About this role
Job summary
The post holder will be responsible for preparing and cooking a variety of meals, including special and ethnic diets, to meet the nutritional and cultural needs of service users within the Forensic Services. They will ensure that food safety and hygiene standards are always maintained, contribute to menu planning and cost control, and provide technical guidance and support to catering staff to ensure the efficient delivery of high-quality catering services across the Trust.
The post holder will be required to have a minimum of six months' experience in a similar catering role. Employment will be subject to a three-month probationary period, during which performance, conduct, and suitability for the role will be assessed in line with Trust policy.
*** Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post ***
Main duties of the job
Food Preparation & Service
Prepare, cook, and serve balanced meals in line with NHS food standards. Adapt meals to meet special diets Halal, vegetarian/vegan, cultural diets, and texture-modified diets. Ensure food is presented attractively and served at appropriate temperatures. Support protected mealtimes and structured ward routines for patient meals.
About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
We're Kind We're Fair We Listen We Care
Job description Job responsibilities
Food Preparation & Service
Prepare, cook, and serve balanced meals in line with NHS food standards, infection control practices, and individual care plans. Adapt meals to meet special diets including allergies, diabetes, dysphagia, Halal, vegetarian/vegan, cultural diets, and texturemodified diets. Ensure food is presented attractively and served at appropriate temperatures. Support protected mealtimes and structured ward routines for patient meals. Food Safety & Hygiene
Maintain full compliance with food hygiene regulations (e.g., HACCP principles). Carry out daily checks on food temperatures, fridge/freezer logs, and cleaning schedules. Ensure safe storage, rotation, and disposal of food items according to regulations. Participate in internal and external hygiene audits. Security Responsibilities (Medium Secure Environment)
Adhere to all forensic security procedures, including: Controlled access to knives, utensils, and cleaning chemicals. Accurate completion of tool and equipment checklists. Reporting and escalating security concerns immediately. Maintain situational awareness and work safely among patients with forensic histories. Collaboration & Communication
Work cohesively with nursing staff, dietitians, occupational therapists, and psychologists to meet nutritional needs. Communicate clearly regarding dietary changes, risks, stock shortages, and patient needs. Attend catering, safety, and ward-related meetings when required. Stock & Kitchen Management
Monitor stock levels and request supplies in a timely manner. Ensure cost-effective use of resources and minimise waste. Maintain cleanliness of kitchen areas, equipment, and storage rooms. Patient-Centred Support
Engage respectfully with patients, supporting therapeutic mealtime environments. Participate in structured activities such as patient cooking groups (where appropriate and supervised). Promote dignity, choice, and cultural sensitivity in meal planning.
Person Specification
ESSENTIAL Essential
Vocational qualification at Level 3 (e.g. NVQ or City & Guilds in Professional Cookery) and Advanced Food Hygiene certificate
Desirable
Experience in bulk cooking and menu planning required.
ESSENTIAL Essential
Comprehensive knowledge of catering procedures, specialist diets, and food hygiene in a healthcare.
Desirable
o Able to work on own initiative
ESSENTIAL Essential
Job requires knowledge mental health. computer literacy needed for ordering, menu planning, emails.
Desirable
Concentration and working in a hot humid Kitchen.
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 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bracton Centre
Bracton Lane
Dartford
DA2 7AF
Employer's website http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)