How you'll make a differenceWorking as part of our dynamic kitchen team, you will contribute by providing quality, nutritious meals for our young people and colleagues.Vinney Green Secure Children’s Home offers young people a safe and caring environment where they experience quality care, education, and gain vocational and life skills training. What you will be doingDaily, you will prepare and serve meals to young people and staff, ensuring a varied menu.Liaising with contractors and suppliers, you will order supplies, monitor stock, and maintain accurate records.Working with the kitchen team, you will assist with routine cleaning tasks, ensuring hygiene, health, and safety in the kitchen are maintained.You will report any concerns regarding the eating habits of young people to the Facilities Manager. What we need from youWe require you to hold an NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in catering/food preparation or be willing to undertake this qualification.You must have experience of working in a kitchen or similar environment.It is essential you have knowledge of health and safety issues, food hygiene legislation, and specialist diets.You will have experience of cooking for large groups of people, with an ability to carry out required duties within specified timescales.You may already have a Food Hygiene Certificate. What you need to knowThe working pattern for this role is flexible and you will be working shifts, weekends, and bank holidays. Annual leave must be taken in conjunction with the needs of the secure service.The salary is plus a Secure Home allowance of £2,903.04 per annum, pro-rated to hours worked.Young people can present physically threatening behaviour, and the environment can become tense and anxiety provoking. For everyone’s safety, surveillance cameras are in use in most areas of the building.Vinney Green operates a full non-smoking environment, and there is no provision to facilitate smoking anywhere on site. Staff’s personal belongings are required to be left in a provided locker on entry into the building and we may require you to undertake a further physical fitness check.Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post. Interviews will be held on 8th December 2025. How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is differentAs part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities. We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities. We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work. What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos, the support and the training. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect. Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here. We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of. We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life. We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential. We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference. We’re making a difference, be part of it! To view the full job description, please click this link: Cook (VGSCH 25) - Job Description