Job Title
Line Manager
Contracted Hours
Primary Location
Job Summary
Job Description
Head Chef
Head of Retail and Catering
37.5 Hours over a 7-day rotation (Flexible)
Hospice - Wrexham
We are seeking a dynamic and passionate Head Chef to join our adult hospice team in North Wales. This
vital role involves preparing and delivering nutritious meals tailored to patients with complex needs, as
well as catering for families, volunteers, and staff. The successful candidate will also lead our kitchen team
in serving high-quality meals to the public in our well-renowned on-site café.
The Head Chef will work closely with the Café Manager to meet operational and financial objectives while
ensuring a safe and welcoming environment.
Working Environment
The Head Chef will be based within Nightingale House Hospice, working in a fast-paced and
dynamic kitchen environment. Collaboration with various departments is essential, and
flexibility is required as the role may include working evenings, weekends, or public holidays
to meet operational demands.
Key Working Relationships
• Café Manager – Work closely to ensure smooth coordination between kitchen and
•
café operations, including menu planning and service efficiency.
Sous Chef / Chefs – Provide leadership and training to support and enhance the
kitchen team.
• HR & Volunteer Teams – Partner on recruitment, staff & volunteer development,
performance management, and HR compliance matters.
• Clinical Team – Ensure patient meals meet dietary, nutritional, and cultural
•
•
•
requirements, including allergies and texture-modified diets.
Finance Team – Liaise on budget control, stock management, supplier payments, and
cost efficiency strategies.
Facilities & Maintenance Team – Report and coordinate kitchen equipment
maintenance, repairs, and compliance with safety regulations.
Suppliers & Vendors – Manage relationships to ensure quality ingredients,
competitive pricing, and timely deliveries.
• Health & Safety Officers – Work together to maintain hygiene standards, conduct risk
assessments, and uphold food safety regulations.
Prepared by Head of Retail and Catering – Feb 2025
Key Responsibilities
1. Kitchen & Food Operations
• Kitchen Management – Oversee the day-to-day operations of the kitchen, ensuring
the efficient preparation and delivery of meals.
• Menu Planning – Develop and maintain nutritionally balanced seasonal menus for
patients, staff, and visitors in collaboration with the clinical team.
• Nutritional Care – Work closely with dietitians, nurses, and clinical teams to ensure
menus support patient health, comfort, and dietary needs.
• Modified Diets & Texture – Ensure compliance with IDDSI (International Dysphagia
Diet Standardisation Initiative) for texture-modified diets and provide clear guidance
to kitchen staff.
• End-of-Life Nutrition – Adapt meal offerings to accommodate palliative care needs,
ensuring meals are suitable for patients with reduced appetites or specific nutritional
challenges.
Food Quality – Maintain high standards of food presentation, portion control, and
consistency.
•
• Café Collaboration – Work closely with the Café Manager to ensure synergy between
kitchen operations and café offerings.
• Hygiene & Cleanliness – Maintain a clean and organised kitchen, ensuring all food
preparation areas adhere to hygiene standards.
2. Menu Development & Stock Control
• Menu Reviews – Conduct quarterly menu reviews, adjusting based on seasonal
availability, customer feedback, and dietary trends.
• Allergen Management – Ensure all menu items are correctly documented, including
allergen information and recipe standardisation.
• Café Specials – Collaborate with the Café Manager and local producers to develop
seasonal specials and enhance café menu offerings.
3. Financial & Resource Management
• Budget & Cost Control – Work alongside the Head of Retail & Catering to manage
•
•
food costs and financial sustainability, ensuring expenditure remains within budget.
Stock Management – Conduct monthly stock takes, ensuring accurate inventory
management and liaising with the Finance team to maintain proper records.
Supplier & Invoice Management – Authorise and manage supplier invoices, ensuring
competitive pricing and sourcing high-quality ingredients while maintaining strong
supplier relationships.
• Waste Reduction – Implement waste-reduction initiatives to improve cost efficiency
and minimise food wastage, optimising kitchen resources.
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering
4. Staff & Volunteer Management
• Kitchen Leadership – Provide training and guidance on kitchen leadership and
operational management to the Sous Chef and Chefs, ensuring high standards in food
preparation, hygiene, and efficiency. Oversee kitchen workflows and maintain
smooth day-to-day operations.
Scheduling & Coordination – Responsible for kitchen team rotas, working alongside
the Café Manager to ensure appropriate staffing levels and seamless front and back-
of-house operations.
•
• Training & Development – Ensure all staff and volunteers receive appropriate training
in food hygiene and handling, health and safety regulations, and catering procedures.
Identify training needs and implement development opportunities.
• HR Collaboration – Work closely with the HR team to manage disciplinary matters
professionally and fairly, resolve conflicts constructively, support staff well-being, and
uphold employment policies. Conduct annual PDRs (Performance Development
Reviews), oversee recruitment and probationary reviews, and ensure a structured
approach to staff development and retention.
• Team Engagement – Promote teamwork, foster a collaborative and supportive
culture, and encourage open communication to enhance staff morale and retention.
Ensure staff and volunteers feel valued, motivated, and aligned with the Hospice’s
mission and goals.
5. Food Safety & Compliance
•
Food Safety Management – Ensure full compliance with Food Safety Management
Systems (FSMS), maintaining up-to-date HACCP and COSHH documentation.
• Audits & Inspections – Conduct regular food safety checks, audits, and kitchen
inspections, addressing any non-compliance issues to uphold the highest hygiene
standards.
• Recording & Monitoring – Ensure accurate recording of temperature logs, cleaning
schedules, and allergen control measures, keeping all documentation up to date.
• Training & Briefings – Lead Health & Safety briefings and ensure all kitchen staff
•
receive mandatory food safety training, reinforcing best practices.
Incident & Risk Management – Maintain accurate incident, accident, and risk
assessment records, ensuring timely reporting and updates when necessary.
• Emergency Compliance – Act as the Fire Warden and First Aider for the kitchen team,
ensuring full compliance with emergency procedures.
• Maintenance & Repairs – Liaise with the Facilities Team for kitchen maintenance,
reporting any necessary repairs or servicing to ensure a safe and functional
workspace.
• Hygiene Standards – Ensure the Hospice continues to achieve a 5-star hygiene rating,
upholding the highest food safety and cleanliness standards.
• CQC Compliance – Ensure food provision meets Care Quality Commission (CQC)
standards, particularly for patient catering.
• Allergen Control & Labelling – Ensure all clinical and café food products comply with
Natasha’s Law and provide clear allergen information.
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering
6. Business Development
• Revenue Growth – Work alongside the Café Manager to explore additional revenue
•
•
opportunities and improve the catering department’s financial performance.
Innovation & Strategy – Share ideas with the Head of Retail and Catering to help the
catering department continue evolving.
Industry Trends – Stay updated on advancements in kitchen technology and industry
best practices to improve efficiency and food safety.
• Community Partnerships – Develop relationships with local businesses, suppliers,
and community groups to enhance catering services and fundraising efforts.
7. Problem-Solving
• Operational Challenges – Handle issues such as staff shortages, last-minute menu
changes, or equipment failures, ensuring minimal disruption.
• Customer Service – Respond promptly to dietary concerns or feedback, maintaining
high service standards.
• Contingency Planning – Ensure emergency contingency plans are in place to address
unforeseen circumstances.
8. Reporting & Performance Monitoring
• Performance Tracking – Maintain weekly and monthly spreadsheets tracking key
•
•
kitchen performance metrics.
Food Safety Audits – Conduct regular food safety audits, implementing necessary
improvements as required.
Financial Oversight – Monitor food cost percentages, waste reduction targets, and
customer satisfaction levels, ensuring continuous improvements.
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering
General Requirements – All Staff
This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of employment of the Hospice as specified in
the Staff Handbook
Competence
You are responsible for limiting your actions to those that you feel competent to undertake. If you
have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties, you should immediately
speak to your line manager / supervisor.
Risk Management
It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Hospice that they fulfil a
proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk
assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near
misses and hazards. It is a requirement that you adhere to Nightingale House Hospice Policies,
Procedures, Protocols and guidelines always.
Health and Safety Requirements of the Hospice
All employees of the Hospice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that
of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-operate
with management to enable the Hospice to meet its own legal duties including attendance at
mandatory training updates and to report any hazardous situations or defective equipment.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
The post holder must treat all information, whether corporate, staff or patient information, in a
discreet, secure and confidential manner in accordance with the provisions of the current data
protection legislation and organisational policy. Any breach of such confidentiality is considered a
serious disciplinary offence, which is liable to dismissal and / or prosecution under statutory
legislation and the hospice’s disciplinary policy. This duty of confidence continues after the post
holder leaves the organisation.
Records Management
As an employee of the hospice, the post holder is legally responsible for all records that they
gather, create or use as part of their work within the organisation (including patient health, staff
health or injury, financial, personal and administrative), whether paper based or on computer. The
post holder should consult the IG Lead if they have any doubt as to the correct management of
records with which they work.
Flexibility Statement
The content of this Job Description represents an outline of the post only and is therefore not a
final list of duties and responsibilities. The Job Description is therefore intended to be flexible
and is subject to review and amendment in the light of changing circumstances, following
consultation with the post holder.
The post is subject to an enhanced disclosure check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering
Employees signature……………………………………………………….. Date……………………………….
PERSON SPECIFICATION – HEAD CHEF
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
• NVQ Level 3 in Catering
and Hospitality
• Level 3 or 4 NVQ/SVQ in
Professional Cookery
QUALIFICATIONS
EXPERIENCE
SKILLS
•
•
Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate or
willing to obtain.
Level 3 or 4 HACCP (Hazard Analysis
& Critical Control Points)
• COSHH (Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health) Training (for
chemical & allergen safety)
• Minimum of 3 years in a senior
catering position.
• Experience of managing and leading
a catering team.
• Rota planning
• Menu planning
• Stock control / ordering
• Experience working in a hospice or
healthcare catering environment.
• Understanding of nutritional
standards and special dietary needs.
• Excellent verbal, written and listening
skills
• Good computer and IT skills such as MS
Office
• Prioritisation and time management
• Excellent budgeting and financial
management skills, with experience
controlling food costs.
METHOD OF
ASSESSMENT
Application form/
Interview
Application form/
Interview
Application form/
Interview
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering
Application form/
Interview
PERSONAL
QUALITIES
(Demonstrable)
• Proactive and positive approach
• Ability to use own initiative
• Be able to embrace change and
innovation
• Strong interpersonal and
communication skills, with the ability
to collaborate across departments.
• Able to remain calm in stressful
situations and act as a calming
influence to the team – leading by
example
• Reliable and prepared to work
outside normal working hours as
appropriate.
Prepared by Katie Roberts – Head of Retail and Catering