Food Service Assistant

**JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Job title**:Food Assistant

**Reports to: Reporting to job holder**:
*Executive Head Chef/Head Chef/Chef (* N/A
dependant on location)

**Overall purpose**:
To assist the *Executive Head Chef/ Head Chef/Chef (* dependant on location) in the delivery of a high standard of catering services to internal and external customers.

**Principal accountabilities**:
**Planning and organising**
- To assist with the preparation and cooking of appetising, nutritionally balanced meals, which meet the varied needs of customers, using appropriate quantities and ingredients, ensuring that food is ready for service at the correct time.
- To ensure that all menu items and garnishes are prepared and ready for service.
- *To deliver food prepared within Ben premises, supporting food service to customers as required and to collect catering service equipment following meal service.
- *To prepare the dining room for food service and provide food and beverage service to customers.
- To store food appropriately in fridges, freezers and stores.
- To participate in the implementation of quality assurance programmes within catering services as required.

(NB
- denotes tasks dependant on location).

**Business focus**
- To comply with current Fire, Health & Safety at Work, Safe Food Handling and Environmental

Health legislation by observing Ben’s policies and procedures and carrying out safe procedures and practices at all times, following appropriate reporting arrangements as required.
- To maintain a clean working environment in the kitchen, cold room and stores, cleaning down work areas and items of equipment used during the day in line with cleaning rota requirements.
- To operate catering equipment safely and in compliance with manufactures instructions at all times.
- To work within the required Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and Ben policies and procedures at all times.
- To follow current infection control guidelines to minimise risk to customers, visitors, colleagues and Ben.
- To comply with Ben’s Safeguarding guidelines and reporting procedures.
- To comply with Ben’s protocols and requirements on maintaining confidentiality.
- Job Description; Food Assistant, December 2017 Page **1* of **4*_

**Communication**
- To communicate effectively and appropriately with customers, their relatives and visitors to the Centre.
- To liaise with Head Chef/Chef, Housekeeping Team Leader and Facilities Manager to ensure the cleanliness and safe environment of the kitchen, reporting any risks or hazards to the

Head Chef/Chef.
- To report immediately or as soon as reasonably practical any complaints, accidents or incidents involving colleagues, customers or visitors to the Head Chef/Chef.

**Managing performance**
- To participate in the assessment and evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of catering services provided to customers and contribute to the development and implementation of service/standard improvement plans as required.
- To support and assist new staff, under the supervision of the Head Chef/Chef and act as a mentor to new starters as required.
- Represent BEN and the Centre in a positive manner.

**Stakeholder relationships**
- Represent BEN in a positive manner.

**Achieving customer service excellence**
- To support the delivery of high quality and consistent food and catering services to customers, visitors to the Centre and colleagues, ensuring that nutritious and appetising food options are available at all times.
- To recognise customers’ individual rights to dignity, privacy, choice and confidentiality.
- To value and support diversity and equality of opportunity for our customers and colleagues.

**Additional duties**
- To attend meetings and training sessions as required to support continuous learning and development and performance improvement.
- To undertake any other duties specified from time to time by the *Executive Head Chef\Head

Chef\Chef (*dependant on location) or their designated representative.

**This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and will be regularly reviewed and amended as necessary after consultation.**

**Deliverables - Key measures**:
**Planning and organising**
- To contribute to the provision of a quality catering service to customers which delivers a variety of appetising food options produced to the highest standards of food hygiene and which maintains customer choice in meeting their nutritional needs.
- Job Description; *Insert Job Title, *Insert Months and Year 20 Page **2* of **4* _
- To participate, as required in audits and quality assurance programmes to evaluate standards of service delivered to customers.

**Business focus**
- To ensure that all aspects of the regulatory and organisational policy/procedure frameworks are met.
- Problems are avoided due to policies and procedures being followed.

**Communication**
- Customers, their relatives and visitors to Ben premises are engaged in a profe