Catering Assistant


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£24,784.50
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Leicester, LE3 9QE
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	31 Jul 2026
Closing date:	12 Aug 2026

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Summary

To be the daily interface between our service users, clinical teams and kitchen to assist the Catering and Hospitality Services Manager and Chefs to deliver quality catering and hospitality services to the following key areas and customers including patients, staff, visitors and contractors: Breakfast, Lunch and Evening Meals for our 31 bed inpatient ward Lunch and high tea for our Day Therapy patients weekdays only Hospice cafe service as delivered by Volunteers To ensure that all areas of the Catering Department is cleaned to exemplary standards Special events and functions for our patients i.e. onsite weddings Special events held off of the LOROS Campus. You will be an important link between the patients, nursing teams, catering team, volunteer co-ordinators, and volunteers. You will direct and support a team responsible for taking patient food orders. You will provide them with information and guidance on identifying which patients require assistance to eat and any special dietary requirements. You will be the source of menu knowledge to the patient facing teams, so an understanding of allergens and ingredients is vital to this role. You will also support volunteer catering assistants running the Hospice Cafe with cover if required, standard setting and maintaining and best practise. You will be responsible for ensuring the day therapy orders are taken following the daily menus. High presentation standards must be adhered to when food is plated up and to the patients. This will enable us to go the extra mile to ensure that patients and visitors get the best hospitality service possible whilst at LOROS. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Manage the day to day tasks of the volunteers, liaising with the volunteer co-ordinators to ensure shifts are covered. On a daily basis liaise with the ward and day therapy to understand patients dietary requirements and any new admissions or discharges. At the start of each volunteering shift, welcome and brief the volunteers in preparation for starting work communicating essential information for that day. Where patients on the in-patient ward do not want any of the meals on the main menu offer an alternative, ask them what they would like and ask the chef if this is possible. Be the main interface between the kitchen and the clinical areas Ensure all meals delivered to the patients are correct and as per order requirements Where patients are not ready to receive their meals check at regular intervals to see when they are ready and arrange for this to be heated up and taken to the patient. Assist the kitchen with the support of the volunteers with the collection of breakfast, lunch and evening meal pots, so the patients bedside tables are clear outside of meal times in a timely manner. Proactively walking the in-patient ward to ensure good hospitality is received. To assist in ensuring all areas of the catering department are cleaned to exemplary standards. Ensure that all Pots, crockery, cutlery and other items are thoroughly cleaned and stored in their designated places in timely manner Ensure that all temperature-controlled goods in are recorded up to date and put away in a timely manner as per legislation. To ensure that food is prepared, stored and presented to agreed high standards. To assist the catering manager and chefs in the department stock system, processes and procedures. To assist Hospitality assistants, deliver patients meals at meal times and occasionally take orders when a deficit occurs in the hospitality role. To report any faulty equipment and structural defects to the Catering Manager or Facilities Team. Be knowledgeable of the ingredients for all food produced to enable you to discuss and potentially liaise with chefs so that they can amend meals to suit dietary requirements with service users. To adhere to all agreed policies, procedures and regulations. Ensure that the highest levels of customer service are always displayed by all members of the catering team towards patients, staff, volunteers, contractors and visitors. Ensure that waste management objectives are adhered to as well as disposing off waste via the correct waste streams. Ensure all own training records are complete and up to date as per government and company guidance. Be able to navigate Microsoft packages to be able to access own records, i.e. payslips, annual leave and PDRs. Support the Catering and LPDC Porter in absences and larger events. Aid in the growth and delivery of external events. Hospice Cafe To support the volunteers in delivering the food offer during the agreed opening hours of operation. Help ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness, food preparation and presentation are maintained to the required standards at all times. Help control food costs within the Snack Bar through training in the correct portion sizes and economical use of all food items and wastage at all times. Support and mentor the volunteers with food preparation and presentation and customer service training. Assist in the management of the department Cash Handling, Till Systems, Stock Control, processes and procedures. Ensuring correct and clean uniform and safety wear is worn at all times. Ensure the social area is cleared of pots and tables wiped at regular intervals by the volunteers. To assist and support the Catering and Hospitality Services Manager in the development of new products and offers. Ensure that the highest levels of customer service are displayed at all times by all members of the catering team towards patients, staff, volunteers, contractors and visitors. LPDC (In Absence of the Catering and LPDC Porter) Room set up, tables and seating plans as advised by the LPDC Co-ordinator or Office Manager each morning and throughout the day as needed ensure all tables and chairs are suitably maintained. Set up high quality food and beverages requests in a timely manner. Attention to detail is key. During the shift food functions will require delivering and setting up in the LPDC from the main LOROS kitchen. When functions are finished crockery, pots and other serving items will need cleaning returning to the LOROS kitchen. Ensure that the LPDC kitchen and cafe area is always clean and in good repair any faults are to be reported to the Catering Manager in a timely manner or Facilities. Hospice Special Events Occasionally at the hospice we will provide hospitality for weddings held on site, birthdays, anniversaries etc for our in-patients. You will be supporting the Catering and Hospitality Services Manager and co-ordinating with the Operations Team in setting up an area for the event. To support the Catering team in completing ad-hoc internal and external catering events. To aid in the growth of external events. In the Catering and LPDC Porters absence provide cover and complete any room setups and food and beverage requests. Food, Health and Safety and Legislative Compliance Ensure that all work areas and equipment are in excellent working order at all times and managed in line with LOROS guidelines and Health and Safety procedures. All departmental maintenance is reported and managed in a timely manner, reporting and recording notable repairs to the Operations Team and inform Catering and Hospitality Services Manager. Assist with the control and management of the standards of cleanliness and hygiene within the Kitchen, Hospice and Cafe area. Arrange for volunteers training and development with the Catering & Hospitality Services Manager for example allergens, food hygiene. Human Resources Assist in the recruitment and selection of volunteers to ensure sufficient number of volunteers to deliver all of the services above. Training and supporting our volunteers with taking food orders, understanding various dietary requirements, how to interpret menus, various portion sizes etc. is an essential part of the role. Report to the Catering and Hospitality Services Manager any complaints or issues relating to performance Support all Volunteers in maintaining Food Health and Safety standards etc. GENERAL: All staff are subject to Equal Opportunities Legislation, the Data Protection Act and LOROS Confidentiality Policy. To carry out and comply with the prevention and control of infection as per LOROS policies and procedures. All staff are subject to LOROS policies, procedures and conditions of service, with reference to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The post holder is responsible for safeguarding the interests of children and adults who they come into contact with during their work. To fulfil these duties post holders are required to undertake mandatory training to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, or neglect, or individuals at risk and to follow LOROS policies relating to safeguarding practice including reporting any concerns that they may have. Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. Co-operate with their employer as far as is necessary to meet the requirements of the legislation.

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