Trainee Cook

Can you make a real difference in the lives of others? At Macklin Care Homes you will work as part of an award-winning team who are valued for their contribution, with opportunities for career development, as well as a friendly and rewarding working environment.

Our residents are at the heart of our homes; we are inspired not only by their stories and experiences of years gone by but also by knowing we are making a real difference in their lives. We promote a culture of working as one team, using our knowledge and expertise to continually excel and improve the standards of care for our residents.

Milesian Manor Care Home, based in Magherafelt is seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic **Trainee Cook** to join our care home kitchen team, **3 days per week**.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Assist in meal preparation, supporting the Head Cook in preparing daily meals, snacks, and beverages for residents, considering dietary needs, preferences, and restrictions (e.g., allergies, cultural requirements, soft food diets).
- Assist in following the care home’s weekly or monthly meal plans, ensuring residents receive nutritious and well-balanced meals.
- Always maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, keeping the kitchen and food preparation areas clean, and always following hygiene and safety standards (including cleaning utensils, equipment, and surfaces).
- Help check stock levels and assist with receiving and storing kitchen supplies, ensuring they are stored safely and used before their expiration date.
- Be mindful of the specific dietary requirements of residents, including diabetic, gluten-free, and low sodium meals.
- Adhere and follow food safety regulations, including food handling, preparation, and storage practices.
- Work closely with the kitchen team to ensure smooth daily operations and help deliver high-quality service during mealtimes. Ensure appropriate portion sizes are served and assist in plating meals attractively.
- Participate in training sessions and development opportunities to enhance cooking skills, health and safety knowledge, and understanding of residents’ dietary needs.

**About The Role**

**Essential criteria**:

- Passion for cooking and a desire to learn and grow within a professional kitchen environment.
- Basic knowledge of food preparation and cooking techniques.
- Willingness to learn and follow instructions from senior kitchen staff.
- Understanding of hygiene and safety practices in a kitchen setting (experience or training in food safety is a plus).
- Basic food hygiene certification (or willingness to complete).
- Excellent teamwork and communication skills to collaborate effectively with colleagues.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks.
- Friendly and compassionate attitude towards elderly residents.

**Desirable criteria**:

- Experience working in a kitchen, hospitality, or care setting is an advantage but not essential.

**Company benefits**:
To reward the demanding work of our fantastic colleagues, we offer an excellent benefits package as follows:

- Collaborating with an award-winning team with family values.
- A comprehensive paid induction programme.
- Wide variety of training provided.
- Career development opportunities.
- Flexibility of shifts.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Discounted rates at Malone Hotel, Belfast.
- Health and wellbeing initiatives including team-building initiatives.
- Free car parking and uniform*.
- Incentives for employee referrals.
- T&Cs will apply*_

**Please note**:
An Enhanced Access NI Check will be required for this post. If successful, please be aware that we do have a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders. As per the Access NI Code of Practice, Macklin Care Homes also has a policy on the secure handling, use, storage, and retention of disclosure information. Copies of these documents along with the Access NI Code of Practice are available upon request by contacting the HR Department.

It is Macklin Care Homes Policy that any existence of a criminal conviction will not necessarily lead to the withdrawal of a job offer, but the failure to disclose all criminal convictions fully and accurately will lead to the withdrawal of a job offer.

Macklin Care Homes is an Equal Opportunities Employer

**Required Criteria**
- Food hygiene and COSHH training
- Ability to work set hours, whilst flexible to meet the needs of the organisation
- Ability to communicate with the elderly
- Good command of written and spoken English
- Be in good general medical health

**Desired Criteria**
- Experience in a similar catering position in Care Home environment, or similar

**Skills Needed**

**About The Company**

Part of the Macklin Group, Macklin Care Homes have been caring for people for over 30 years. We’ve taken all our experience over all those years to bring the very best of our knowledge and our expertise to you. We’re experts at what we do.

We’re not just another Care Home, we’re family-first and