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Job summary

Main area
Chef
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
179-7681883-F
Employer
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust
Town
Bury St Edmunds
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
29/01/2026 23:59

Employer heading

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust logo

Assistant Head Cook

NHS AfC: Band 4

Job overview

We are looking for candidates who are well organised, excellent communicators and are adaptable to both working in a high pressure environment and pace of a busy kitchen.

Candidates must have good attention to detail, able to work alone and be able to manage there time effectively.

 

Main duties of the job

Your main responsibilities would include.

·           To be jointly responsible for the supervision and efficient organisation of the food production team.

·           To line manage the Kitchen Portering Team

 

·           To plan Rosters and staff accordance with safe staffing levels and workloads.

·           To ensure that hygiene, food safety, food quality standards and safe working practices are adhered to within designated sections.

·           Maintain records of attendance, input overtime on the Trusts Health Roster System.

·           To work as part of a team providing a safe, high quality catering service for the Trust. 

·           To prepare and serve high quality nutritious food in accordance with the departments standard recipes, using fresh ingredients.

·           To be able to maintain prolonged concentration when preparing and cooking serval different dishes in a busy and pressured environment while supervising others.

·           To have a good understanding and apply this during the working practices with specific regard to HACCP and COSSH and follow the departments Food hygiene practices.

·           To have knowledge and apply this during the working practices with specific regard to of IDDSI and follow this patient safety guidance.

·           To offer guidance to ward staff in the absence of dietetic support (out of hours) with specific regard to allergen, consistency and dietary requirements for patient within the Trust.

 

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

 

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the full job description and person specification attached for more details on the job role.

Person specification

Education & Qualification

Essential criteria
  • NVQ Level 3 Food hygiene certificate or RIPHH qualification.
  • City and Guilds 706/1 & 706/2 or NVQ level 3
  • NVQ Level 3 Supervision
  • Allergen training
  • Knowledge of IDDSI
  • A good general education
Desirable criteria
  • Dietary/nutrition training

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Good understanding of HACCP
  • COSSH and Health and Safety legislation
Desirable criteria
  • Previous catering experience specifically in large scale service

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Good customer care and communication skills
  • Basic skills in literacy & numeracy
  • Able to work either alone or as part of a team
  • Good attention to detail
  • Able to work under pressure

Personal qualities

Essential criteria
  • Able to work in a demanding environment.
  • Adaptable to change
  • Able to work in a Hospital ward environment.
  • Flexible approach to working hours/duties
Desirable criteria
  • Interest in cooking/catering
  • Self-motivated

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardDisability confident employerArmed Forces Covenant

Application numbers

Please note that this advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Luke Nobbs
Job title
Assistant Catering Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01284 713463
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