About this role
Job summary
The Westminster Memorial Hospital is seeking a skilled and experienced Senior Cook/Head Chef who is passionate about food and wants to make a difference.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for culinary excellence, strong leadership abilities, and a keen eye on detail.
As Senior Cook/Head Chef, you will have full operational and financial responsibility for the hospitals catering facility, leading the team to deliver the highest quality of food and service to 26 in-patients, as well as our staff and members of the public in our friendly hospital caf.
You must be able to work flexibly as part of a rota including working weekends and bank holidays.
Two week working rota 27 hours per week
week 1 Sunday 7am to 3pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 7am to 2pm
week 2
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7am to 2pm and Saturday 7am to 3pm
30 min unpaid break on each shift
Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.
Main duties of the job
Responsibilities
Supervising and supporting a small team of catering staff, ensuring the smooth day to day operation Recruiting, managing and training catering team Planning of menus, orders, deliveries and budget control Managing food safety, Health & Safety and Allergens legislation, overseeing food safety practices and compliance and conducting periodic audits Requirement
Desirable - Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate or willingness to undertake Strong knowledge of kitchen operation, food production and culinary techniques Excellent leadership and supervisory skills Understanding of HACCP, allergen regulations and best practice Awareness of COSHH regulation Basic IT skills/computer competence Offer
Permanent contract - no late nights Generous holiday allowance increasing with service NHS pension Uniform provided On-site free parking Healthcare discount scheme Appointment to this post is subject to a standard DBS certificate.
About us
At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.
We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.
Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.
Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.
Job description Job responsibilities
For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidates individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [email protected]
Person Specification
Knowledge, skills and training Essential
Educated to NVQ level 3, OR City & Guilds 706/1 706/2 or equivalent level of training/experience of working at a similar level in a specialist area Understanding of Health and Safety procedures, HACCP, COSHH, Allergen principles
Desirable
Level 3 Food Hygiene training Experience of menu planning Previous NHS experience Understanding of therapeutic diets
Information Technology Essential
Basic knowledge of computers
Finances and Resources Essential
A clear understanding of financial resources.
Managerial & supervisory experience Desirable
Experience in a supervisory role
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 details Employer name Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Address Westminster Memorial Hospital
Abbey Walk
Shaftesbury, Dorset
SP7 8BD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)