Chef

Are you an experienced Chef who enjoys cooking and wants to have evenings to yourself, and only work 5 days a week without being under heavy pressure or stress while working with fresh seasonal ingredients?

Join the brand-new Neurological service, The Lakefields in Chigwell, which is opening early 2024, and you’ll be preparing and freshly cooking nutritious meals - lunch and dinner, which includes catering for individual’s needs and dietary requirements.

There will be activities, events and special occasions throughout the year which you’ll also get to cater for – world food day, Christmas, Easter, family day etc. In other words, plenty of chance to be creative and do something different.  

You will be part of the catering team working 37.5 hours per week, with colleagues to set a professional example to, where the kitchen will be run to hotel/restaurant standards. A degree of flexibility is required with the shift patterns to meet the needs of the service, which includes working one weekend in two.

This is a social role where, as well as your catering colleagues, you’ll get to engage with the staff and service users daily as you serve your fresh and delicious dishes.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Prepare and cook meals to a consistently high standard
• Cater for special nutritional, dietary and ethnic needs
• Food ordering and maintaining required food stock levels
• Keep stockholding area hygienic, clear of obstructions, presentable and tidy at all times
• Comply with the Health and Safety and Welfare Act 1974 and relevant legislation, maintaining a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness throughout the department
• Keep up-to-date with departmental COSHH manual and PPE requirement for each food preparation and cleaning task
• Take charge of the department and use established procedures to efficiently run and monitor the kitchen
• Reduce food waste to gain greater value for money
• Responding to routine enquiries from colleagues and service users
• Carry out and complete monthly and annual catering audits

To be a Successful Chef you will need:

• Basic Food Hygiene
• GCSE or equivalent in English
• NVQ2 or equivalent or Qualified by Experience in Catering
• A comprehensive level of numeracy
• Experience and knowledge  menu planning and costing
• To be able to work efficiently under pressure
• A creative flair and a passion for cooking
• Good communication and organisational skills

Where you will be working:

The Lakefields Neurological Centre is a brand-new 22-bed service that delivers specialist 24-hour nursing and therapy services for people with complex long-term neurological conditions who require ongoing support and assistance to maximise their functional ability and improve their quality of life. The Centre specialises in neuro-rehabilitation, tracheostomy and ventilator care.

Bedrooms are adapted to individual requirements, fitted with high dependency equipment including ceiling track hoists, wall mounted suction and oxygen equipment. There are also well-equipped therapy facilities, spacious lounge areas and wheelchair access to beautiful gardens.

What you will get:

• Annual salary of £24,000
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (inc Bank Holidays) – plus your birthday off!
• Free meals and parking
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a great work-life balance.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your career goals.
• Pension contribution to secure your future.
• Life Assurance for added peace of mind.
• Enhanced Maternity Package so you can truly enjoy this special time.

There is also a range of other benefits including retail discounts and special offers, car leasing without a credit check, holiday financing and much more. 

About your next employer

You will be working for an established, stable and agile company with over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 90 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. 

Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. 

Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility and are committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of service users. Candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS disclosure.