Cook in Ryde

Southern Housing are seeking a Cook to join our Care and Independent Living team based in Ryde Village on the Isle of Wight. You will provide a food preparation service to residents and ensure all food hygiene regulations are adhered to. You will have experience in providing nutritionally well balanced and appetising meals and hold a Food Hygiene Certificate. You will be expected to consult regularly with the residents to ensure that the food being served is to their liking and cater for any special dietary requirements.

The location: You will be based at Ryde Village on the Isle of Wight working 20 hours per week. You may be required to attend training courses at one of our other offices/schemes. You will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.

What you'll be doing:

• Menus: Ensure all meals provided are nutritionally well balanced and appetising, and provided at reasonable cost and within agreed budgets. Consult regularly with the residents to ensure that the food being served meets personal preferences. Be aware of, and act on, any special dietary requirements.
• Purchasing: Maintain stock control and records of all purchases. Ensure there are sufficient ingredients for all meals and refreshments, and that all goods are of sound quality.
• Food hygiene and health and safety rules: Carry out a risk assessment of kitchen procedures and identify hazards in these procedures. Devise methods to minimise these risks and ensure all staff engaged in kitchen duties or food service are aware of these methods. Maintain a high standard of cleanliness in the kitchen at all times including appliances and utensils. Ensure that staff engaged in food preparation and service do so in full compliance with best practice for personal hygiene, general hygiene, health & safety and that appropriate protective clothing is worn by all staff.

What you'll need:

• Advanced food hygiene certificate
• Experience of cooking, food preparation within a budget, portion and stock control
• Understanding of the dietary requirements of older people
• Basic written and numeracy skills
• Basic health & safety awareness
• Experience of managing a professional kitchen environment

Benefits in working with us: As a trusting and competitive provider of care and support services on the Island, we can provide you with paid travel time, generous mileage and holiday allowance, paid DBS and training as well as health benefits package. The ability to buy extra leave and discount cards. Flexible working hours covering weekdays, evening & weekends. Employee referral scheme. Cash claim-back on medical treatments. Full training provided at no additional cost. Additional payment for sleep-in duties, where applicable. Discounted rates on a cycle scheme, personal medical plans, life assurance, give as you earn, critical illness and travel insurance.

About the team: You'll be part of our Care & Support service, delivering CQC regulated, person centred care to people with a range of support needs. The service focuses on helping people live independently, achieve their goals and remain active within their communities. We support individuals with their wellbeing, safety and daily living, tailoring our approach to meet each person's unique needs. Working as part of a supportive team, you'll help deliver care that promotes dignity, choice and inclusion, ensuring people feel safe, supported and empowered in their daily lives.

About Us: At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own! A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.