Job responsibilities
Communication & Relationship Skills
1. Maintain good relationships with ward and other departmental colleagues, both in telephone communications and direct verbal contact.
2. Provide clear catering and food production related information and documentation to colleagues, patient groups, dieticians, and stakeholders.
3. Work with the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef in identifying and managing the risks in the catering department. Highlight any problem areas regarding provision of service, faults in the fabric or maintenance of the department that will affect the service for any period.
4. Maintain relationships, effective networks, and proactive communication mechanisms with colleagues.
Knowledge Training and Experience
1. To carry out all work procedures in accordance with the Food Safety Act and working within departmental HACCP procedures and complete all due diligence records, such as food temperatures taken throughout the preparation and cooking process via the Monika system. This is in line with H.A.C.C.P procedure.
2. To be trained to Basic Food Hygiene standard.
3. To assist with menu planning with full knowledge of standard recipes and food production in large scale catering operations.
4. To have knowledge of therapeutic diets acquired through training and experience.
5. To participate in any training opportunities. Please note that due to the nature of the business, some training may take place in the evening and at weekends.
6. Training is compulsory/mandatory.
Analytical & Judgemental Skills
1. To complete the temperature recording procedures in the catering department in line with the H.A.C.C.P system inclusive of the electronic MONIKA task minder system and Burlodge ward trolleys to ensure that all due diligence records are up to date for internal and external inspections.
2. Assist in carrying out patient and customer surveys and support the production of reports and action plans.
Planning & Organisational Skills
1. To liaise with the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef, to continuously develop and improve the kitchen environment and food service and monitor food wastage and report any finding to the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef.
2. To respond to patients, verbal complaints and visit patients at ward level to answer queries or complaints upon direction of the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef.
3. Communicate with customers or patients on ward level as required.
4. Assist the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef to plan for any building work and new equipment/ software upgrades in the kitchen area.
5. Report to the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef any maintenance requirements regarding the catering department.
Physical Skills
1. To be willing to work in different areas of the department if required, and work as a team.
2. To prepare food to meet daily deadlines where accuracy is essential.
3. Reasonable physical skills are required for managing deliveries of stock.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care
1. To organise and prioritise cooking methods, times, and procedures dependent on the daily workload to ensure a timely service of meals.
2. To provide nutritional, attractive, and palatable meals to hospital patients, staff and visitors and adopt responsibility at all times for the quality and outcome of each dish.
3. Assist all patients, staff, and visitors regarding the catering and food preparation and ward service.
4. To cater for any special functions and events as directed.
5. To be flexible to change shift patterns to suit the needs of the service.
6. To cope with increased workload at short notice and requests for out of hours service as required.
7. To be responsible for putting away deliveries and maintain stock control/rotation when required.
8. To concentrate when using equipment, knives and during the cooking process following the risk assessments, to ensure that adequate safety precautions are taken when carrying out all tasks.
9. To be able to provide information on ingredients and allergen to patients, staff, and visitors.
10. To liaise with wards and clinical areas for patient meal requests and dietetic requirements
11. To have a thorough knowledge of all work procedures, practices, and equipment for the catering service.
12. To have a thorough knowledge of therapeutic diets and nutrition values obtained through training and experience.
13. To have a thorough understanding of allergen requirements
14. To set up pieces of equipment at the start of the working day e.g., ignition of ovens and fryers. Lifting of food in and out of ovens, boilers etc.
15. To clean down all preparation areas after use, following the clean as you go procedure.
16. When required be able to take up the patient food trolley up to the ward and serve patients meals when required
17. To be available to see individual patients on request to address queries or concerns and be ready to provide alternatives to the menu as necessary as guided by the Executive Head Chef/Deputy Head Chef.
18. To liaise with ward staff; and ensure process is in place to identify patients specific needs.
19. To maintain the Allergen matrix for all meals provided to the patients, staff, and visitors.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Department
1. To follow policies/procedures on all aspects of food purchase, storage, and production.
2. To follow the HACCP policy, addressing any controls and constraints and identify actions required.
3. To follow any recommendations of external bodies i.e., EHO inspector to meet the agreed standards
4. Follow any policies for the catering department and legislative changes relating to all aspects of food purchase, storage, production, and service
5. Use complaints, incidents, and comments positively to learn from issues and provide feedback to improve services.
6. Operate in line with the current catering policy; contribute to developing, reviewing, and updating the policy.
7. Maintain good housekeeping and stock rotation of all provisions within the department.
8. Ensure that all equipment is used efficiently and report any defects in equipment or machinery as soon as they occur to the Executive Head Chef.
9. Ensure compliance with all Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
10. Support and assist new or existing members of staff.
Responsibility for Financial & Physical Resources
1. Maintain good housekeeping, stock rotation for all provisions in dry stores, fridges, and freezers. (First In First Out)
2. To support any requisitions for provisions required on day-to-day basis.
3. Suggest initiatives to improve the service and reduce costs.
4. Support the Storekeeper to ensure that the required standards are met for all provisions and deliveries.
5. Report any defects of building or equipment immediately to Executive Head Chef.
Responsibility for Human Resources
1. To participate in annual PDP/appraisal meetings line manager.
2. To attend Team meetings and follow development targets.
3. To comply with the Sickness Policy of the Trust.
4. To comply with the No Smoking Policy of the Trust
Responsibility for Information Resources
1. Ensure electronic records (where they apply) are maintained for all related aspects of responsibility.
2. Keep a record of all temperatures, allergens, ,ward visits, training, and associated documents.
3. To enter data as necessary on the Monika equipment for fridge, freezers, food temperatures and cleaning tasks as required.
4. To review and maintain Burlodge digital monitoring system and act on non-compliance.
5. To enter data manually in event of failing IT systems, this includes all daily records for fridge, and freezers, and hot and cold food temperatures throughout the department.
6. Complete training on ESR to ensure compliance with all mandatory and departmental training.
Responsibility for Research & Development
1. Complete data sheets for food wastage surveys and collate information accordingly to produce reports.
2. Liaise with Executive Head Chef to continuously develop and improve the kitchen environment and food service.
3. To promote the healthy eating ethos for patients, staff and visitors and meet nationally agreed targets.
4. To liaise with the dietetic team on menu developments and dietary matters or requirements, including allergen and dysphasic requests.
Freedom to Act
1. Work within agreed Food Safety and Hygiene policies and procedures.
Physical Effort
1. Participate in the manual service provision of the department as necessary.
This may include the preparation , cooking and service of food, delivery of trolleys to wards and departments, cleaning as required
2. The job requires standing up for most part of the working day.
Mental Effort
1. Full awareness is required when using knives, equipment and monitoring system.
2. Concentration is required on daily use of IT and software programmes
Emotional Effort
1. To be able to listen and address complaints as they arise.
2. Communication with customers, whether patients, staff or visitors who could be experiencing distressing circumstances and make informed decisions as to how to support them.
A full outline of the role is provided within the job description and person specification.
