Community Chef/Cafe Co-ordinator

Glasgow Association for Mental Health is an independent Scottish charity that provides community-based support to the people of Glasgow and their communities. The services and opportunities we offer help people who are recovering from mental health problems to live the lives they want to live. We also support Carers, including Young Carers, and promote the equality, inclusion and human rights of people who have been affected by mental ill health. We work with people in ways that encourage hope, learning and self-confidence. We recognise that people are the experts in their own lives and their own health. They are experts by experience and have the right to make their own choices and decisions.

We recognise that the effects of inequality, stigma and discrimination make recovery more difficult than it should be and undermine people’s sense of wellbeing. As an organisation, we work to ensure that both as a service provider and as an employer, we avoid discrimination and promote fairness and inclusion for everyone.

The GAMH Community Hub is planning to develop an on-site Community Café, providing delicious and nutritious food to service users, volunteers and staff at the GAMH Hub. Key to this role will be the requirement to engage and lead a small team of trainees and volunteers in the operation of the kitchen and café, where you will be required to support trainees and volunteers to build skills and confidence in food preparation and cooking. It is anticipated that the café will serve food from 10am – 2pm each day. You will also be organising baking and food prep in the afternoons and provide catering for occasional in-house training sessions and social events. The role will also include responsibility for the stock control and management of a small in-house Community Fridge and delivering occasional cooking classes. The Hub receives fit-for-consumption food from Fareshare which is used in the café and to stock our on-site Community Fridge. Due to the unpredictable nature of items delivered through Fareshare, it is important that the Community Chef has a creative approach to food and a commitment to minimising food waste.

As Community Chef, you will have extensive catering experience and experience of supervising others in a catering environment. You will work as part of the wider Hub team and will require to be ‘hands-on’ with the day-to-day running of the kitchen and café.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Develop a vibrant Community Café within the GAMH Community Hub, creating a welcoming environment for café patrons and an exciting workplace for volunteers and trainees.
• Plan and implement a menu that is tasty and nutritious and in line with health and safety standards and healthy eating guidelines.
• Effectively organise kitchen and café processes and provide leadership and direction to volunteers and trainees.
• Assume responsibility for all aspects of food health and safety in line with Cooksafe guidelines.
• Deliver high quality cooking sessions for Hub volunteers, trainees and service users.
• Effectively use the surplus food received from Fareshare to create meals for daily consumption and to stock the Community Fridge.
• Manage stock control and keep good records.

Key Elements of the Role

Leadership and Supervision

• Providing day-to-day supervision for Hub Volunteers and service users in food handling.
• Support and Development of food knowledge in the Hub.
• Support Hub staff with volunteer induction process and provide appropriate support and training for volunteers, service users and trainees.

Operations

• Adhere to all operational guidelines in relation to stock pick up from Fareshare, stocking Community Fridge, labelling food, recipe suggestions, stock taking, food hygiene systems and customer services.
• Liaise with Fareshare and other food donors.
• Ensure operational standards including customer services, health and safety and food and hygiene are maintained.

Communications and Reporting

• Establish community engagement tools and processes to seek regular feedback from Hub customers.
• Prepare and develop communications including social media around food related activity.
• Support the completion of annual funder reports and evaluation as required.

Safe Guarding

Act in accordance with GAMH Safeguarding policies and procedures that support the safeguarding of individuals from harm or abuse at all times.

Health and Safety

Work effectively and follow lone working practices which encourage effective and safe practice. Ensure that you are aware of and comply with GAMH policies, procedures and practices designed to protect the health, safety and security of all employees.

General Data Protection Regulations

GAMH complies with all aspects of data protection and takes seriously its duties, and the duties of its employees, under the General Data Protection Regulation 2016.

Essential Person Profile

This post will mostly involve working directly with vulnerable adults and is subject to a satisfactory Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Vulnerable Adults and Children) check. Two satisfactory references and confirmation of your right to work in the UK.

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to professional development.
• Hold SCQF Level 6 or above i.e. City & Guilds/NC/SVQ or equivalent in cooking.

Experience, Skills and Abilities

• Strong demonstrable skills in preparing and cooking a variety of food suitable for the local community.
• Confidence and successes working in a kitchen and supervising others.
• Confidence and effectiveness sharing your cooking skills.
• Good understanding of HACCP and general food/kitchen health and safety.
• Experience working within a budget and some budgetary responsibilities.
• Good time management and organisational skills and ability to deal with a busy kitchen environment.
• Commitment to learning and development.
• Knowledge, understanding of, and commitment to, equality of opportunity, anti-discriminatory practices and inclusion.
• Effective communicator, written and verbally with a warm, professional, and friendly manner.
• Enthusiastic, compassionate and kind.
• Committed to providing a positive participant experience.
• A commitment to flexible working.
• A good understanding of nutrition and working with fresh seasonable food.
• Manage and lead a working kitchen.
• Confidence and understanding engaging with people in the community.
• Confidence using digital technology.
• Social enterprise / third sector experience.
• Provide training and development to others.