Chef

Job Description & Person Specification

Appointment: Chef

Responsible to: Home Manager

Hours of Work: 10

Location: Rothbury House, Morpeth

Directly Responsible For: Not applicable

Main Purpose of the Job

To prepare, cook and present meals and refreshments that provide a balanced and wholesome diet to meet the varying nutritional requirements and preferences of guests and other visitors to the Home. The service must comply to all statutory requirements required of organisations delivering a catering service and paying particular attention to the policies and procedures set by the Royal Air Forces Association (in line with the Care Quality Commission regulation) which provide for a happy, safe, secure and beneficial respite break for guests

A Disclosure & Barring Service check is required for this post.

Role definition

The Chef is responsible to the Head Chef (and Home Manager) for the day to day delivery of high quality catering services.

Primary Responsibilities

·  Prepare healthy nutritional meal for guests and visitors to the Homes in accordance with the set menus, whilst responding to individual guest and visitor needs

·  To take part in a small team of catering staff providing a high quality catering service for all guests and visitors to the home.

·  To take responsibility for the efficient and safe running of the kitchen area whilst on duty.

·  To ensure and maintain appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene at all times in accordance with RAFA policy.

·  To safeguard the security & welfare of guests by reporting and acting accordingly to any mistreatment or suspected mistreatment in line with Safeguarding Policy.

·  To assist the Head Chef with the rotation and usage of existing stock to minimise wastage.

·  Maintain accurate records in accordance with Environmental Health Legislation requirements.

·  Ensure that the Home Manager (or the Deputy Home Manager in their absence) is made aware of any problems encountered with guests or visitors in terms of their catering requirements.

·  Whilst interacting with Guests ensure that their privacy and dignity is respected and maintained at all times.

·  Ensure the confidentiality of guest’s information is maintained at all times.

·  Ensure that defective kitchen equipment is reported and made safe without delay, in accordance with RAFA/Home procedures.

Knowledge and Experience

·  Experienced in implementing agreed operational procedures within the kitchen area to ensure a safe clean environment in which to store, prepare, cook and serve food to guests and visitors in line with food hygiene policies and procedures.

·  Required to attend all mandatory training identified by manager or RAF Association.

·  Expected to demonstrate a commitment to their own development, to take advantage of education and training opportunities and develop their own competence.

·  Required to work within RAF Association policies and procedures.

Communication and Relationships

·  Able to communicate effectively with older people in a clear, coherent and non-patronising way.

·  Required to participate in regular catering team meetings.

·  Required to participate in and contribute as required to full staff meetings.

·  Required to liaise with servicing contractors who may be on site to undertake maintenance or service tasks in the kitchen area.

·  Required to co-operate and liaise with colleagues across the RAF Association.

·  Expected to use all opportunities to raise the profile of the RAF Association and its work, encouraging fundraising and membership.

People Management

·  Will co-ordinate the work of the Kitchen Assistant during a period of duty.

·  Will assist with the induction of any new Chefs and Kitchen Assistants

Decision-making and Problem-solving

·  Use initiative and creative approach to problem solving in the kitchen, referring to the Head Chef or Home Manager when appropriate.

·  During a period of duty will be responsible for the effective and efficient use of food (fresh, frozen or dried) and other catering supplies to ensure that waste is minimised and stock is used effectively.

·  Assist the Head Chef to review and change menus on a regular basis to ensure that choice and variety is achieved.

·  Required to use own initiative to determine daily programme of work to be undertaken to achieve set menus.

·  To respond to short notice changes to menu and diet requirements.

Financial & Physical Resources Responsibility

·  Efficient use of catering supplies, ensuring that wastage is minimised and stock is used prior to any expiry date.

·  To ensure that all catering equipment is used in accordance with manufacturer’s guidance.

·  Required on occasions to provide support at any fund raising event or business, public relation, social event to promote RAFA and the Home where food will be required, including full day events (e.g. summer fete, Christmas party etc.)

·  To report any damage or defects in equipment or in the physical environment

·  Responsible for the cleanliness and upkeep of uniform and correct use of any protective clothing that is supplied.

Information

·  To accurately measure and record food temperatures where there is a requirement to do so to prevent incidents of under cooked food being presented to guests and visitors.

·  To clearly and accurately complete accident/incident forms as required (for self and where appropriate for guests or visitors).

·  To ensure that any information relating to equipment service records left by contractors in the kitchen area is given to the Home Manager for Home records.

·  Required to ensure that information relating to guests is kept confidential at all times.

·  Required to respect confidentiality applying to all RAF Association areas.

Working Conditions

·  To work flexibly, including evening, weekends and bank holidays to ensure that the Homes staff rota meets the needs of the guests.

·  To work independently and predominantly as a lone worker in the kitchen, mainly in an environment where there is a requirement to produce hot food throughout the day

·  Required to work on occasions at RAF Association functions and events at weekends and evenings for which time off in lieu may be granted

·  Required on some occasions to work additional hours where no overtime will be paid.

·  Will be required on occasions to assist in the serving of meals to guests and visitors.

·  Undertake some cleaning duties in the kitchen area, including the washing of kitchen equipment and utensils.

Physical/Mental Effort

·  To operate several items of kitchen cooking equipment at a time, where careful timing and management of this equipment is needed to ensure that meals are produced on time which meet the nutritional needs of guests and visitors.

·  Responsibility for the safe use of gas and electrical cooking devices where the risk of injury is likely if correct working procedures are not followed

·  To work with food and equipment which may be heavy or bulky (especially when catering for large numbers of people) taking care to follow agreed working practices in relation to manual handling procedures.

·  Undertake work which requires the ability to be ‘on your feet’ for long periods of time.

·  Where approved, to drive the Homes vehicle on short journeys on an occasional basis.

·  To present the ‘public face’ of the RAF Association at all times in the Home.

Health and Safety Responsibilities

All employees are responsible for:

·  Taking care of their own safety and that of others.

·  Ensuring that products, plant, equipment and buildings are not damaged.

·  Notify the Home Manager of any defective equipment and ensure that where faulty equipment is identified it is removed from service.

·  Complying with our health and safety policy, procedures and instructions.

·  Undergoing any training or instruction to enable them to work competently and safely.

Other

This job description outlines the main functions and responsibilities of the post. The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Training requirements

One of the objectives of the RAF Association is to build an organisation based on quality. Accordingly, there will be an on-going need to review the training requirements of staff to meet the changing demands of the organisation. Training requirements will be discussed at the review meetings.

Review procedures

There will be an annual review of the post and job contents. In addition there will be an interim review 6 months after the annual review.

Key Performance Indicators:

Annual Key Performance Indicators will be defined by the Secretary General and Trustees. These are cascaded to relevant Directors and then to Homes Managers who will inform staff of their own objectives and assess these in an annual appraisal.

Chef

Person Specification

/

Essential

/

Desirable

Knowledge and Experience

/ ·  Hold or be willing to work towards an appropriate food safety qualification at level 2
·  Must have a minimum of 1 years experience in the preparation, cooking and presentation of high quality meals in a setting catering for larger numbers of people e.g. restaurant, care home, school etc.
·  Knowledge of menu planning and nutritional requirements for older people
·  Working knowledge of Health and Safety at Work requirements /

·  Knowledge of the Royal Air Force, its structure and its history

·  Awareness of the work of the RAF Association

·  Clean driving licence & willing to drive RAFA vehicles

Communication and Relationships

/

·  Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with guests, staff and visitors.

·  Must be capable of establishing positive and productive relationship with external suppliers of goods and services to the kitchen / ·  Experience of working as part of a team.

People Management

/

·  Ability to co-ordinate the work of a Kitchen Assistant whilst on shift

/

Decision Making and Problem Solving

/

·  Be resourceful, innovative and self motivated.

·  Be able to prioritise own workload in any given shift.

·  To be flexible and able to respond to sudden changes in guest or visitor numbers

/

Financial & Physical Resources Responsibility

/

·  To ensure that value for money and costs are closely monitored when using food stock.

/

Responsibility for Information

/

·  Able to accurately record information relating to food temperatures and food hygiene procedures

·  Ability to maintain confidentiality /

·  Good record keeping/admin skills

Working Conditions

/

·  Be willing to work flexibly, including weekends, evenings and bank holidays

·  Be prepared to undertake some unpaid overtime on occasions.

·  Be able to work in a busy and demanding kitchen where heat and noise may cause difficult (but not unsafe) working conditions

/

Physical/

Mental Effort

/

·  Fit to undertake a physically demanding role that may involve duty shifts between 6 and 12 hours (with appropriate breaks)

·  Able to remain calm under pressure /

·  Willing to drive RAFA vehicles as required

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