Senior Cook / Head Chef
Job overview
Bridport 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 24 in-patients, as well as our staff and members of the public in our friendly hospital café.Additionally our kitchen serves as a production hub for another Trust site.
You must be able to work flexibly as part of a rota including working weekends and bank holidays.
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
- 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
- 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.
Recommend a friend or family member and earn cash!
Do you have a friend or family member you would recommend to join us? Or do you know someone who wants to return to practice in the NHS? If the person you refer is appointed by the Trust and completes their probationary period you will receive £500 reward payment for the introduction!Please contact the recruitment team if you require further info!
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main 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.
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 criteria- 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
- Level 3 Food Hygiene training
- Experience of menu planning
- Previous NHS experience
- Understanding of therapeutic diets
Information Technology
Essential criteria- Basic knowledge of computers
Finances and Resources
Essential criteria- A clear understanding of financial resources.
Managerial & supervisory experience
Desirable criteria- Experience in a supervisory role
At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.
What working for us will provide:
- 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
- Excellent NHS pension scheme
- Health and wellbeing services
- Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
- Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
- Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
- Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
- Relocation costs where applicable
- Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
- NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more
Visit our careers website to learn more about our culture, staff stories, benefits, development programmes and opportunities.
What you need to do:
Before applying for this post, please do ensure that you have read the job description and person specification requirements. If you think you have everything we're looking for, then we'd love to hear from you, alternatively if you would like more information about the role please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed.At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.
Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form.Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)