Job summary
- Main area
- Catering
- Grade
- Band 2 Apprenticeship
- Contract
- Permanent: Roles to be split part-time
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 275-0826-ACA
- Employer
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust
- Town
- Gillingham
- Salary
- £15,600 per annum/pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/09/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 11/10/2026
Employer heading
Apprentice Catering Assistant
Band 2 Apprenticeship
Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People?
Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision of Better, Best, Brilliant is achieved
Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust, we are able to give our employees flexibility on where, when and the hours they work.
Our culture and values are what drives Medway NHS Foundation Trust and is the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when you are completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.
Job overview
Catering Assistant (Apprenticeship)
Division: Estates and Facilities
Band: NHS AfC Band 2
Salary: £25,272 per annum/pro rata
Contract Type: Apprenticeship
We are recruiting for a Catering Assistant who shares our ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People and has the drive to take us forward, by ensuring that the Trust continues to be the first choice for patients and our staff.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be required to carry out a wide range of general catering duties in an efficient and effective manner to ensure that a high quality catering service is provided at all times.
To assist with general duties in packing areas and cold rooms in the patient services department, dish-washing area, staff restaurant, hospitality services and associated areas.
Our values are Bold, Every Person Counts, Sharing and Open and Together. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.
We are committed to endorsing diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion; our policies / procedures ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.
To contribute to our exciting future and become part of our team, apply today.
Working for our organisation
Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver our mission of the Best of Care by the Best of People providing excellent care, every time?
Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision is achieved for our patients.
As a key partner in the healthcare of our local population, we are keen to deliver this as an outcome of our Trust-wide strategy – Patient First. Using an Operational Excellence approach to align our priorities and operational management structures, we are just over a year and half into our Patient First deployment. We are looking for creative, skilled people to join our Transformation Team and further support us on this journey.
Our culture and values define us here at Medway NHS Foundation Trust and are the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.
Our BEST values underpin Patient First and are at the core of the care we give to our patients, the support we offer to our staff and our overall leadership approach:
B – Bold
E – Every person counts
S – Sharing and open
T - Together
Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is an apprenticeship role to work withing the Catering Team - Retail Catering and Patient Catering Cold Room Picking & Packing Team.
This role will include full training of all aspects of Retail and Patient Catering services, it is a new opportunity to join a successful team and build a career in NHS Catering Services.
To support retail catering service learning the different roles withing the Dining Room, Coffee House and Deli; Barista training will be an option. There will be stock movement, shelf filling, cleaning and food service duties as you grow within the team, learning each aspect of the different duties.
To work at all times in a clean and tidy manner ensuring strict adherence to the food hygiene and safety regulations.
To pick & pack chilled, frozen and ambient items for patient mealtimes, loading insulated food trolleys.
Duties include stock movement and handling, the work is an active mobile on foot role, requiring team work and communication with colleagues, numeracy and literacy are essential skills for the role. Some food preparation duties are required and a Level 2 Food Safety Qualification is required to commence the role. Cleaning duties are a part of the role along with maintaining high standards of hygiene within stock rooms at all times. It is a highly active role, not suitable for anyone looking for "lighter duties".
To report any mechanical or safety defects and need for repairs to the administration management for immediate action.
To clear tables and relay dirty crockery, cutlery etc. to the central wash up area.
To operate dishwashing machines.
To stack and wash crockery and cutlery from the staff meal service
To clean prescribed areas as laid down in the departmental cleaning schedule.
To follow all cleaning methods as instructed with regard to premises and equipment
To transport goods to and from the catering department as required
To assist with the safe and effective cleaning of meal service areas.
The long term aspiration for any applicant should be f or a career in catering, growing and developing a journey where the next step would be a supervisory role.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Understanding of good hygiene and health and safety practices
- Competent computer skills
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Basic food hygiene Certificate
- Good standard of general education including literacy and numeracy
- A recognised catering qualification NVQ or otherwise, ideally at Level 2
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
- Time management and organisational skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Attention to detail and presentation
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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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
- Simon Clark
- Job title
- Senior Facilities Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01634833818
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