Chef

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 06 May 2025

Job summary

Working Part Time: 22.5 Hours per week

Support the Deputy Head of Catering in achieving the highest standards of food preparation, cooking and service. The post holder will provide attractive and palatable meals to hospital patients, staff and visitors, and will adopt responsibility at all times for the quality and outcome of each dish prepared and each task undertaken.

The chef will have a commitment to the highest standards of personal hygiene and dress, and take full responsibility for ensuring safe food hygiene and health & safety practices are observed at all times.

Assist in the preparation, cooking and service of food for Ellesmere Port Hospital.

Enhancements apply as follows:

Saturday: Time plus 35%

Sunday/Bank Holiday - Times plus 69%

Main duties of the job

  1. Prepare, cook and serve meals as per menu to patients, staff and visitors, ensuring the highest standards of food hygiene throughout the process.
  2. Observe and maintain all necessary "due diligence" records as requested, i.e.: Fridge, Freezer Temperature recordings, HACCP.
  3. Follow/implement all aspects of food safety management systems, for which you are responsible.
  4. Follow standard recipes and methods and make the most economical use of fresh/raw ingredients, whilst maintaining strict avoidance of waste.
  5. Allocate work to the kitchen support staff, in conjunction with the Deputy Head /Manager, and assist in the induction and training of newly appointed Chefs, catering assistants and porters.
  6. Check that all food received is in accordance with quality and quantity ordered, adopting basic stock control principles.
  7. Assist in the ordering of certain perishable foods and dairy store items.

About us

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:

  • The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
  • Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
  • Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.

The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.

Date posted

14 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

210-2025-227

Job locations

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Job description

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • City & Guilds 706/1&2 or NVQ Equivalent
  • Good standard of English & Maths
  • Level 3 Award in Food Safety - Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate
  • Basic health & Safety Certificate and Allergen Awareness

Desirable

  • Nebosh
  • Level 4 Food Safety Management

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Experience in the preparation of therapeutic diets
  • Working knowledge of HACCP principles and their specific application for catering
Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • City & Guilds 706/1&2 or NVQ Equivalent
  • Good standard of English & Maths
  • Level 3 Award in Food Safety - Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate
  • Basic health & Safety Certificate and Allergen Awareness

Desirable

  • Nebosh
  • Level 4 Food Safety Management

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Experience in the preparation of therapeutic diets
  • Working knowledge of HACCP principles and their specific application for catering

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Employer's website

https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Employer's website

https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Catering Manager

Shaun Carr

shaun.carr7@nhs.net

01244365615

Date posted

14 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

210-2025-227

Job locations

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)