• Job Description

  Req#: C9348-25-1608?language=en&page=472&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  Our Catering Service is responsible for the delivery of nutritious and safe meals to patients, staff and visitors across Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust sites. We are looking for a Ward Host to work across three sites in Portsmouth, Harry Sotnik House, St Mary's Community Health Campus and at St James Hospital.

  You will work closely with the nursing team, liaising with patients regarding meal preferences and appetite, taking into account any cultural and religious choices. You will be responsible for taking meal orders, serving meals and drinks as well as cleaning up after meal times, ensuring that the needs of the individual are met.

  We are recruiting for two roles currently:

  22.5 hours per week - Ward Host to cover across all sites as needed

  14 hours per week - Ward Host to be predominantly based on one site

  The shifts will be allocated according to service need and will not have a set shift pattern, the role will involve weekend working.

  Main duties of the job

  *To ensure that a high standard of customer care is maintained at all times.

  *Liaise on a daily basis with the patients regarding meal preferences and appetite, taking into account any cultural and religious choices.

  *Discuss with the nursing staff patients' treatment plans in order to determine their effect on individual appetite / dietary requirements.

  *Communicate daily with the catering staff regarding meal requests and in the absence of the catering team leader /supervisor, meet with the catering manager to plan meal requirements.

  *Serve beverages and meals, ensuring patients are assisted with positioning of their meal and access to cutlery and condiments.

  *Liaise with the catering department regarding new patients' menus and dietary requests.

  *Manage snacks for patients, including snacks required off the ward e.g. for patients attending appointments at a different location, ensuring the snack is appropriate to the patient's needs (soft, pureed, diabetic etc.).

  *Where appropriate and under the guidance of nursing staff, provide a system that enables each patient to have access to fresh water.

  *Manage food stores appropriately, ensuring a range of drinks are available to offer patients during the 24 hour period, including out of hours food items for patients missing their meal for any reason.

  *Under the supervision of hostess team leader /supervisor, complete daily documentation.

  *Assist patients to complete menu cards and provide explanations regarding choice.

  About us

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

  With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.

  Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

  Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.

  Details

  Date posted

  24 June 2025

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 2

  Salary

  £24,465 to £24,465 a year based on full time hours

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Part-time

  Reference number

  348-FME-8555

  Job locations

  Harry Sotnick House

  Cranleigh Avenue

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO1 5LU

  
  

  The Orchards, St James' Hospital

  Locksway Road

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO4 8FE

  
  

  The Limes, St James' Hospital

  Woodlands Walk

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO4 8GB

  
  

  St.Mary's Community Health Campus (Portsmouth)

  Milton Road

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO3 6AD

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

  We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

  We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • *Level 2 Hygiene Certificate

  Experience

  Essential

  • *Working alone and within a team
  • *Experience of working in a constantly changing environment

  Desirable

  • *Previous catering, host or housekeeping experience
  • *Caring for people with a range of healthcare needs

  Additional Criteria

  Essential

  • *Demonstrates a caring approach
  • *Ability to follow instructions and use initiative within sphere of responsibility
  • *Ability to work as part of a close knit team
  • *Self-motivated
  • *Literate and Numerate in Maths and English
  • *Being flexible and adaptable at work in order to meet competing priorities
  • *Basic computer skills
  • *Good communication skills with all levels of staff and patients

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • *Level 2 Hygiene Certificate

  Experience

  Essential

  • *Working alone and within a team
  • *Experience of working in a constantly changing environment

  Desirable

  • *Previous catering, host or housekeeping experience
  • *Caring for people with a range of healthcare needs

  Additional Criteria

  Essential

  • *Demonstrates a caring approach
  • *Ability to follow instructions and use initiative within sphere of responsibility
  • *Ability to work as part of a close knit team
  • *Self-motivated
  • *Literate and Numerate in Maths and English
  • *Being flexible and adaptable at work in order to meet competing priorities
  • *Basic computer skills
  • *Good communication skills with all levels of staff and patients

  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.

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Harry Sotnick House

  Cranleigh Avenue

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO1 5LU

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Harry Sotnick House

  Cranleigh Avenue

  Portsmouth

  Hampshire

  PO1 5LU

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://hiowhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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