Kitchen Assistant - Kyloe House

Job Introduction

Kitchen Assistant - Kyloe House Secure Children's Home

Interview Date: 16th September 2026

Contact: KyloeAdmin@northumberland.gov.uk

Salary & Benefits

Basic Salary: £16083.89 (Band 1)

Enhancements (Out-of-Hours): £2094.25 p/a

Market Force Allowance: £1297.30 p/a (Reviewed annually)

Are you looking for a rewarding role where you can make a real difference to young people's lives?

We are seeking a reliable and enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join our team within Kyloe House Secure Children's Home. Working as part of our catering service, you will help provide nutritious meals and refreshments for young people and staff, ensuring food is prepared, served, and delivered safely while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and customer care.

About the Role

As a Kitchen Assistant, you will support the day-to-day operation of a busy kitchen, assisting with food preparation, meal service, cleaning, stock control, and the safe storage of food supplies. You will play an important part in creating a positive dining experience for the young people in our care whilst contributing to a safe and supportive environment.

Kitchen staff are required to follow strict inventory control procedures, ensuring designated kitchen utensils and equipment are accounted for throughout each shift. This forms an important part of maintaining a safe and secure environment for the young people in our care.

Current Shift Pattern

The kitchen operates 7 days a week. The current working pattern is based on a two-week rolling rota:

· Week 1: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday

· Week 2: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Please note that this role includes regular weekend working as part of the rota.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

· Is reliable, hardworking, and committed to high standards.

· Enjoys working as part of a team.

· Has a positive and customer-focused approach.

· Can work safely and effectively in a busy kitchen environment.

· Is able to undertake the physical aspects of catering work, including manual handling and lifting duties.

· Understands the importance of following security procedures and maintaining accurate records within a secure environment.

Essential Requirements

· Ability to follow straightforward verbal and written instructions.

· Ability to maintain basic records.

· Ability to work effectively within a commercial kitchen environment.

· Commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness, food safety, and customer service.

Desirable

· Basic Food Hygiene Certificate.

· NVQ Level 1 or 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking, or equivalent.

· Previous experience in a catering or food service environment.

Why Join Us?

Working within a Secure Children's Home offers the opportunity to be part of a dedicated team that supports the health, wellbeing, and care of vulnerable young people. Full training and support will be provided, and you'll play an important role in delivering a high-quality service every day.

Important Information

As this post is based within a Secure Children's Home, the successful applicant will be required to undergo safer recruitment pre-employment checks, including an Enhanced DBS check, employment references, and other background and security checks appropriate to working within a secure children's residential setting. Appointment will be subject to these checks being completed satisfactorily.

If you're a dependable team player with a passion for delivering excellent service, we'd love to hear from you.

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.

This is a unique opportunity to lead Northumberland's vision for inclusion, supporting schools and settings to develop innovative approaches that enable more children and young people with SEND to thrive in their local communities.

We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:

• 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme

To see all our excellent benefits and perks, please click here.

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Additional Information
For guidance on completing your application and for information about our Equality and Diversity principles, please see the attached guidance notes here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.

Alternative application format:
British Sign Language: northumberlandcc-cs.signvideo.net
For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930