Second Chef Bank

Charlton Lodge
3 Buttercup Road, Wantage, Oxfordshire

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3 Buttercup Road, Wantage, Oxfordshire

If you’re an aspiring chef with experience gained in a high paced kitchen environment and are looking for a rewarding role offering great training, work life balance and the chance to be part of a catering team that are award winning, join Care UK as a Second Chef and make a real difference.

Being a Second Chef at Care UK

Second Chefs at Care UK are great at working with others. They enjoy sharing information and raising standards through culinary development, innovation and new ideas. They have access to a large supply chain for all catering requirements and the autonomy to create nutritious well balanced menus for everyone. They’re self-motivated, flexible, enthusiastic and happy to take responsibility for resolving issues that arise. And, they know how to maintain team discipline and morale within the kitchen. Do you have the same sort of attributes? Then we could have just the role for you.

What you’ll be doing

Being a Second Chef isn’t just about helping the Head Chef ensure food is prepared to the agreed standard and that deadlines are met. It’s about taking control of running the kitchen in their absence. It's about using modern kitchen equipment and fresh local produce to develop full diet sensitive meals for residents so they can enjoy the same flavour and nutrition. And it's about helping to come up with menus, consulting with residents to ensure their needs and choices are met and preparing food in line with specific diets. Put simply, it’s about making a difference. A real difference.

What you’ll need

As well as a Catering Diploma (City & Guilds/BTEC) and NVQ 2/3 in practical cookery and Health and Safety. Food Hygiene Certificates (minimum level 2) are essential. You’ll also need good knowledge of nutritionally balanced menu planning and a proven ability to cater for specific dietary needs. And, if you’ve worked in a care home and/or have experience of stock control or working with a budget, even better (but not essential). Above all, you have a natural ability to help make the lives of others more fulfilling and want to work in an environment where the work can be hard, but also fun and rewarding.

The benefits

Alternate weekend working and socilabe working hours
Competitive rates of pay – we continuously review pay in your local market
Opportunities to progress through our personalised career paths into Head Chef opportunities
Competitive refer a friend scheme of up to £1000 depending on role
Quality and free training to help develop and enhance your skills
Bank holiday enhancements
Cycle to work scheme
Free DBS
Thousands of online and in-store discounts across big known retailers enabling our colleagues to make big savings on every day shopping such as holidays, supermarkets and travel.
Employee Assistance Programme – Immediate access to a confidential telephone counselling and legal information service which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to include support such as financial and family concerns

One of the UK’s leading care home providers, Care UK run over 120 homes and day clubs across the UK that provide residential, nursing, dementia and end-of-life care for older people. A top rated employer in best quality results, our goal is to help every employee fulfil their potential by providing first-class training and support.

Fulfilling lives, fulfilling Careers.

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At a glance

Location

3 Buttercup Road
Wantage
Oxfordshire
OX12 7GD

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Pay

Up to

Shifts

Days

Contract

Bank

Reference

SYS-17499

Why work at Charlton Lodge

At Care UK's Charlton Lodge in Wantage, Oxfordshire, providing the highest standard of care for residents is at the heart of what we do. As part of our friendly team, you'll have the opportunity to develop your career and the support to go far.

Our team will work in a beautiful purpose-built care home with a family atmosphere. We provide high quality residential, dementia, nursing and respite care with fantastic facilities for residents, including our own coffee shop and hair salon, cinema, bar, music room and lovely landscaped gardens.

We truly believe that every one of us makes a difference. If you're a passionate, caring individual who works well in a team, consider a rewarding career at Charlton Lodge.

A catering role at Care UK

A catering career at Care UK

Join our team and you'll have the chance to get creative in the kitchen while cooking up nutritious, well-balanced meals that have a direct impact on residents’ health and wellbeing.

Many catering colleagues join us from restaurants or hotels where they’re used to working long hours late into the night. In a care home, you’ll work more sociable hours, and you’ll also have the opportunity to build relationships by getting to know residents and their tastes and preferences. This is a role where you can really make a difference.

Looking to progress in your career? Our Chef Academy is designed to support individuals in our hospitality teams to become the future kitchen chefs and leaders within Care UK.

Everyone needs to feel motivated and rewarded, so we offer a competitive package of pay and benefits. Read more here.

Here at Care UK, we want all our colleagues to have a long and successful career with us. Our vision is to provide an inclusive training culture that empowers all colleagues with sector-leading development opportunities. View our opportunities for apprenticeships, development programmes and career progression.

At Care UK, we're proud to promote our diverse workforce and are committed to nurturing an inclusive culture. Our teams’ wellbeing is our top priority, and we believe it’s important to foster a culture of promoting open and honest conversations. Read more here.

As a colleague at Care UK, we believe it’s important that you know what you can expect from your manager to ensure people are fairly treated and properly recognised from day one. Our People Promise sets out clearly what you can expect from your manager and Care UK.

Trusted to care

A closely-knit team of managers, carers, nurses and support colleagues – and each of us is dedicated to your loved one’s care, health and wellbeing.

I’m excited by the challenge of working at a newly commissioned care home.

A good Home Manager needs to be calm, patient, proactive, and empathetic. I understand through extensive experience that the small details make a huge difference. I’m always happy to talk through any questions or concerns residents or their families have.

I value being a trusted face within the home and the wider community. I like to get to know everyone I meet, whether it’s residents, families, colleagues, health professionals or entertainers. I enjoy these informal moments and these conversations are what hold a home together.

I ensure the home offers a safe, stimulating, and fun place to spend time in. It’s a place where CQC standards are maintained or exceeded at all times. My priority is to create an open, positive, and inclusive atmosphere. A home that advocates dignity, independence, choice, and self-fulfilment for all residents.

I strive to ensure my team always provides the professional and empathetic care everyone deserves. Under my leadership with a previous team, we won the ‘The Team of the Year’ and ‘West Berkshire Business of the Year’ awards.

I’m married with two grown up children and I’m a keen runner. I love walking our dog or enjoy chilling out with a coffee after some retail therapy.

Carla Kell Home Manager

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