Regional Catering Manager

Regional Catering Manager

Careline Lifestyles (UK) Limited

Newcastle upon Tyne

Competitive Salary

Full Time - Monday to Friday

Hybrid working is available

Staring salary of £30,000 per annum increasing after successful completion of probationary period.

Company Description

Careline Lifestyles is a specialist provider of residential and nursing care for adults with acquired brain injuries, neurological conditions, mental health needs, learning and complex physical disabilities. We are family run and have been established for over 30 years. Careline Lifestyles have an in-house team of dedicated professionals that supports people to live meaningful lives and reach their personal potential.

General Responsibilities

The role reports into the Head of Commissioning.

You will be expected to effectively develop, co-ordinate and manager the whole of our catering operations within our 10 care homes and you will need to ensure exemplary, high-quality services and outstanding levels of regulatory standards is always maintained.

The management of all relevant budgets and resources is a high on our agenda, ensuring value for money is achieved, always, through the robust management of our suppliers and measurement of their performance. You will have a need to continually review and audit all aspects of our catering provision, ensuring the high quality of meal provision, hygiene standards and record keeping in all homes, always.

It is important that we undertake effective rota management in our homes, which will form an integral part of your role.

You will oversee the regular monitoring of all kitchen environments within the homes ensuring high quality presentation in all areas and any environmental damage is reported to the maintenance team.

As our Regional Catering Manager, you will be responsible to promote an ethos of teamwork and ensure that a culture of continuous improvement, change management and striving for excellence is achieved at all times. This will be achieved through the success of our recruitment process, induction and importantly the development of our pool of talented colleagues within the catering team, and the wider pool of our Support Colleagues who may want to develop into his side of our organisation. 

You will be expected to manage poor performance as and when required, in line with company policies and procedures.

You will have a strong commercial awareness with the ability to develop and build effective solutions to our catering needs.

Have strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to identify solutions to catering experiences.

To have the ability to work at pace with conflicting priorities.

To be responsible for working and reporting closely with the directors and overseeing responsibility and catering targets met for all homes.

Main Responsibilities:

       To assess the ability of each Chef/Kitchen Assistant to ensure that they can carry out their duties safely and effectively.

       Undertake regular audit checks of all kitchens at appropriate intervals, to ensure catering provision and kitchen management has been carried out effectively and meets regulatory standards and to monitor service quality across all care homes in the region, analysing quality metrics and acting on these accordingly.

       Ensure the standard of all homes to achieve a level 5/5 with the Food Standards Agency is maintained. You will strive to source more produce locally to support the local economy and ensure menus are taking into consideration seasonal vegetables, meat, etc.

       Monitor the correct maintenance and ensure the economical use of materials and equipment, and that wastage is kept to a minimum.

       Manage the companies Catering supplier list and ensuring best rates for produce are available to the homes.

       Ensuring that the homes are consistent and within budget when ordering produce.

       Ensure accurate records are completed in each home, meeting all regulatory requirements and statutory health and safety standards.

       Prepare and maintain the staff rotas while proactively communicating with the home management teams and ensuring regional support is allocated appropriately and efficiently.

       Ensure that each home has the correct cover in the kitchens at all times.

       Develop and monitor all relevant risk assessments.

       Ensure adequate contingency plans are developed to cover staff absence, equipment failure or environmental emergencies.

       Carry out training needs analysis and liaise with the Training and Development Manager to ensure all staff complete appropriate mandatory training and any additional role specific training is provided and attended.

       Be proactive in overcoming barriers to success. Provide feedback on how we can improve our performance. Keep appraised of best practise within the industry by maintaining contact with professional bodies in other market sectors. Interview for new staff members with the Home Manager as and when required, in line with the Company's Recruitment policy.

       Provide induction support for new staff and regular supervisions and appraisals for all allocated staff members in line with the company's policies.

       Maintain professional knowledge and competence ensuring attendance at all required mandatory and professional training.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential Criteria

       A strong level of literacy, numeracy and computer literacy, including use of excel sheets.

       An experienced business manager who has operated in a multi-disciplined environment to include catering provision.

       Experience of managing an overall budget with diverse functional components (i.e., catering, cleaning, etc.)

       Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills

       Clear and effective leadership style, with energy and enthusiasm

       A team player

       Ability to analyse problems analytically, develop opportunities and implement innovative solutions/approaches.

       A strong ability to increase individual effectiveness through leadership, motivation, communication, coaching and training.

       Excellent time management and organisational skills

       Able to demonstrate positive attitude to self-development, willingness to learn in role and identify own training needs as appropriate.

       High level of self-motivation

       Strong ability to build professional partnerships and communicate at all levels, particularly at senior client levels.

       Ability to set high standards, achievable through striving for continuous improvement.

       Ability to act on own initiative.

       Ability to work effectively as part of a team.

       Flexible approach to role

       Full driving license and access to a vehicle

What we need from you

       Relevant higher-level qualification in functional specialities (i.e. catering, housekeeping)

       Experience of managing a team

       Able to successfully implement changes.

       Knowledge of Safer Recruitment

       Enthusiastic - Displays a natural and sustained enthusiasm and energy

       Strong but Flexible - Always prepared to listen and consider the views of others

       Committed to Development - Demonstrates recognition of others contribution

       Positive - Focuses on what CAN be done

       Responsible - Conscious of the consequences of action or inaction

       Conscientious - Demonstrates a commitment to get things done on or before agreed deadlines

       Decisive - Willing to make and implement decisions

       Assertive and Influential - Demonstrates a strong desire to lead situations and achieve goals

       Analytical - Shows an interest in and an aptitude for analysing situations and circumstances before acting

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Pension

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of people. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.