About this role
Job summary
A unique opportunity has arisen for the role of Catering Assistant at Imperial College Healthcare. This role supports the safe and effective delivery of food, hydration, and nutrition to patients within a busy acute hospital environment operating across multiple buildings, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The post holder will work within both the main production kitchen and patient dining service, supporting the preparation, picking, packing, distribution, and service of meals to patients. The role requires a good understanding of food safety, hygiene standards, allergen awareness, infection prevention and control, and safe working practices.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the role:
Prepare, pick, pack, assemble, and distribute patient meals in accordance with production schedules and dietary requirements. Deliver meals, snacks, and beverages to wards and patients in a timely and professional manner. Ensure meals are served accurately, following dietary, allergen, cultural, religious, and texture-modified requirements. Maintain high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness, and infection prevention in line with Trust policies and food safety legislation. Carry out cleaning duties using approved chemicals and equipment, following COSHH and safe working procedures. Assist with stock rotation, replenishment, storage, and the safe handling of food and non-food items. Complete food temperature checks and other required food safety records. Report equipment faults, hazards, incidents, or concerns to the supervisor. Work collaboratively with colleagues, ward staff, and dietitians to support the delivery of a high-quality patient dining service. Comply with all Trust policies, including Health and Safety, Food Safety, Manual Handling, and Infection Prevention and Control. The successful candidate will be a reliable team player with good communication skills and a commitment to delivering excellent patient care and customer service.
About us
At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.
Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.
We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.
Environmental sustainabilityClimate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people's health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan.
Job description Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.
For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualifications Essential
GCSE English or equivalent
Desirable
Food hygiene level 2 or above
Experience Essential
Knowledge of relevant catering policies and procedure
Desirable
Previous catering experience
Skills/Knowledge/ Abilities Essential
Work well within a team
Communication skills Essential
Excellent customer service skills
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Address St Mary's Hospital
Praed Street
London
W2 1NY
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)