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Job summary

Main area
Catering Assistant
Grade
Band 2
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
413-108494-EF-TM
Employer
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Catering - E00774
Town
Manchester
Salary
£25,272 Pro Rata Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
31/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust logo

Catering Assistant

Band 2

Job overview

Do you want to work as part of an innovative Catering Team within one of Europe’s leading and the UK’s best Cancer Care Centres?

We have a rare opportunity for you to join our inspirational catering team here at “the Christie” as a Catering Assistant within our Kitchen Team. Encouraging healthier lifestyles, our Chefs are skilled in the art of transforming fresh, seasonal ingredients into nutritious home-cooked meals that place our patients, families, and colleagues “At the heart of what we do” and you will help them deliver this great food, to our patients. Do you have what it takes to keep our kitchens safe and provide excellent customer service, with a smile in a fast-paced environment? 

Main duties of the job

What will you be doing:


•    Serving meals to patients at ward level.
•    Ensuring all Food Hygiene and Health & Safety policies and allergen control procedures are followed.
•    Maintaining a clean and hygienic kitchen and dining area during and after services.
•    Ensuring all catering equipment is cleaned and ready for use. 
•    Providing excellent customer service to patients, families, and colleagues.
•    Ensuring NHS Food Standards are adhered to.
•    Replenishing stocks and supplies in the kitchen and dining area as directed.

Qualifications and Skills:


•    Should ideally hold Food Hygiene Certificate L2 but not essential as training will be provided.
•    Experience in catering, kitchen, or a food service industry
•    Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
•    Ability to work effectively within a team environment
•    Attention to detail and ability to multitask
•    Availability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, and public holidays

Working for our organisation

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a customer-focused service to all patients, staff, and visitors

Provide information on menu items to patients, staff, and visitors to ensure that customers are clearly informed about the meals' allergen content. 

Participate, as appropriate, with staff involvement groups for all quality aspects.

Ensure the kitchen is maintained to a clean and hygienic standard.

Report any feedback from patients, staff, and visitors regarding meals or services to the supervisor or management. 

Must have thorough knowledge of customer service and experience of large-scale catering. 

To undertake all Trust mandatory training courses and any other departmental training, e.g., COSSH, HACCP, Allergen Training and Food Hygiene Level 2 training 

Carry out all work procedures per the Food Safety Act and work within our Departmental HACCP procedure. 

Ensure that you maintain due diligence records for evidence when carrying out checks for food temperatures and cleaning records, which must be recorded via the Monika system in accordance with the HACCP Policy. 

Cater for any hospitality or events in accordance with supervisory instructions.

Can cope with increased workload at short notice and requests for out-of-hours service as required.

Change in shift patterns may be required to suit the needs of the service. 
  
To carry out general and specialised cleaning tasks in the central kitchen or front of house areas.

Basic preparation of food and beverages as required.

Take the patient's food trolley up to the ward and serve patients' meals. 

Manual work covering, Catering stores as required.

Ensure good customer relations.

Provide excellent food and customer service to patients/staff/visitors in the Front of House areas or on ward level. 

Ensure that all standards of hygiene and cleanliness are adhered to at all times.

Ensure good practice is carried out to minimise waste.

Ensure faulty equipment is reported to the supervisor or management.

Maintain good housekeeping and stock rotation of all provisions within the designated area. 

To ensure that all equipment is used efficiently and to report any defects in equipment or machinery to a supervisor as soon as they occur. 

Ensure compliance with all Trust policies.

Ensure compliance with all Trust Risk Management, Research Governance and Infection Control Policies and Procedures.

Enter data as required for evidence via the Monika Task Minder system. 

Follow strict cleaning schedules and record hot & cold food temperatures as required. 

To prevent unnecessary risks, ensure that Risk Assessments are adhered to for new tasks.

Liaise with management to continuously improve the service.

Undertake annual Personal Development Reviews to enhance skill sets.  

Responsible for putting away deliveries as required and ensuring stock control/rotation procedures are followed.

To transport food provisions and hardware throughout the Trust on different trolleys
Concentration is required when setting up and using machinery/cooking equipment, and to ensure adequate safety precautions are taken when carrying out any tasks.

Knife handling may be required for food preparation tasks.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Basic Food Hygiene
  • L2 Foundation English
  • L2 Foundation Maths
Desirable criteria
  • L2 Food Safety equivalent standard

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Large-scale catering experience in a kitchen environment

Values

Essential criteria
  • Ability to demonstrate the Organisational values & Behaviours

Other

Essential criteria
  • Commitment to the delivery of high-standard service
  • Highly Motivated
  • Shows initiative and willingness to make improvements

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Effective Interpersonal and communication skills
Desirable criteria
  • Customer relations and service skills

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Food Safety Legislation
  • H.A.C.C.P principles and their application within Catering

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employer

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Richard Timperley
Job title
Senior Catering Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0161 446 3780
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