Cook/Housekeeper
About us
At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.
We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: working together for our service users, respect and kindness, everyone counts, commitment to quality, improving lives.
Job overview
An opportunity has arisen for an individual to join our team on Burbage Ward. The ward provides care to 16 female (adult) inpatients.
The post holder will be expected to work as part of a team to achieve high standards of cleanliness and to provide patient meals. They will be expected to contribute to changes in working as part of a changing and progressing service. They will provide and maintain a high standard within the ward environment in support of good quality patient care and work as part of a team to give service users a positive experience of their time within an inpatient setting.
Applicants should ideally have a Food Hygiene Certificate, show excellent teamwork and communication skills, be flexible & demonstrate an adaptable approach to work.
Previous experience is desirable but not essential.
Main duties of the job
Principal duties will include:
- Maintaining a high standard of a wide range of housekeeping tasks on the ward
- Preparation of light snacks, salads and sandwiches and re-generation of frozen food
- Completing appropriate monitoring documentation
- To carry out duties with regard to Health & Safety, Food Hygiene Legislation
Working for our organisation
We aim to be an organisation that is diverse and inclusive and to meet this aim we welcome applications from people with a wide range of life experience and whose diversity echoes the diversity of Sheffield, that of the people who use our services, and that of the people who may need to use our services but face barriers to access.Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
General requirements- To cooperate with the Senior Housekeeper and work as part of a team.
- To undertake other duties as may be delegated by the Senior
Housekeeper and/or Ward Manager.
Main duties: Supporting Patient Care
- In undertaking day to day cleaning duties within patient areas, to monitor
advise staff accordingly.
- Together with Nursing Staff undertake day to day cleaning duties within
appropriate self care needs and levels of responsibility for the tidiness of
bedroom areas.
- To ensure that meals are provided on a day to day basis in line with the
accommodated.
- To undertake day to day interactions with patients, relatives and visitors in a professional manner as a member of the Ward Team.
- To ensure all waste and dry linen is quickly and securely removed from the immediate Ward environment in line with operational policies/procedures.
- To ensure the delivery of clean linen is secured and appropriately stored.
- To ensure appropriate linen supplies are available and provided to patients
address.
- To ensure that the dining facilities are well presented and laid out, in
maintained at all times in terms of provisions and cleanliness.
Ward Cleanliness- To provide for the full range of general cleaning of all areas within the
- To ensure products, equipment and materials are used appropriately and
- Monitor the use of cleaning materials and store items. To ensure adequate
Senior Housekeeper.
- As and when indicated or required to respond to immediate need to clean
- To ensure relevant and appropriate records are maintained in relation to
cleaning schedules and to enable the ongoing monitoring of the service.
Catering Services- In compliance with menus, the preparation, cooking of patient’s meals.
- To ensure that existing arrangements to identify and promote daily menus and patient choices are adhered to.
- To ensure that food and beverages are presented and served
- To ensure that food items are prepared, and made available to patients in line with the Trust policies and procedures relating to monitoring of
- To ensure required provisions are available on a day to day basis in line
- To ensure that all food items are appropriately and safely received
procedures.
- To ensure relevant and appropriate records are maintained in relation to
ongoing service monitoring.
Health & Safety- To carry out duties having due regard for Food Hygiene, Health and Safety
- To ensure existing arrangements for the safe storage, removal and
- To adhere to existing arrangements for monitoring of water temperature to
- Promptly report all defects, breakages and incidents relating to the work
- To be aware of the Wards Personal Safety Plan and apply in day-to-day
- To attend training and retraining sessions regarding Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Fire, etc.
- To participate in arrangements for supervision, and personal development reviews.
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and in
discussion with the manager the postholder may be required to
undertake other duties which fall within the Banding of the post. The job
description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service
requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post
holder.
The post holder should be comfortable in the use of computer technology, have basic keyboard skills and have the ability to use email.
All employees are expected to observe the following: Equal opportunities and dignity at work – statement of intent
The Trust is a major employer and provider of services. We are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of and meets the needs of the local community.We oppose all forms of discrimination on legal and moral grounds, and
recognise that discrimination creates barriers to achieving equality for
everyone.
The Trust is committed to making equality of opportunity and fair treatment a reality whereby an individual can seek, obtain and continue employment without unfair discrimination.
As an equal opportunities employer, we will ensure that all job applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment and will not be disadvantaged by unjustified conditions or requirements.
The Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy underpins the
Trust’s commitment to achieve equality and fairness at work and to ensure that individuals or groups are not unfairly discriminated against.We are committed to improving our practice through signing up to initiatives such as Stonewall Champions, the Disability Standard/Disability Confident and Mindful Employer.
Safeguarding children and adults
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people (anyone under the age of 18) and adults. It expects all staff, volunteers and contracted staff to share this commitment and act in such a way that safeguards and promotes the health and well being of children, young people and adults.
Staff must ensure that they are familiar with the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what to do if any such concerns are raised.Staff are expected to know about and follow the Trust’s safeguarding children and safeguarding adult policies which can be found on the Trust intranet, and participate in related mandatory/statutory training.
Risk management
Staff should be aware of the principles of risk management and adopt
appropriate practice to reduce the risk to themselves and others. In particular, staff should observe the Trust’s Risk Management Strategy, Risk, Incident & Serious Incident reporting and management policies, Health & Safetyregulations and the risk management training requirements for all staff.
Infection prevention and control
Staff are expected to comply with the Trust’s Infection Prevention & Control policies and conduct themselves in such a manner as to minimise the risk of causing healthcare associated infections
Person specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria- Ability to undertake training and apply learning to work practices
- Food Hygiene Certificate
- Evidence of having undertaken relevant job training
- Health and Safety certificate
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria- Non-judgmental respectful attitude to patients
- To work within the policies and guidelines as laid out by Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust
- Ability to use own initiative
- Ensure working within risk assessments and adopting safe practices at all times
- To work at other sites if required to meet service need
- A good standard of written and verbal communication. Ability to undertake training and apply learning
- To attend training sessions as agreed with the line manager, to include mandatory training and training identified through PDR process
Experience
Essential criteria- In conjunction with the people supported, to plan, prepare and cook appropriate menus to ensure a varied and nutritional diet and to organise, plan and purchase online provisions and to ensure food is correctly stored and prepared
- Maintain high standards of cleanliness within the ward, undertaking domestic duties as required
- Ensure all records and reports are completed as appropriate
- Experience of working with adults with complex mental health problems
Other
Essential criteria- To be able to conduct themselves with integrity
- Be punctual and have the willingness and ability to work flexibly i.e. weekends and Bank Holidays
- To attend local staff and housekeeper meetings
Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:
- The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group
- The Disability Staff Network Group
- The Lived Experience Staff Network Group
- The Rainbow Staff Network Group
- The Staff Carers Staff Network Group
- The Women’s Staff Network Group
We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role.The cost of the DBS check (currently up to £48.23) must be met by the successful applicant(s).
When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.
Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.
While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.
Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHSC and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
For example, AI responses…- usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.
- may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.
- may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.
- may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.
Supporting Statement
The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations.Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.