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Job summary

Main area
Palliative care volunteer and catering support
Grade
NLH 3
Contract
Permanent: None
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
22.5 hours per week (Full time or part time hours available, covering 10.30am – 6.30pm)
Job ref
IPU Catering & Volunteer
Employer
North London Hospice
Employer type
Private Sector
Site
North London Hospice
Town
London
Salary
£28,786 - £30,491 pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/11/2025 16:00

Employer heading

North London Hospice logo

IPU Catering & Volunteer Assistant

NLH 3

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen to join the Inpatient Unit team in the exciting new position of Catering and Volunteer Assistant. 

This important role supports both the catering service and volunteer coordination on the unit, helping ensure patients receive personalised, high-quality care in a safe, comfortable environment. It combines hands-on service, including food and drink delivery and patient menu support, with administrative responsibilities such as volunteer scheduling, inductions and maintaining compliance with infection control and food safety standards.

 It’s a varied and people-focused role that would suit someone with experience in healthcare or palliative care settings, strong organisational skills, and a compassionate, patient-centred approach. If you’re looking to join a team that lives its values - offering the best of life, at the end of life, for everyone - we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

To provide the day-to-day Catering and Volunteer support in the    Inpatient Unit  adhering to the CQC and Food Hygiene legislation fundamental standards

·       Administrative duties including, scanning, emailing, inputting, and updating of the volunteer  information systems,   arranging interviews for   applicants,   induction of new starters, and support   volunteers on the unit.

·       Volunteer Support – organise and lead quarterly volunteer meetings, regular communications, and updates in conjunction with the Head of IPU

·       Facilities - Ensure any issues with kitchen/catering equipment are reported to the Facilities team 

·       Patient Interaction –  assisting  patients and family members to complete menus.  Ensuring patients have their individual catering and taste needs met.  

          Volunteers Management of Volunteer rota, proactively raising any issues with Unit Manager/Head of IPU

·       Food and Drink Service oversite and assisting the volunteer team to serve lunch and supper. Delivery of the drinks trolley (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) on a daily basis to patients.

·       Patient Experience – collect and collate patient feedback on catering on the unit and feed this back to the Head of Facilities,  IPU Unit Manager and PEEP manager on a weekly basis.

·       Weekend work requiring flexibility to oversee the smooth running of the Catering and Volunteer function.

Working for our organisation

North London Hospice is a registered charity that has been caring for local people since 1984. We are committed to empowering patients with life limiting illnesses, supporting them to achieve the best quality of life possible. As well as our inpatient unit at Woodside Avenue, we work within the wider community including our Outpatient and Wellbeing services; our support to patients in their own homes; our Community Specialist Palliative Care services; and our Patient and Family Support teams, providing emotional and practical support to patients, their families, and carers.

The Inpatient Unit palliative care team provide holistic, skilled, high-quality, and patient centred palliative care to all in-patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

      Administrative duties including, but not limited to, scanning, emailing, inputting, and updating of the volunteer  information systems, lead on arranging interviews for new applicants, the induction of new starters, and support of volunteers on the unit.

·       Volunteer Support – organisation of and lead on quarterly volunteer meetings, regular communications, and updates in conjunction with the Head of IPU

·       Facilities - Ensure any issues with kitchen/catering equipment are reported to the Facilities team  or out of hours with Unit management team. Support the Volunteer team to ensure that the Kitchen is clean, tidy and hygiene standards are met in accordance with Hospice Infection control standards and national policy.

·       Patient Interaction – delivering of and assistance with completion of menus with patients and family members. Ensure that these are delivered to the catering team. Ensuring patients have their individual catering and taste needs met. Troubleshoot any issues/concerns/complaints/requests from patients at the time of service and refer to catering team.

·       Clinical governance and organisation including responsibility for effective management and ordering of food and non-food related stock, and stock rotation.

·       Volunteers Management of Volunteer rota, proactively raising any issues with Unit Manager/Head of IPU

·       Food and Drink Service oversite and assisting the volunteer team to serve lunch and supper. Delivery of the drinks trolley (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) on a daily basis to patients.

·       Patient Experience – collect and collate patient feedback on catering on the unit and feed this back to the Head of Facilities,  IPU Unit Manager and PEEP manager on a weekly basis.

·       Weekend work requiring flexibility to oversee the smooth running of the Catering and Volunteer function.

·       Decision Making is at task level.

·       Key working relationships. Daily – IPU team, managers and leaders, facilities team, catering team, patients, carers, family, and significant others.

·       Any other reasonable duties required within the scope of the role.

 

 

 

 

Person specification

application form

Essential criteria
  • Experience in patient food service
  • Experience in volunteer support
  • Specific interest expressed in role
  • Experience in patient experience

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Disability confident committedCare quality commission - Good

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Any applicant that does not meet the criteria as outlined in the NHS Bursary criteria cannot be considered at all. To meet these criteria you must have been ordinarily resident which is defined as (lawful and habitual residence through choice and for a settled purpose throughout the period concerned.). If the reason you have moved to mainland UK is wholly or mainly for the purpose of full time education you are not entitled to receive NHS funded support. However, you are entitled to occupy an NHS commissioned training place and should seek funding advice from your own Local Education Authority. If the reason you have moved to mainland UK is not wholly or mainly for the purpose of full time education you may be eligible for full bursary funding. Please seek advice from the NHS Bursary Department - www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students.aspx

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jo Hempstead
Job title
Head Of Inpatient Services
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
08003687848
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