At a Glance
- Tasks: Create delicious meals for children with diverse dietary needs and maintain kitchen hygiene.
- Company: Cherry Lodge, a caring children's home focused on making a difference.
- Benefits: Generous leave, discounts, flexible bank holidays, and development opportunities.
- Other info: Join a supportive team dedicated to child development and community impact.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on young lives while honing your cooking skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in catering, food hygiene certification, and ability to work shifts.
The predicted salary is between 26403 - 28598 £ per year.
This is an exciting opportunity for you to join our dedicated team here at Cherry Lodge as a Cook and make a real difference to young people's lives!
Cherry Lodge is a local authority children's home and offers short breaks and shared care placements to children and young people with severe disabilities, complex health and behaviours that challenge between the ages of 5 and 18.
As a cook you will assist and produce a range of food and drinks for the children staying at our home. It is also crucial to maintain an awareness of the specific needs of individuals e.g. food allergens, vegetarians, controlled diets and ethnic minority groups.
Another of your responsibilities as a cook will be to ensure high standards of food hygiene including maintaining the cleanliness of all kitchen areas and food equipment. This will include keeping safe food records and the execution of cleaning schedules.
You must be able to work within a rota pattern of shifts including 14:00-19:00 weekdays and working alternate weekends 10:00-15:00.
Previous experience in the catering industry is required, along with:
- Experience of cooking for multiples of people who may require different meals
- Experience in ordering and stock control of food
- Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2
- NVQ or relevant Catering Certification
- Ability to work to a set rota system which includes weekends and bank holidays as per the shift pattern
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme:
- Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
- Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
- Access to car lease scheme
- Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
- Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
- Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
- Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
- Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
- Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk; we will work with you to meet your needs.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Cook employer: Peterborough City Council
Peterborough City Council is an excellent employer, offering a supportive team environment where you can make a meaningful impact on the lives of children in care. With generous leave, professional development opportunities, and a commitment to compliance and safeguarding, you'll thrive in a role that values collaboration and integrated services. Join us at Clare Lodge Secure Children’s Home and be part of a dedicated team focused on achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children.
