Catering Assistant Canterbury (part time 21 hours)

Location: Pilgrims Hospices Canterbury

Status: Permanent, part-time, 21 hours per week

Salary: £13,369.22 per annum

Closing date: 18/07/2025

Job description

Location: Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury

Pilgrims Hospices is looking for a Catering Assistant in Canterbury to help create nutritious meals for patients, families, staff and visitors.

Aims

In this role as a Catering Assistant, you’ll be part of a small catering team that works in our professional kitchens to create meals for patients, their families, and staff every day of the year.

No two days are the same; you will bring your skills, and leave each day knowing you’ve made a difference.

You’ll work in our clean, professional, 5-star rated kitchens and know that you are appreciated.

Working arrangements

This is a part time role (21 hours per week) and is based at Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury.

Working days will be between Monday and Sunday with  7 hour shifts over 3 days.

The successful candidate will be required to work early and/or late shifts, between the hours of 07:00 and 19:30.

You will be provided with on-site parking, a uniform and subsidised meals during your work day.

Key duties and responsibilities

  • Assist catering staff with general kitchen duties
  • Clearing down
  • Washing up
  • Cleaning of kitchen
  • Assist with food orders
  • Assist with serving patients’ meals
  • Go to patients’ bedsides to take food orders

Skills and attributes

  • Must hold or be willing to undertake training for Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Flexible with the ability to multi-task
  • Conscientious and committed to providing a high-quality service
  • Able to demonstrate patience and sensitivity when responding to different and difficult situations
  • Uniform provided and must be worn when in kitchen
  • Reliable, motivated and enthusiastic
  • Pleasant and approachable, with a positive attitude
  • Accept supervision and guidance from staff as appropriate
  • Respectful of others and their diversity
  • Demonstrate an understanding of keeping a food environment scrupulously clean
  • Be able to move the dishwasher trays into, and out of, the machine
  • Accept instructions and work under supervision
  • Work both independently and as an effective member of the catering team
  • Always work within strict health and safety guidelines
  • Maintain strict levels of confidentiality

Benefits

As an Employer of Choice we are committed supporting our employees and volunteers through both a holistic benefits package, but also through wellbeing and work/life balance.

Our hospices offer:

  • 26 days annual leave, plus all public holidays
  • Free onsite parking
  • Financial discounts, provided through the Blue Light Card Membership Scheme
  • Standard Life Workplace Pension. Those joining us from the NHS may retain eligibility to membership of the NHS pension scheme
  • Subsidised meal
  • Access to Dover Counselling Services
  • Friendly and highly professional working environments alongside passionate people
  • Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning

We invest in our employees, which is one of the key things that makes us an award-winning employer of choice!

About Us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end of life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families – both in the community and in-patient units.

Our Vision

“Of a community where people with a terminal illness and their family and friends are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life”.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our organisational and charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our organisational behaviours and values.

To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

Compassionate We treat everyone with compassion and care

Open We communicate openly, honestly and effectively

Dynamic We are dynamic, improving and developing our service

Empowered We empower people to achieve their outcomes

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the role and wish to join our passionate team, please complete the attached application form.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: £13,369.22 per year

Benefits:

  • Company pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Discounted or free food
  • Enhanced maternity leave
  • Free parking
  • Health & wellbeing programme
  • Life insurance
  • On-site parking
  • Sick pay

Work Location: In person