cook
Job Purpose
To produce high quality food for clients, staff and visitors at the Service offering a nutritious and appetising range of food encompassing the requirements of vegetarian, vegan, and cultural cuisine for clients with special dietary needs.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Service Delivery:
- To prepare, cook, present and service food for clients, staff and visitors at specified times.
- To plan menus within an agreed budget, prepare and cook food in line with approved recipes and keep food wastage to a minimum.
- To be responsible, in conjunction with the Administration Co-ordinator, for the upkeep and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
- In conjunction with the Administration Co-ordinator, to order food supplies whilst keeping within the agreed budget.
- To receive and check deliveries and pass the correct invoices to the Administration Co-ordinator.
- To be familiar with and ensure that all statutory regulations governing food preparation and hygiene are adhered to (e.g. Food Hygiene Regulations, Public Health Act and Environmental Health Act).
- To clean working areas and equipment after use in accordance with cleaning schedules, infection control and statutory regulations.
- To be aware of security and act accordingly at all times.
- To follow guidelines in relation to the storage of food and stock rotation.
- To ensure that all used crockery and cutlery are collected, washed up and put away in a safe and hygienic manner in line with ther services infection control policy.
- To ensure all kitchen linen e.g. overalls, tea towels etc., are laundered and that adequate stocks are available.
- To identify and advise on catering requirements within the Service.
- To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of recipes on relation to healthy eating and the special needs of the client group.
- To identify training needs.
Health and Safety
- To be familiar with, and adhere to, current Health and Safety at Work legislation, the Environmental Health Act, etc.
- To ensure that all cleaning is done in a safe and hygienic manner and that appropriate procedures are followed.
- To collect, store and dispose of waste products and rubbish in accordance with the appropriate disposal procedures.
- To ensure that any faults in equipment are reported to the Service Administrator or Assistant Service Co-ordinator on duty and recorded appropriately and that procedures are followed.
- To be familiar with the fire procedure and evacuation exits and act accordingly in an emergency situation.
Financial Management
- To assist in the maintenance of the economic viability of the Service by operating within agreed financial limits, policies and procedures.
Management
- Enable the Management Team to develop and achieve objectives by participating in meetings and other processes for corporate policy and practice development as agreed.
Education & Qualifications
- City & Guilds 706/1 & 2 or equivalent or experience of working as a Cook.
- Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
- Certificate in HACCP principles.
Experience
- Experience of kitchen management and budget control.
- Experience in catering within a residential environment.
- Experience of organising and developing policy and good practice for the management of a kitchen.
- Experience of working with people within a caring capacity.
Skills & Knowledge
- To be able to prioritise the workload and to use initiatives so as to work effectively with minimum supervision.
- Knowledge of dietary food preparation including special diets.
- To display flexible and helpful qualities towards work colleagues.
- To have an understanding of an ability to implement equal opportunities.
- Aptitude for preparing high quality food products
- Aptitude for presenting food hygienically and to a high quality stsndard
- Ability to follow instruction and work as part of a team
- Ability to plan work and work on own initiative
- Ability to work to procedures and standards as directed by law
- Ability to keep a range of records, including temperature controls, stock controls and waste records
- Ability to respond positively to customer needs
- Ability to work at a pace suitable to the requirements of a busy kitchen
We are a large, stable national provider and a charity. As we are not for profit there is ongoing investment into our staff training and development, a good GPP pension scheme, and annual leave and sick pay that significantly exceeds the statutory minimum.
We also have a brilliant employee assistance programme (independent advice, information and support online, by phone and in person), a group reward scheme to help your money go further and access to a contributory ‘hospital’ fund. We have a relationship with a credit union and promote saving directly from salary.
We aim to provide a working environment where opinions and ideas are valued and arrangements are in place to ensure that there is a high level of staff representation and that people are encouraged to make their views heard and to participate at service and organisational levels.
As a leading national social care provider our breakthrough and forward-thinking models of practice and service are well recognised. Examples of this recently have been: Housing First, Psychologically informed environments (PIE), Citizenship and both Scottish and International research and evaluation of a range of projects. We work across a wide range of types of services and the organisation provides pathways for development: a career development workshop; appraisal; learning and training options; internal forums and project groups; and opportunities for internal secondment, temporary acting up or sideways roles and career progression.
The salary scale for the post will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts, the full time equivalent is a 37 working hour week)
- £15,343
- £15,603
- £15,944
The annual leave entitlement will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts and will include a proportional entitlement to public holidays)
25 days per year, plus 8 public holidays and 2 local holidays.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
