Job summary
- Main area
- Catering
- Grade
- Band 2
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 32.5 hours per week (Rotated shift pattern)
- Job ref
- 359-8371128-T3
- Employer
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Tunbridge Wells Hospital
- Town
- Tunbridge Wells
- Salary
- £25,272 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/11/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Food Service Assistant
Band 2
Job overview
Are you passionate about providing excellent customer service? Do you enjoy working as part of a busy team in a role where your work directly supports patient care?
We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable Food Service Assistants to join our dedicated Catering Team at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Every meal served plays an important role in a patient's experience and recovery, and you'll be a vital part of delivering a high-quality service to patients, visitors and staff.
The role involves being an integrated part of the Catering team providing Food and beverage services to the patients and maintaining the highest standard of cleaning to food preparation areas at ward level, ensuring at all times the highest degree of cleanliness, safety and care.
We are looking for enthusiastic, reliable and flexible individuals who take pride in their work, enjoy working as part of a team and are committed to delivering excellent service. You will need a positive attitude, good communication skills and a willingness to follow procedures and maintain high standards in a busy environment.
Main duties of the job
The Food Service Assistant team are responsible for providing all patient food from breakfast through to lunch and supper. Full training and the opportunity to gain qualifications is provided; however experienced candidates are also encouraged to apply. Therefore, if you have experience of working in a busy catering environment and have demonstrable experience of working autonomously, along with being a confident communicator, why not consider joining our team?
- Assisting with the preparation and service of meals for patients, staff and visitors.
- Ensuring food is handled, stored and served in accordance with food hygiene and safety procedures.
- Maintaining high standards of cleanliness within kitchens, pantries, dining areas and food service areas.
- Cleaning catering equipment, utensils, crockery and work surfaces.
- Monitoring, rotating and storing stock correctly, and reporting any wastage.
- Receiving deliveries and assisting with stock checks and stock control processes.
- Completing documentation including temperature records, cleaning
- schedules and other departmental records.Reporting equipment faults, hazards, incidents and near misses in a timely manner.
- Supporting compliance with health and safety, infection prevention and control, and departmental procedures.
- Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure an efficient and reliable catering service.
- Providing excellent customer service and contributing to a positive patient experience.
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
Click here to hear what our staff say.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
- At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
- Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
- Blue Light card eligibility
- And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Standard Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Please note: This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship. In line with the UK Immigration Rules and Home Office Sponsorship Guidance, employers may only sponsor individuals for roles that meet strict eligibility, salary, and compliance requirements. Where a role does not meet these criteria, organisations are prohibited from assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applicants must therefore already hold a valid immigration status and ongoing right to work in the UK in order to be considered.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good level of general education
- Reasonable level of numeracy & literacy.
Desirable criteria
- Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
- Educated to GCSE A to C standard
Experience/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experienced in working in catering services
Desirable criteria
- Experience in working in a large scale catering dept.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good communication skills
Desirable criteria
- Customer care
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Matthew Hitchcock
- Job title
- Catering Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01892 634299
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