needs of all residents and to have a good working knowledge of IDDSI and modified food textures.
• Assist the Head Chef with preparation of deserts, and other courses where required.
• Work with the Head Chef providing support in preparation of food, when required. This may include washing, peeling, chopping, cutting and cooking foodstuffs as well as helping to prepare salads and desserts and weighing of ingredients.
• Work as part of a team to provide cooked meals to residents in the absence of the Head Chef.
• Work as part of the team to ensure counter service is available to residents and staff to meet the highest standard and quality within the company policy and procedures.
• Supporting the Head Chef to ensure that all food safety Management procedures are completed as per the designated schedules already stipulated and that recording of all mandatory items are completed as per the company policies and procedures and within EHO and Food Standards Regulations.
• Ensure that the cleaning schedules are maintained according to company policies and procedures.
• Be able to receive, check and store deliveries correctly.

Health and Safety

• Ensure Health & Safety within the services team, residents and visitors meet the requirements of the Food Safety Manual and Health and Safety Manual.
• Attend all Health and Safety, food hygiene and COSSH training updates as required by the company to ensure that safe practices are adhered to at all times.
• Have a good working knowledge of safe storage and use of chemicals.
• Ensure regulations and compliance are met and adhered to.
• Ensure equipment and environment is safe within the kitchen and home.
• You will be required for this role to potentially lift heavy objects using the correct methods of manual handling.

General

This job description reflects the current main organizational priorities for the position. These priorities may develop and change in consultation with the post holder in line with needs and priorities of the business.

Working Conditions

• Rota is based on 7 days a week including weekends.

Safeguarding

Chaseley Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults, employees and volunteers. All offers of employment with the trust are subject to pre-employment checks, including references, health, right to work in UK and a satisfactory Enhanced DBS.