Kitchen Assistant

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust; Southampton; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS institution is seeking a Kitchen Assistant at their nursery in Southampton. The role involves preparing snacks, serving food, and supporting the needs of children. Candidates should possess strong organisational skills, a commitment to training in food hygiene, and the ability to work as part of a team. This role offers a salary of £24,465 per annum. Apply now to join this rewarding environment.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Discount scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Willingness to complete food hygiene qualification/allergy awareness training ASAP.
• Evidence of willingness to keep training updated.
• Experience in food preparation and handling.

Responsibilities

• Prepare snacks and serve food.
• Use supply systems to order meals and provisions.
• Work as part of a supportive team meeting children's needs.

Skills

Organisational skills

Calmness

Attention to detail

Education

Basic literacy and numeracy skills

Food hygiene qualification

Job description

The closing date is 14 November 2025

Kitchen Assistant

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us at our Taplins Nursery as a Kitchen Assistant. Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you an organised proactive individual who wants to make a real difference to our nursery, and work in a welcoming and supportive environment? If so, then we are looking for an enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join our team at Southampton General Hospital.

We offer childcare from the ages of 3 months to 5 years in our bright and airy nursery. You'll work in our kitchen preparing snacks, clearing/washing up after meals, and serving food provided by our caterers.

You'll use our supply systems to order meals and provisions, and will work closely with our nursery teams to ensure the catering system runs smoothly.

Taplins operates two purpose built day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, and being part of the UHS family means you'll have access to lots of great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, and a discount scheme.

We're open Monday‑Friday from 7am to 6.30pm and closed on bank holidays.

About us

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated 'Good' by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

All non‑clinical roles may involve a mixture of on‑site and remote working; specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Job responsibilities

You’ll work in our kitchens preparing snacks, clearing/washing up after meals, and serving food provided by our caterers.

Main Responsibilities

• Work as part of a welcoming and supportive team meeting the needs of small groups of children.
• Be organised and proactive – this is a busy role.
• Prepare snacks, clear/wash up after meals, and serve food provided by our caterers.
• Use our supply systems to order meals and provisions.

Please note, this role does not involve cooking. At times, the role will involve lone‑working within the kitchen.

What we are looking for

• You’ll need to be calm and organised.
• You’ll need to be committed and reliable.
• We are a busy service and team working is essential to meet each child’s needs, so you’ll need to be ready to work closely with others.
• Good attention to detail to ensure children who have allergies receive the correct food.

If this is you, we’d love to meet you!

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications / training required

• Basic literacy and numeracy skills including clear verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to complete food hygiene qualification/ allergy awareness training ASAP (if not already held).
• Evidence of willingness to keep training updated.
• Existing allergy awareness training completed.

Previous or relevant experience necessary

• Working in a team environment.
• Food preparation and handling experience.

Values and Behaviours

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

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

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Depending on experience £24,465 per annum pro rota