Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Catering Assistant

The closing date is 13 January 2026

Job summary

You will be part of a team that provides meals to our patients. Guided by your supervisory team, the post holder will be required to carry out a wide range of general catering duties including serving meals and delivering patient meal service and wash-up. Ensuring high standards of food quality, food safety, and cleanliness are met and maintained as per food safety regulations. The post holder will be expected to carry out duties that involve the lifting, pulling, and pushing of heavy trolleys, cleaning duties and dealing with waste.

Previous experience of working in a catering role is desirable.

The ability to communicate effectively is essential and applicants will need basic Level 1 in English literacy.

The role involves constant interaction with all other users of the hospital, and requires the post holder to be caring, courteous, respectful, confidential, and customer focused on your delivery of duties.

Main duties of the job

To carry out a wide range of general catering duties including serving meals and delivering patient meal service and wash-up. Ensuring high standards of food quality, food safety, and cleanliness are met and maintained as per food safety regulations.

About us

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is on an exciting journey with all of our divisions committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN). As part of this collaborative approach, there may be a requirement for you to work across both the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites, depending on the needs of the service.

Our Excellence Values

Compassion
Accountability
Respect
Integrity
Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across UHN and help to unleash everyone's full potential.

UHN encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for UHN.

Date posted

30 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£24,465 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

264-7633162-COR-A

Job locations

Kettering General Hospital

Rothwell Road

Kettering

NN16 8UZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading.

The full person specification can be accessed under the Shortlisting Criteria section of the document.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading.

The full person specification can be accessed under the Shortlisting Criteria section of the document.

Person Specification

Educations, Training and Qualifications

Essential

Educated to level 2 in Food Safety or equivalent level of education, training or experience (training will be Educated to level 2 in Food Safety or equivalent level of education, training or experience (training will be

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Previous experience of working in a catering environment

Desirable

Knowledge of HACCP regulations (training will be provided)
Knowledge of health and safety in the work place
Knowledge of COSHH (training will be provided)

Skills

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and service users
Educated to basic level in English literacy and numeracy
Able to prioritise own workload within policy and guidelines
Able to lift and handle medium loads
Able to operate mechanical equipment (training will be provided)
Able to work in a pressurised environment
Able to tolerate exposure to hot and chilled conditions
Strong motivation to improve performance and outcomes

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
Ability to follow instruction
Ability to work as part of a team

Person Specification

Educations, Training and Qualifications

Essential

Educated to level 2 in Food Safety or equivalent level of education, training or experience (training will be Educated to level 2 in Food Safety or equivalent level of education, training or experience (training will be

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Previous experience of working in a catering environment

Desirable

Knowledge of HACCP regulations (training will be provided)
Knowledge of health and safety in the work place
Knowledge of COSHH (training will be provided)

Skills

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and service users
Educated to basic level in English literacy and numeracy
Able to prioritise own workload within policy and guidelines
Able to lift and handle medium loads
Able to operate mechanical equipment (training will be provided)
Able to work in a pressurised environment
Able to tolerate exposure to hot and chilled conditions
Strong motivation to improve performance and outcomes

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
Ability to follow instruction
Ability to work as part of a team

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.