Job summary
- Main area
- Estates & Facilities
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent: Chef
- Hours
- Part time - 28.5 hours per week (Week 1: 32 Hours Week 2: 25 Hours)
- Job ref
- 267-CS8046994-A
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Oxford Clinic
- Town
- Oxford
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 Part time | pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Chef
Band 4
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
About You
- Relevant experience working as a Chef or in a professional kitchen environment
- Knowledge of food hygiene, food safety legislation and HACCP
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Flexible approach to working hours and duties
- Commitment to ongoing training and development
This role is based at Oxford Clinic, Littlemore Mental Health Centre and is part-time, 28.5 average hours per week working a 2 week pattern - Week 1: Tuesday 09:00–17:30, Saturday 09:00–18:00, Sunday 09:00–18:00 Week 2: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00–17:30. This role will benefit from enhanced weekend pay.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties
- Provide high‑quality catering services for patients, staff and visitors, ensuring all food meets required nutritional, safety and presentation standards.
- Maintain a safe, clean and hygienic working environment in line with legislation, Trust policies and daily work schedules.
- Prepare ingredients for cooking or cold processing, including salads, desserts and other menu items.
- Cook food to the correct temperatures, ensuring quality, taste and consistency are maintained.
- Process and prepare meals for patients with special dietary requirements, liaising with nursing and clinical staff where necessary.
- Receive, check and record deliveries, including time, date, temperature, quantity and condition of goods.
- Assist in developing and producing a diverse four‑week seasonal menu in collaboration with the food services dietician.
- Ensure all food produced meets nutritional standards and individual dietary needs.
- Complete all required documentation, including HACCP records, food safety logs, wastage reports and cleaning schedules.
- Report equipment faults or maintenance needs promptly to the supervisor.
- Maintain effective stock control, ensuring efficient use of resources and correct storage of supplies.
- Participate in all required training, including travel to designated training locations.
- Respond to complaints and service issues in a timely, professional manner.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.
Person specification
Food Safety & Hygiene
Essential criteria
- Holds Level 2 Food Safety certificate minimum (Level 3 desirable)
- Experience working in a professional kitchen or catering environment (healthcare, commercial or similar)
- Experience preparing balanced, nutritious meals and catering for different dietary needs (e.g. allergens, cultural diets, texture-modified diets)
- Able to work effectively as part of a team and communicate with colleagues and service users
- Knowledge of basic kitchen safety, food hygiene, and safe systems of work
Desirable criteria
- Experience working in an NHS or care environment
- Training in allergen management or special diets
- NVQ Level 2/3 in Professional Cookery or equivalent
- Experience with menu planning and stock control
Time Management & Working Under Pressure
Essential criteria
- Ability to manage workload, prioritise tasks, and deliver meals to deadlines in a busy kitchen environment
Customer / Service User Focus
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates an understanding of delivering a high-quality food service that meets the needs and preferences of service users, including respect, dignity, and individual choice
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ellen Gaughan
- Job title
- Support Facilities Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01865 902191
- Additional information
At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.
Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application.
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