Senior Cook (Obelisk)

We are looking for a committed and enthusiastic Cook/Chef to deliver high‐quality, nutritious meals for our elderly residents. This is a rewarding role where your skills will directly contribute to the wellbeing of those in your care.

We have an opportunity within Obelisk House, which provides exceptional levels of support to older persons living with Dementia, Physical disabilities or /and Sensory impairments. Situated in a residential suburb in Northampton, offering a wonderful living environment in which residents can enjoy an enhanced quality of life. Our customers (Residents) are at the heart of what we do. You will receive continuous training and support assistance.

37 hours per week:

• Week 1 • Mon 8–3, Tue 9–5, Wed 8–2, Thu 9–5 • Fri Off • Sat 7–3, Sun 7–3
• Week 2 • Mon Off • Tue 9–5, Wed 8–3, Thu 9–5, Fri 8–2 • Sat Off, Sun Off

No late nights!

You’re not just preparing meals — you’re creating moments of comfort and joy for the people who live in our care home. A warm meal can brighten someone’s whole day, and you’ll be a big part of that.

• Cooking daily meals: Preparing and cooking breakfast, lunch and tea for residents in a 24‐hour care home. Ensuring meals are tasty, nutritious and meet residents’ needs.
• Planning menus: Designing menus that take into account different diets, allergies, health conditions, textures, and personal preferences.
• Leading the kitchen team: Allocating tasks, supervising kitchen assistants, and making sure everyone is working safely, efficiently and to the right standard.
• Managing food supplies: Ordering food, checking deliveries, maintaining stock levels, and investigating any issues with suppliers.
• Working within a food budget: Managing a set budget for food and kitchen resources and using ingredients economically.
• Ensuring safety and hygiene: Keeping the kitchen clean and compliant, following food hygiene rules, completing risk assessments, and reporting any faults or hazards.
• Record‐keeping: Recording orders and invoices accurately, managing stock rotation, and completing required paperwork.
• Supporting residents: Creating a positive mealtime experience, supporting staff at mealtimes, and ensuring residents are kept safe around kitchen areas.

About you

• Kitchen leadership: You’ll run the day-to-day operation of the kitchen, organise tasks, lead a small team, and make sure food is cooked to a high standard.
• Catering experience: You’ve worked in a catering environment before and feel confident preparing meals for groups, including planning menus and meeting a range of dietary needs.
• Organisation and time management: You can plan ahead, manage your time well, and deliver meals promptly and consistently.
• Budgeting skills: You’ll order supplies, record invoices, and work within a set food budget using smart and economical choices.
• Safety and hygiene: You understand food hygiene rules, health and safety requirements, and infection control, and you keep the kitchen safe and compliant.
• People-focused approach: You communicate well, support residents with kindness, and lead your team in a positive and respectful way.

Key requirements

• Experience in a catering environment
• Ability to supervise and guide kitchen staff
• Ability to plan menus, including special dietary options
• Good literacy and numeracy
• Physically able to work in a busy kitchen setting
• Food Hygiene qualification (for example, City & Guilds Cookery)
• Understanding of equality, safeguarding, and care standards

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This role does not meet the legal requirements for visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. We cannot accept individuals on full-time sponsorship who are seeking this as a second job or as their main job, as care is no longer classified as a Skilled Worker occupation.

Don’t delay — this role may close very quickly if we receive a high volume of suitable applicants.

Our benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.