Job Description

Assistant cooks play a vital role in delivering high quality meals to pupils. Working with the Unit Manager, the Assistant cook supports the skilled cooking of meals. Taking ownership and accountability for the quality of meals and supporting the unit manager to deliver a safe working environment.
THE WHAT - MAJOR TASKS/JOB ACTIVITIES
To undertake individually or as part of a team, activities in a kitchen or dining centre connected with the provision and transportation of the catering service. Providing a fully compliant, high quality catering provision which meets the councils aims and objectives.

• Skilled cooking activities connected with the full range of meals and recipes.
• Paperwork - Completion of Cook Safe, allergen paperwork and other food related paperwork (e.g. recording temperatures, service specification etc).
• Complete daily/weekly audits of the service - e.g. cleaning schedules, Covid compliance checks etc
• Stock - Receiving food deliveries, checking temperature, quality of food and storing and labelling food appropriately. Stock rotation, checking dates to ensure old stock is used first and occasional ordering of stock.
• Control of hygiene within the kitchen - Ensuring Cook 1's maintain a high level of hygiene, health and safety is maintained throughout. Ensuring Supervisors are made aware of any staff hygiene issues within the kitchen.
• To support counter set-up and presentation of the food offer and assist in the service of that food as required.
• Cash handling (as and when required).
• Place orders for food and non-foods as and when required.
• Support the preparation and delivery of function activity as required.
• Work with the unit manager to cater for theme days in accordance with service specifications

THE HOW - KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS (E.G. CREATIVITY &INNOVATION, CONTACTS &RELATIONSHIPS,DECISION MAKING)

• Assistant Cooks must hold or are working towards a formal cook's qualification (e.g. City and Guilds or SVQ).
• The post holder will be required to deliver to the specification requirements and to cooperate with performance measurement so that the overall agreed standards are met. The post holder should ensure Cook 1's in their charge, follow and understand service specifications
• The post holder will require knowledge of the use of dangerous catering equipment as necessary to carry out the role, techniques and an understanding of safe working practices. The post will require a good standard of communication.
• Applied knowledge of culinary skills within Council policy, practices, processes, and supported by relevant qualifications or demonstrable knowledge in key areas such as Health and Safety.
• Demonstrate a passion for high quality meals and to resolve issues and/or make improvements.
• Demonstrate a curiosity to grow knowledge and professional development.
• Demonstrate the ability to self-motivate and manage their own time and deputise in the absence of a supervisor.
• The post will involve liaison with council/other staff and incidental contact

ENVIRONMENT (WORK DEMANDS, PHYSICAL DEMANDS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK CONTEXT)
The duties of this job may vary according to the demands of the business from time to time, the Council may require the post holder to work in varying locations or carry out different duties.

• Working to tight timescales to ensure food is delivered on time.
• Covering other units where there are staff shortages (e.g. having to work with different staff and equipment and the different serving times).
• Working with agency staff when there are staff shortages and having to shadow them.
• All as per instructed by Line Supervision.
• Daily lifting of heavy pots and pans containing hot food or liquid.
• Standing for prolonged periods of time.
• Working within kitchen environments that may be subject to extremes of temperature and subject to noise generated within the kitchen and dining environments by people and equipment

SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE (NUMBERS AND TYPE OF STAFF)

• Respond to any queries that a Cook 1 (Catering Assistant) may have and provide direction as appropriate.
• Deputise in the absence of line manager, which could include visits to the dining centre as necessary.

RESOURCES

• The Assistant Cook will be required to control the use of stock as per service specification and to ensure activities reduce waste and environmental impact
• The Assistant Cook may also need to place orders for stock and manage stock holding.

HEALTH AND SAFETY (DO NOT ALTER THE WORDING OF THIS SECTION)
Protecting the health and safety and welfare of our employees, and our third parties including members of the public, contractors, service users and pupils, is the starting point for a forward-thinking Council. All employees are responsible for:

• Taking care of their own health and safety and welfare, and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions
• Co-operating with management and following instructions, safe systems and procedures;
• Reporting any hazards, damage or defects immediately to their line manager; and
• Reporting any personal injury and work related ill health, and accident or incident (including 'near misses') immediately to their line manager, and assist with any subsequent investigation, including co-operating fully with the provision of witness statements and any other evidence that may be required.

Line managers have additional responsibilities for ensuring all health and safety risks under their management are identified, assessed and controlled, with specialist input from H&S Advisers and others including Occupational Health where required. Where the risks cannot be adequately controlled the activity should not proceed
This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.
We're committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits that a diverse workforce with different values, beliefs, experience, and backgrounds brings to us as an organisation.
As part of our goal to improve our organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure that we're bringing the best people into our roles, not just in their skills and experience but also in their approach to work.
To help achieve this, we're changing the way we interview and assess candidates by moving from a competency-based interview approach to a behavioural and technical (skills for the job) based approach. This new way of interviewing will allow us to assess how you think and how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page
Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.
Happy to talk flexible working.
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Skills Required