Job overview
The post holder will work as part of a team of catering staff responsible for the effective day to day delivery of food & beverage services across multi sites. The services provide in excess of 20,000 meals per week to almost 1000 hospital beds and various departments within the Trust.
Based at ward level, the post holder is required to supervise ward service assistants over approximately 25 ward areas.
Main duties of the job
To supervise the food and beverage service at ward level, ensuring all food hygiene, HACCP and Health and Safety legislation is adhered to. To ensure cleaning is maintained in ward pantry and associated areas in line with Trust cleaning regulations
The post holder is required to be on their feet for the majority of their shift, visiting wards to support, monitoring catering service staff.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Maintain excellent communication and working relationships within own team, and with staff in other departments. -
Effectively communicate service issues or changes made to the wider team to ensure information is communicated out to all parties.
Monitor and support ward service staff to ensure high standards are maintained at all times, highlighting issues with processes and procedures, and explaining the correct methods of service.
Liaise with dieticians, speech and language therapies, nurses and patients with more complex dietary requirements and converse with the production team to decide upon suitable meal plans.
Support ward service staff in responding to difficult situations, ensuring a dialect is maintained with the nursing staff to help resolve issues as they arise in a tactful and professional manner
Make sound judgements to resolve issues as they arise, knowing when to escalate concerns to the ward service managers.
Respond to staffing issues, and cover rotas where required to maintain continuity of service.
Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.
Please see JD and PS for full details
Person specification
Expereince
Essential criteria
1. Food and Hygeine Cert Level 2
2. Good Understanding of English / Maths
3. Experience of working in a catering environment.
4. Ability to work on own initiative with minimum supervision and to problem solve.
Desirable criteria
5. Experience in managing a team.
6. Customer service experience
Equality, Diversity, and Inclsusion
Essential criteria
7. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
8. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Skills
Essential criteria
9. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications