Cook / Kitchen Assistant

Role and Responsibilities

You’ll be responsible for providing nutritious and balanced meals whilst working with residents and staff to ensure individual’s dietary needs are met.

• developing healthy and balanced meals in consultation with residents and staff
• preparing meals to meet individual’s medical needs, for example people with dysphagia or allergies.
• considering how people’s religious and cultural backgrounds might impact on their dietary requirements
• monitoring kitchen stocks and ordering supplies
• ensuring high standards of hygiene and cleanliness are maintained.

Skills and experience

To work in this role you will need to be able to treat people with dignity, have good listening and observational skills, number skills, and some awareness of the challenges faced by people who need care and support.

It may help to have a relevant qualification such as a Professional Chef Diploma, BTEC National Certificate in Hospitality Supervision or an Advanced Chef Diploma. However, you could do these qualifications whilst on the job.

Prior Requirements

Your employer will provide an induction including necessary training such as health and safety and food hygiene. You might also receive specific social care training such as autism awareness, communication skills or working with people with dementia.

When in your role you could do a vocational qualification such as a Certificate in Food Hygiene or continuing professional development qualification such as a food allergy awareness course or adult dysphagia training.

Your employer might pay for you to do these qualifications, or you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for them yourself.

There may be opportunities to progress into more senior kitchen roles or you might choose to go into other social care roles.