Food Service Assistant

Job Ref: AUG1058

Branch: St Rita's Care Home

Location: St Rita's Care Home, Burgess Hill

Salary/Benefits: £ £24.68 per hour

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Shift pattern: 4 x 10 hour shifts per week, (08:00 - 19:00) including alternate weekends

Hours per week: 40 hours per week

Posted date: 08/12/2025

Closing date: 22/12/2025

The Company

Are you looking for a rewarding career, working with the friendly and supportive team, with great staff benefits and all set-in beautiful surroundings?

Then Augustinian Care, St George's Park is the place for you

At Augustinian Care we have two purpose-built care homes located in the grounds of St George's Park. Our homes offer the best in modern facilities combined with the traditional principles of care which has been offered by the Augustinian Sisters at St George's since 1868.

Our two sixty-bed Care Homes are based in St George's Park, Ditchling Common, within 3 miles of both Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, set within 250 acres of beautiful gardens and farmlands, in an area of outstanding natural beauty with views overlooking the South Downs.

You will be part of a dedicated team that offers the residents of our purpose-built care homes kind and compassionate care, in line with our company ethos. If you are caring by nature and enjoy looking after others, then being a Food Service Assistant at Augustinian Care is for you.

You will have access to our excellent training programme, and we pride ourselves on a continuous improvement plan for all our new and existing staff to ensure they have the ongoing knowledge, skills and commitment to become and continue to be a successful, valued member of our team.

Benefits

Our rates of pay are competitive, and our staff benefits are extensive and include free uniform, free meal, and a free staff minibus service from both the Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath areas.

• Competitive remuneration
• Job security - Augustinian Care have been caring for the elderly for over 150 years
• Annual pay reviews
• Free uniform provided - For all care and ancillary positions
• Free staff transport - Mini bus pickups on specified routes
• Free on site secure parking
• DBS checks - Company funded checks
• Free meal - One free meal provided when on duty (hot for day shifts and Sandwiches on nights)
• Life Cover - based on a multiple of the last 12 months earnings at date of death
• Employee Assistance Programme including free, confidential, access to advice line and counselling
• Access to Blue Light Card – extensive range of discounts on many high street online brands/shops
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Referral Scheme - with generous rewards (TC's apply)
• Long service awards - Financial recognition of long service and commitment
• Paid sick leave (TC's apply)
• Some other staff benefits include: Staff massage chair, Company Summer Fete and Christmas Party, staff prize draws, various staff well-being talks

The Role

The Food Service Assistant is part of the Kitchen team, responsible for providing an efficient service to all our residents and visitors within the Care Home dining and restaurant area.

This is a front of house role which will see you providing general table service and covers the following duties:

• To set up the dining room and pantries in preparation for the serving of Breakfast, morning and afternoon coffees and teas, lunches, suppers and snacks.
• To prepare take away meals for our residents who require 24 hour care in bed, ready for collection from our Care team when required.
• To provide room service for residents and guests by way of refreshments when required.
• To serve food at the counter to residents and visitors, including hot or cold drinks.
• Maintain the drink dispensers and coffee machines and cleaning them inside and out on a daily basis along with replenishing stocks when required.
• To wash up and store all crockery, cutlery and other utensils.
• Assisting with general kitchen duties when required by the Senior Chef.
• Maintaining high standards of cleanliness in the dining room and community areas
• To assist with the preparation of meals for residents at meal times, including making sandwiches and providing snacks.
• To assist with the preparation and organisation of special functions within all the Homes when required.
• Re-stock the pantries on a daily basis including keeping it clean for the following day.
• Keeping an up to date check list of temperature checks of the fridges and pantry areas on a daily basis.

Requirements

The Food Service Assistant will have at least 1 years' experience of working within a catering function.

It is not essential to have experience with a Care Home setting but would be desirable in understanding the needs of our residents.

The successful candidate will either hold a Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2, or to be prepared to study for this as part of the role requirements.

All posts are subject to a clear enhanced criminal record check and satisfactory references.

Although it is no longer a legal requirement for staff working within CQC regulated Care Homes for Older Adult Care in England to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated, in the best interests of our staff and residents, we have decided to keep it a mandatory requirement to work for our organisation. Therefore, we will need proof of your COVID Vaccination pass.

You must have current valid right to work in the UK.

This role does not meet the requirements of Sponsorship.

The Person

The successful candidate should have strong interpersonal and communication skills and display a positive and flexible aptitude to team working.

The dining room can be a busy and challenging environment so the Food Service Assistant will work efficiently and work well under pressure.

If you wish to be considered for this opportunity please click 'apply'.

St Rita's is one of two purpose-built care homes located in the grounds of St George's Park. The home offers the best in modern facilities combined with the traditional principles of care which has been offered by the Augustinian Sisters at St George's since 1868.