Catering Manager

Job Introduction

HMP Forest Bank are recruiting for a Catering Manager to join our talented catering team.

As the Catering Manager you will ensure food services for staff are creative, healthy, meet with the Sodexo Quality of Life Agenda, and seek to implement staff suggestions. With excellent management and hospitality experience, you will ensure to provide prisoner work group with a range of skills, experience and where appropriate qualifications within the catering field to encourage rehabilitation and employment on release. 

HMP Forest Bank serves the courts of Greater Manchester and maintains strong links to the local community with a focus on resettlement. We aim to deliver quality of life services and support people to change their lives for the better.

Opportunities for learning and developing work-ready skills are on offer for all who come into custody, but our commitment to reducing reoffending in local communities does not end at the prison gate. We support people released from custody through innovative partnerships in substance misuse services in Bury and Oldham, working with people to maintain recovery and lead law-abiding lives.

As well as the 16 residential units on site, there is a healthcare centre, gym, library, workshop complex, visits hall, chaplaincy and kitchen. The prison’s capacity stands at 1,460, holding adult men both on remand or sentenced and young prisoners between the ages of 18-21 years.

For more information on working in Justice within Sodexo please see Careers in Justice

Role Responsibility

• Ensure the efficient and effective provision of the Catering Services within HMP Forest Bank both for prisoners and staff, managing the main kitchen.
• Contribute to the strategic management and business development of the food services provision in the prison.
• Continually monitor all health and safety, food standards and hygiene standards and ensure they are maintained at the highest level.
• Control and manage the financial performance of the unit and to maintain costs within pre-budgeted targets, responsible for the ordering and stock control.
• Line Manage, develop, and supervise the Catering Team.
• Support the operational staff who facilitate the wing-based serveries.
• Ensure food services for staff are creative, healthy, meet with the Sodexo Quality of Life Agenda and seek to implement staff suggestions.
• Prepare menus in conjunction with qualified dieticians to ensure compliance with nutritional standards and relevant PSI’s.
• Ensure the catering department caters for all dietary, ethnic, and cultural needs of prisoners and staff.
• Monitor all departmental targets and manage all internal and external audit requirements.
• Ensure the maintenance and upkeep of all appropriate records on the receipt, storage, and issue of food items.
• Manage the food and beverage provision for functions and events at HMP Forest Bank.
• Ensure that all food entering the control of the catering department is produced and served to the highest standard.
• Oversee the selection and training of staff and prisoners, to satisfy legislator requirements.
• Continue to develop own skills and knowledge within the position, including any required training courses.
• Maintain excellent client/customer relationships and develop and maintain a positive internal and external network.
• Care for all company equipment and ensure that any faults are reported to management.
• Actively seek and identify opportunities for business growth. Maximise profitable sales by the introduction and maintenance of food service brands to the standard required by the company.
• Work in conjunction with other department managers to plan, organise and coordinate activity placements.
• Active involvement, promotion and support of activities aligned towards employee engagement.
• Flexibility on work schedule
• Forecasting, budgeting, and preparing accurate & timely month end reports for clients and Sodexo.
• Reporting on SLAs and delivering action plans to ensure that SLAs are met/exceeded.
• Planning of site events (Christmas, Religious Festivals and Special Diet needs)
• Responsible for the leadership of all employees including effective resource management, recruitment, induction, PDRs, development, coaching and performance management.
• Ensuring that HR procedures are followed and ensuring any people related problems are dealt with in line with policy and procedure.

Please see attached job description for further information regarding the role requirements.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential:

• Experience of managing a high-level industrial catering department.
• RSPH level 3 in Food Safety.
• Experience of managing and leading a team.
• Ability to inspire others through your leadership to support and motivate others to reach their full potential.
• Proven track record of successful budget P & L management.
• Proven experience in bulk catering.
• Must have one of the following qualifications or equivalent: - BSC (Catering), MHCIM, HND, City and Guilds 706/1 and 2, NVQ level 2 and 3 and possess intermediate food safety or equivalent.
• Proven ability to create and implement new ideas.
• Experience relating to purchasing, stock controls and menu planning.
• Strong communication, organisation.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in a similar custodial environment

• Assessor qualification (or equivalent) plus experience of delivering catering qualifications.

Package Description

Salary: £31,000 

Shift pattern: Monday - Friday (with occasional weekends to accommodate the business needs).

Sodexo offers the best range of employee benefits on the market. From discounts that reduce the cost of the weekly shop, to exclusive deals on holidays and keeping active. Our award-winning employee benefits platform offers everything YOU need to make life that little bit better every day.

• Health and wellbeing incentives
• Training and development opportunities
• Reward and Recognition schemes
• Flexible working considered
• Volunteering days
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life Assurance
• Free meals and parking on site

We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be natural, and be the best versions of themselves. We recognise that we’re on a journey with regards to diversity and inclusion and would therefore welcome applications for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

Post holders will be subjected to an advanced DBS check, a prison security check (level 2) prior to being employed.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence, and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory, and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, transgender, marital or family status, race or ethnicity, religious belief of sexual orientation are welcome to and included within our business. We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process

Please note all roles within Sodexo Justice are subject to security and recruitment checks which may include a Social Media Check. You will also be asked to provide 5 years’ worth of references and request employment history details from the HMRC.