The closing date is 21st Sep 2025
Anticipated Interview date(s) 01/09/2025
Job summary
Our Catering Service is responsible for the delivery of nutritious and safe meals to patients, staff and visitors across Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust sites. We are looking for a Ward Host to work at The Orchards, a mental heath unit at St James Hospital.
You will work closely with the nursing team, liaising with patients regarding meal preferences and appetite, taking into account any cultural and religious choices. You will be responsible for taking meal orders, serving meals and drinks as well as cleaning up after meal times, ensuring that the needs of the individual are met.
The role will involve working every other weekend and some weekday shifts. The role is for 15 hours a week.
Main duties, tasks & skills required
* To ensure that a high standard of customer care is maintained at all times.
* Liaise on a daily basis with the patients regarding meal preferences and appetite, taking into account any cultural and religious choices.
* Discuss with the nursing staff patients' treatment plans in order to determine their effect on individual appetite / dietary requirements.
* Communicate daily with the catering staff regarding meal requests and in the absence of the catering team leader /supervisor, meet with the catering manager to plan meal requirements.
* Serve beverages and meals, ensuring patients are assisted with positioning of their meal and access to cutlery and condiments.
* Liaise with the catering department regarding new patients' menus and dietary requests.
* Manage snacks for patients, including snacks required off the ward e.g. for patients attending appointments at a different location, ensuring the snack is appropriate to the patient's needs (soft, pureed, diabetic etc.).
* Where appropriate and under the guidance of nursing staff, provide a system that enables each patient to have access to fresh water.
* Manage food stores appropriately, ensuring a range of drinks are available to offer patients during the 24 hour period, including out of hours food items for patients missing their meal for any reason.
* Under the supervision of hostess team leader /supervisor, complete daily documentation.
* Assist patients to complete menu cards and provide explanations regarding choice.
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.
Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.
Job description
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
None
Desirable
Level 2 food hygiene certificate
Experience
Essential
* Working alone and within a team
* Experience of working in a constantly changing environment
For help with your application, contact:
Ronnie Parrett-Harris
Ronnie.Parrett-
Pay scheme
Agenda for Change
Band
Band 2
Salary
£ to £ Yearly
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-Time
Reference number
348-FME-8888
Job locations
The Orchards, St James' Hospital
Locksway Road
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO4 8FE