Chef – part time, 24 hours a week

Based at our brand-new care home, Elm Lodge in Hartley Wintney, RG27 8JG. Newly opened, Elm Lodge is a 60-bedded care home providing residential care and offers a fantastic opportunity to set the foundations of an outstanding home.

Forest Care is a family owned and managed company, currently with five care homes in Hampshire and Surrey. Our focus is to ensure we provide the highest standards of care to our residents, and their ongoing welfare, comfort and needs are central to how we run our homes. We want our homes to be a home in the truest sense, and we are committed to making our residents feel at home from the outset.

These accolades are only achieved through the teamwork of like-minded individuals passionate about delivering person-centered care. Our Care/Nursing staff to resident ratio is higher than the national average across Forest Care and nearly 50% of our team have been with us for over 5 years.

** Top 20 Small Care Home Group 2022**

**9.9 Review Score on carehome.co.uk**

We are looking for a reliable Chef who wants to make a difference. At Forest Care, we are proud to create positive working environments in each of our care homes by encouraging employee participation and humour in the workplace.

Starting salary £14.50 per hour. Shifts will generally be 12.30pm – 6.30pm over 4 days. Availability to cover weekends and occasional full time is required.

Please only apply if you live within a commutable distance to the care Home and don’t require sponsorship as we are unable to offer it at this time.

Candidates will need access to their own transport to apply for this role.

As well as a competitive hourly rate, we offer the following benefits;

• 28 days Holiday (for full time workers)
• Enhanced pay for Bank Holidays
• Comprehensive induction training
• Ongoing training and development
• Auto-enrolment Pension Scheme
• NVQ Training
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Paid breaks
• Free Uniform
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7 covering a full range of issues. Includes perks and discounts too!
• Blue Light Staff Discount Card, Employee of the Month, Appreciation weeks and many more!

Main Duties of our Chef/Cook; 

• To implement a stock management system to prevent unnecessary waste and purchases.
• To keep the purchase of materials within allocated budgets.
• To maintain a balanced diet and varied menus.
• To be aware of residents’ needs and dietary preferences.
• To ensure that all kitchen staff are trained within the requirements of current legislation.
• To maintain the kitchen equipment in accordance with manufacturers specifications.
• To ensure that all kitchen staff clean the kitchen after use and, at the end of each shift, leave the kitchen in a clean and hygienic state.
• To ensure that after each meal, samples of food are retained in sample pots in chilled form for the required period.
• To be responsible for checking the hours worked by the kitchen staff and to authorise payment, as detailed on the checked time sheets.
• To actively contribute in the preparation and cooking of food and the cleaning of the kitchen area.
• To perform other such reasonable duties as may be required.

Skills and Experience of our Chef/Cook;

• NVQ level 2 in Food Hygiene – Essential
• Food Hygiene Certificate – Essential
• Minimum of two years previous experience working in and/or running a kitchen – Essential
• High level of written and spoken English – Essential

Please note this position is subject to a DBS check.