Chef Bank in Thatcham

Are you a Chef looking for the perfect work-life balance? This opportunity might just be your perfect fit. Become a valued member of our staff bank at Thornford Park in the role of Bank Chef and enjoy the flexibility to choose shifts that align with your schedule. As a crucial part of the kitchen team, you will play a vital role in crafting daily meals for service users, staff and visitors. Dive into food preparation and elevate your role by providing guidance and training to your peers. It’s a calm and pleasurable working environment, where you’ll be able to manage your workload and enjoy creating delicious meals. There’s a great social aspect to this role where you can interact with people outside the kitchen regularly.

Bank Only You will need to commit to a paid three-week training course. If you’re unable to attend, we kindly ask that you do not apply.

As a Bank Chef you will be:

• Supporting the Head Chef for the day-to-day running of the kitchen.
• Maintaining good food storage procedures and stock rotation according to established procedures.
• Preparing, planning and cooking meals to a consistently high standard, taking account of any special requests or dietary requirements within the unit.
• Serving service users, staff and visitors with food and beverage in a professional and courteous manner.
• Preparing and producing foods for conferences and banquets.
• Participating in food costings through effective cost control procedures.
• Adhering to the ‘Safer Food Better Business’ standards and record keeping.
• Adhering strictly to Food Hygiene Regulations and other safety procedures at all times.
• Taking full shift responsibility for the catering operation.
• Assisting the Head Chef by researching and creating new menus ensuring meals are of a high quality and complement healthy eating guidelines.
• Correctly filling all paperwork in relation to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP), i.e. fridge temperatures, food temperature logs and cleaning schedules.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• To be 18 years or older.
• GCSE or equivalent English.
• City & Guilds 706/1 and 2 (or equivalent) Basic Food Preparation Cooking.
• Basic Food Hygiene.
• Supervising qualification or working towards.
• Experience preparing and producing quality food to a high standard.
• Knowledge of menu planning and costing.
• Previous experience in delivering a service on mass.

Where you will be working:

Thornford Park is a 130-bed hospital set within 21 acres of Berkshire countryside, offering a seamless care pathway across medium and low secure services, psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs), and rehabilitation flats. The site supports men and women with complex Mental Health needs, Personality Disorders, Learning Disabilities, and Autism—often with histories of offending or previous placement challenges. Services include:

• Medium & Low Secure Units for acute and long-term care.
• PICUs for individuals in psychiatric crisis.
• Older Adult Services with age-appropriate, holistic interventions.
• Specialist Learning Disability & Autism Pathways with integrated secure settings and step-down flats.

You will be part of a recovery-focused, multidisciplinary team helping people move safely toward greater independence. Thornford Park is easily accessible via Thatcham train station, with shuttle transport available.

What you will get:

• Hourly rate of £13.45 (including 12.07% holiday allowance uplift).
• Three-week paid induction.
• Subsidised meals.
• Free parking.
• Mandatory training to ensure you are fully able to do job at the best of your ability.
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a great work-life balance.
• Pension contribution to secure your future (Optional).

There is also the option to progress into a permanent role to unlock additional benefits, including career development pathways to grow your career.

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 and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person's individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.