Housekeeping/catering assistant

Do you want to be part of an award winning and dynamic social enterprise that:

• is renowned for providing high quality care and is ranked ‘Good’ by the CQC;
• is a for-better-profit organisation, reinvesting any surplus back into our health and care services and our local community;
• is friendly, ambitious, welcomes innovation and rewards excellence;
• offers superior benefits; everything you get in the NHS and more;
• and whose achievements reflect the passion, dedication and commitment demonstrated by our staff across all services?

Our vision is to be a successful, vibrant, community interest company that benefits the communities we serve. So if you want be a part of this, we would love to hear from you.

• - Are you able to work flexible hours?
• Are you looking to provide a high quality housekeeping service?
• Do you have previous cleaning and catering experience?
• If you answered yes, we’ve got the perfect role for you!

This is an exciting opportunity for highly motivated and professional housekeepers to be part of the housekeeping team based at the Wisdom Hospice, Rochester to a high standard.

You must be able to communicate in a clear and concise manner, be of a cheerful disposition and able to adapt to changes effectively.

Duties will include:

• Daily cleaning schedules
• Provide catering to the inpatient unit
• Complete task as requested by line manager
• Periodical cleaning tasks included within schedules and ad hoc cleaning requirements
• Ensure cleaning and catering stock is maintained
• Follow hygiene, health and safety regulation

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the housekeeping team within a hospice environment, 80% housekeeping and 20% kitchen

The post holder will be responsible for cleaning and catering in line with the Medway Community Healthcare CIC and NHS national standards for cleanliness and food preparation for patients, staff, families and carers.

Works in areas where there are patients with challenging behaviour or communication difficulties.

Basic food preparation and distribution to up to 15 patients on the inpatient unit.

The post holder will need to be flexible working across different shifts covering the service 7.30am and 7.00pm, Monday to Sunday including bank holidays.

Working for our organisation

• This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
• We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
• We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
• You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

• Informal visits can be arranged on request.
• We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
• MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Criteria

Essential

Qualifications, training, knowledge and experience

Range of routine work procedures requiring job training.

Knowledge of cleaning, food handling/hygiene CoSSH procedures; induction job training

Communication skills

Provide and receive routing information; barriers to understanding

Communicate with patients with communication and behavioural problems

Analytical and judgemental skills

Judgements involving straightforward facts of situations

Judgements on routine cleaning issues

Planning and organisational skills

Organise own day to day tasks and activities

Plans own work, prioritising, cooking methods, cooking times, cooking procedures, reorganises menus

Responsibility for patient/client care

Provide ancillary services to patients/clients

Cleans wards; distributes food ie breakfast (full English to continental), main hot meal at lunchtime (heating of regen foods), light supper (sandwiches, salads and heating tinned soup)

Responsibility for financial and physical resources

Observe personal duty of care/safe use of equipment other than equipment used personally; maintain stock control

Safe use of cleaning equipment/assemble and dismantle cleaning equipment, order stock

Responsibility for human resources

Demonstrate own activities to new or less experienced employees.

Demonstrates cleaning procedures to new starters

Responsibility for information resources

Record personally generated information

Completes timesheets or similar work records

Responsibility for research and development

Undertake surveys or audits, as necessary to own work

Cleaning audits

Freedom to Act

Well established procedures, supervision close by

Team Lead always available for advice

Physical effort

Frequent moderate effort for several short/long periods

Lift buckets of water, push scrubbing machine and cleaning trolley

Emotional factors

Occasional distressing or emotional circumstances; occasional/frequent indirect highly distressing or emotional circumstances

Terminally ill patients; exposure to patient with challenging behaviour

Mental factors

General awareness, sensory attention; work pattern predictable

Concentration while using cleaning equipment

Working conditions

Frequent exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions/some exposure to hazards

Frequent exposure to body fluids/exposure to physical aggression

Person specification

Qualifications

• as per job spec

• as per job spec

Experience

• as per job spec

Special knowledge / expertise

• as per job spec

• as per job spec

Disposition, adjustment etc.

• as per job spec

Practical/ intellectual skills

• as per job spec

Mch Values

• see person spec

We reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of applications. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 1 week of the closing date; no discourtesy is intended in not contacting you if your application is rejected.

When completing your application, please include the email addresses and contact telephone numbers for your referees; your referees should be your line managers / course tutors for the last 3 years.

At the heart of our values, we seek to treat people fairly and with dignity and respect and provide a workplace where people feel they belong.

We are committed to offering support and making reasonable adjustments to allow full participation in the interview and selection process and through their employee journey.

We are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and vulnerable adults.