Applicant Information Pack

CA-19-1

Catering Assistant – Term Time

(Part-time)

Contents

Explanatory Notes

Further particulars, including:

Job description

Person specification

Explanatory Notes for Applicants

Equal Opportunities Policy - Summary

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Explanatory Notes for Applicants

Please read carefully before completing the application form

Thank you for your interest in this competition to fill the catering assistant position in St

Mary’s University College. Enclosed is a job description, person specification and guidance

for applicants. This position is part-time.

Application Procedure

Should you wish to apply, please submit the following:

a completed application form to the Human Resources Office by the closing date

a completed equal opportunities monitoring form in a separate envelope

addressed to the Monitoring Officer but sent with your application form.

Application forms can be requested in Word or PDF format by email at

recruitment@smucb.ac.uk or by telephone on 028 90268207. An application pack can be

downloaded from the College website at http://www.smucb.ac.uk/employment/.

In the interests of fairness application forms should not be altered and text boxes must not

be enlarged to ensure that all applicants are given the same space to convey information

relating to their application.

Closing date: 12.00 noon on Friday 17 May 2019.

Completed application forms can be returned by email to recruitment@smucb.ac.uk or by

post. Please ensure that you have ticked the declaration box on the last page prior to

submission.

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Job Description

Job Title: Catering Assistant (1 post)

Responsible to: Catering Officer

Job Purpose: To work as a member of the catering team with responsibility for

general catering duties in the dining room, kitchen and associated

catering areas.

Responsibilities and duties include:

1. Assist in the preparation of foods and beverages as required.

2. Clear away and wipe down tables in eating areas.

3. Clear rooms of any trays, flasks, crockery etc. following the provision of hospitality

4. Clear and wash dishes in the dining areas as required

5. Maintain cleanliness in your area of work by keeping work surfaces and floors clean

from food and spills

6. Assist students, staff and visitors in their selection/purchase of food and beverages

by being knowledgeable about the food and service on offer and by being helpful,

courteous and responsive.

7. On occasion open and close the catering snack bar and staff room in line with

procedures.

8. Operate cash register and issue receipts to customers for all purchases.

9. Carry out general cleaning duties as required in the Catering Department and its

associated areas.

10. Work in accordance with duty rotas and work schedules which will be developed to

suit operational requirements.

11. Assist, when required, with the moving and setting up of furniture for catering

purposes in designated areas.

12. Observe health and safety regulations and procedures.

13. Undertake training to complete and maintain Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene

Certificate and allergen training.

14. Undertake any other health and safety training required at regular intervals

15. Follow procedures as directed on the correct handling and use of all cleaning

materials.

16. Report defective equipment/utensils/work and floor surfaces etc. to the Catering

Officer.

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17. Wear a clean uniform which will be provided, along with any protective clothing, when

undertaking your duties at all times, in the interests of health and safety.

18. Ensure you maintain a clean and tidy appearance while preparing or serving food

and drink.

19. Store your personal belongings, to include your mobile phone and/or any

money/purse, in a secure place and not on your person, during working hours.

Lockers or a staff area will be provided.

20. Through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensure diversity is

positively valued and that colleagues, students and visitors are made to feel welcome

in the respective catering areas.

21. Such other relevant and reasonable duties as may be assigned.

22. All duties must be carried out to comply with:

Notification of accidents and other Health and Safety requirements

Locally agreed security arrangements and risk assessments

Fire precautions

St Mary’s University College reserves the right to change and amend this Job

description/Person Specification in accordance with the changing requirements of the

organization. This job description is not definitive. If you require clarification about

any of your duties and responsibilities, please ask the Catering Officer for further

information.

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Variable Hours Catering Assistants will be offered variable hours from mid-September

until the end of June. There will be no requirement to work during July

and August.

During specified teaching weeks (set out each year in May) the

post-holder will work 17 hours per week as follows: -

12 noon until 4.00pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. 12.30pm until

3.30pm on a Wednesday and from 1.30pm until 3.30pm on a Friday.

During specified weeks when there is no scheduled formal

teaching (18 weeks between September and June) hours will be

reduced to 10 per week. These hours will be variable and will be

determined by the Catering Officer, normally providing two weeks’

notice where possible. Graduation ceremonies take place over three

dates in June and Catering Assistants will be expected to undertake

work at these functions. Reasonable notice will be provided.

It is the nature of work as a Catering Assistant that on occasion there

may be additional hours, including evenings and Saturdays, to provide

hospitality for functions. Staff will be expected to undertake a

reasonable amount of additional hours if required.

Pay Grade 1 currently £8.70 gross per hour rising to £8.87 with twelve

months’ service.

Pension The post-holder will be entitled to join the NILGOSC occupational

pension scheme.

Holidays 20 days per annum pro-rata rising to 25 days with service. In addition,

the post-holder is entitled to receive pay for designated Bank Holidays

and days when the College is closed (proportionate to the hours and

weeks worked) if scheduled to work on those days.

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Catering Assistant Hours of Work during scheduled teaching

Hours of work will vary subject to the operational needs within the department. There will

normally be no requirement to work during July and August.

When formal scheduled teaching occurs the post holder will be required to work

seventeen hours per week Monday to Friday during the 21 specified weeks below:-

23rd September 2019 – 13th December 2019

6th January 2020 – 07th February 2020

20th April 2020 – 15th May 2020

DAY Start/Finish HOURS

Monday 12.00pm - 4.00pm 4

Tuesday 12.00pm – 4.00pm 4

Wednesday 12.30pm – 3.30pm 3

Thursday 12.00pm – 4.00pm 4

Friday 1.30pm – 3.30pm 2

Total 17 hours per week

During specified weeks when there is no formal scheduled teaching the post holder

will be required to work ten hours per week with hours to be set out in advance by the

Catering Officer. The 18 weeks in which this applies are highlighted below:-

16th– 20th September 2019

16th December – 21st December 2019

30th December 2019 – 3rd January 2020

10th February – 10th April 2020

18th May – 26th June 2020

Days to be agreed Hours to be agreed 10 hours per week

It is anticipated that the person appointed will be available to start work on Monday 17th

September. A waiting list of suitable reserve candidates will be held for six months and if a

similar position arises during this time, the College may draw off the waiting list.

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Person Specification

Catering Assistant

Essential Criteria

Applicants must provide examples on their application form of the following essential criteria:

Barista experience or experience of making hot speciality beverages such as

cappuccinos, lattes, mochas

Twelve months’ experience as a catering assistant in a similar role undertaking a

range of catering assistant duties from basic food preparation to cleaning tables.

Experience of till operations and cashiering

Ability to maintain a high standard of customer service to students, staff, and visitors.

Ability to receive, understand and convey straightforward information in a clear and

accurate manner

Experience of working within a catering team

Knowledge of the importance of health and safety when preparing and serving food

and undertaking catering duties

All applicants must by the closing date for applications provide full education and

employment history and all applicants must provide the names and addresses of two

referees, one of which should be your current / most recent employer. (Referees must

not be relatives).

Desirable Criteria (these may be applied for shortlisting purposes)

Two years’ experience as a Catering/Kitchen Assistant undertaking a range of similar

duties

Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene Certificate gained within the last five years.

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Explanatory Notes for Applicants

1. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered. The onus

for ensuring an application is received by the closing date rests with the candidate.

2. It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that the application form is fully and

correctly completed, that the declaration is completed and dated and that all required

and relevant information in support of the application is included. Omission of such

information may result in an application form being rejected.

3. All applicants should note:-

3.1 a curriculum vitae submitted in place of an application form will not be accepted;

3.2 additional material submitted with the application form will not be considered

with the exception of the Employment Record.

4. It is preferred that application forms are word processed in a font size not smaller than

10 to ensure it is legible when copied for members of the selection panel. Applicants

submitting a hand-written form must complete it using blank ink and ensure that the

writing is legible.

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5. References

5.0. Applicants are asked to submit the names of two referees, one of who will provide

comments on the applicant’s professional competence in his/her current/last

employment. Both referees should be able to comment on the applicant’s ability to

carry out the tasks of the job. When applicants indicate that they do not wish to

provide such referees they must give reasons. Please note that references should

not be submitted with the application form.

5.1 A person who has a relevant family relationship (see below) should not be named as

a referee. Anyone involved in the selection process that has a relevant family

relationship to any of the applicants, must disclose the fact and shall withdraw from the

selection process. For the purposes of this paragraph a relevant family relationship

shall be deemed to exist between a member of the Selection Panel and an applicant if

they are husband or wife, or living together as husband or wife, or if the applicant, or

the husband or wife or cohabitee of the applicant is the:

(i) Parent

(ii) Grandparent

(iii) Grandson/Granddaughter

(iv) Son/Daughter

(v) Brother/Sister

(vi) First Cousin

(vii) Uncle/Aunt

(viii) Nephew/Niece

(ix) All equivalent step relationships of the member or the husband or wife or

cohabitee of the member.

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5.2 Should a short-listed applicant name as a referee

(a) a member of the short-listing/interview panel

(b) a member of the Board of Governors

he/she will be contacted and advised to name an alternative referee.

These exclusions shall not apply to the College Principal where he is a member of the

Selection Panel and in circumstances where the Principal is the person best placed to

give a reference on the applicant’s academic and/or professional competence in

his/her current/last employment.

5.3 St. Mary’s University College takes a serious view of incomplete / incorrect / false

information being provided on application forms, particularly in the light of the

declaration which the individual completes on the application form. Please ensure all

information is complete, correct and accurate in relation to qualifications, membership

details, employment experience, gaps in employment and any additional information.

Failure to do so will render applications ineligible for further consideration for the post.

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6. Shortlisting

6.0 All applicants will be informed by letter/e-mail as to whether or not they are deemed

eligible for the next stage of the selection process.

6.1 It should be noted that shortlisting will be based solely upon the information provided

by the applicant on the application form. Members of the short-listing panel are not

permitted to take into consideration information known to them personally about any

applicant.

6.2 Please state the grade / level / classification (where applicable) of any qualification you

hold which you wish the selection panel to consider in your application.

6.3 The eligibility criteria set out in the person specification will be used for short-listing and

applicants must clearly describe in their application form that they meet these if they

are to be considered for interview. Desirable criteria may also be applied to shortlist

applicants. Applicants must show on their application form that they meet the desirable

criteria.

6.4 Write down clearly your personal involvement in any experience you quote. Write “I”

statements e.g. I planned meetings, I managed a budget, I prepared a presentation. It

is how you actually carried out a piece of work that the selection panel will be interested

in. The examples you provide should be concise and relevant to the criteria. This is

very important as the examples which you provide may be discussed at interview and

you may need to be prepared to talk about these in detail if you are invited to interview.

It is your role the panel are interested in, not that of your team or department.

6.5 Please include any gaps in employment and the reasons for them.

6.6 It is not sufficient to simply list your duties and responsibilities. If you do not provide

sufficient detail, including the appropriate dates needed to meet the eligibility criteria,

the selection panel will reject your application.

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6.7 St. Mary’s University College is committed to equality of opportunity. Applicants will be

required to disclose information about criminal convictions prior to attendance at

interview and clarification may be sought. This information should be returned to the

Monitoring Officer in the envelope provided marked ‘Strictly Private & Confidential’.

This information will be taken into account only when the conviction is considered

relevant to the post. Any disclosure will be seen in the context of the job criteria, the

nature of the offence and the responsibility for the care of existing clients and

employees.

7. Interview

7.0 If offered an interview, applicants must confirm their acceptance or refusal of the offer

in writing or by telephone / email as requested.

7.1 Interviews will not normally be rescheduled to accommodate applicants who are

unable to attend on the stated date.

7.2 If an applicant fails to present him/herself for interview, it will be deemed that they

have withdrawn from the selection process.

7.3 If an applicant is unavoidably detained en route to interview he/she should contact

the College immediately, (Tel 028 90 327678). Provided that contact is made prior to

their final deliberations, the interview panel may agree, after consideration of the

circumstances, to allow the applicant to attend.

7.4 When preparing for a competence based interview please remember that the panel

will ask you to provide specific examples from your past experience in relation to

each of the competences. You should therefore come to the interview prepared to

discuss in detail a range of examples which best illustrate your skills and abilities in

each competence area. You may draw examples from any area of your work / life

experiences.

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8. Appointment

The appointment will be subject to:

8.0 Proof of qualifications relied upon in the successful candidate’s application. These

must be original documents. Where original certificates are not available for inspection

the onus is on the candidate to produce alternative proof, for example a transcript from

the conferring university/college.

8.1 Evidence of the legal right to work in this country. You will be required to provide:

a) Your passport

AND

b) A document verifying your permanent national insurance number (e.g. P45, P60,

National Insurance card) and your birth certificate which includes the names of

your parents (long version)

c) Other acceptable documents are listed on www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

8.2 Receipt of referee reports satisfactory to the College.

8.3 Receipt of a satisfactory pre-employment medical questionnaire.

8.4 Receipt of a satisfactory Criminal Records Self-Disclosure Form. For jobs that involve

working with children the College may require an enhanced Access NI criminal records

check. Any offer of employment is subject to receipt of a criminal record disclosures

form/certificate satisfactory to us. A Disclosure Certificate sets out any criminal

convictions history you may have. The information disclosed will be used to provide

protection for children and other vulnerable groups.

8.5 Please ensure that you complete and return the equality monitoring form. This

information will be used for anonymous monitoring purposes only. It will not influence

the selection process and will not be seen by the Selection Panel.

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8.6 Canvassing by or on behalf of applicants (with the knowledge of the applicant) shall

result in automatic disqualification of the candidate concerned.

8.7 Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulations 2018: The

information supplied by applicants to the College will be held by the Human

Resources Office and used for the purposes of recruitment, selection, equality

monitoring and employment. The information provided by the successful applicant

applicant(s) will be retained on his/her personnel file. St. Mary’s University College

collects information to assess your suitability for employment and to carry out duties

and functions relating to your employment. Information is also collected and

processed to comply with our legal obligations. We may check information provided

by you, or information about you provided by a third party, with any other information

held by us. We will not disclose information about you to anyone else unless the law

permits us to do so.

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Note to EEA applicants on Brexit

The UK is expected to leave the EU on 29 March 2019. If a deal is reached between the UK

and EU the Withdrawal Agreement will apply and its provisions, including a transition period

until December 2020, will allow EEA nationals coming to the UK to apply for settlement and

retain their current rights.

If there is no agreement there will be no transition period and new arrangements will apply to

EEA nationals coming to the UK after 29 March 2019. It will still be possible to come to the

UK on foot of an EEA passport or national ID but in order to stay for more than 3 months it

will be necessary to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain. This will give leave to

remain for three years. To stay more than three years it will be necessary to obtain

immigration status under the new immigration system planned for 2021.

EU settlement scheme

The settlement scheme allows EEA nationals in the UK by 29 March 2019 or, in the case of

a transition period, by December 2020, to apply for either pre-settled or settled status. If the

applicant has lived continuously for 5 years or more in the UK they will be eligible for settled

status. If the applicant has not been in the UK continuously for five years pre-settled status

will be granted for five years to allow time to move to settled status. Both types of status

protect the rights enjoyed by EEA nationals exercising treaty rights in the UK and there is no

need to obtain immigration status under the new immigration system

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St Mary’s University College

Equal Opportunities Policy - Summary

It is the College’s policy to provide employment equality to all members of staff (whether full

time, part time, temporary or permanent), irrespective of gender, including gender

reassignment, pregnancy or maternity; marital or civil partnership status; religious belief or

political opinion; race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, being an Irish

Traveller); disability; sexual orientation; age.

The College recognises that the provision of equal opportunities in the workplace is not only

good management practice; it also makes sound business sense. This equal opportunities

policy will help all those who work for the College to develop his/her full potential in line with

organisational needs, thus ensuring the talents and resources of the workforce will be

utilised fully to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

The College is opposed to all forms of unlawful discrimination. All job applicants, members of

staff and others who work for it will be treated fairly and will not be discriminated against on

any of the above grounds.

Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be

made objectively and without unlawful discrimination.

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 also places a statutory duty on the College to

have due regard to the promotion of equality and good relations internally and externally.

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Managers Role All Staff

Comply with the College’s Equal

Opportunity Policy, Equality Scheme &

equality legislation.

Make sure that discrimination &

harassment do not occur.

Treat seriously any equal opportunity

issues that are raised.

Be fully familiar with the complaints

procedure – & make sure that

appropriate action takes place if a

complaint is made.

Treat staff fairly & objectively in all areas

including allocation of duties,

performance management, training &

development & the handling of

grievances & complaints.

Promote a harmonious working

environment in which all staff are

encouraged to apply their diverse talents

and in which no worker feels under

threat or intimidated.

Be proactive in challenging unacceptable

behaviour.

Read & comply with the terms of this

Policy.

Notify an appropriate line manager if they

believe they have been discriminated

against or have witnessed such behaviour

involving others.

Make sure you never make comments or

behave in ways that others could find

offensive and challenge others from

making comments or acting in ways which

could cause offence.

Treat people according to their unique

needs.

Be aware of the complaints procedures.

Advise line managers or the Human

Resources Department about any working

practice or procedure which appears to be

unlawful.

Be aware that individuals can be held

responsible for an act of discrimination,

harassment or victimisation. This can

result in: disciplinary proceedings – which

may in serious cases lead to dismissal.

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Making a Complaint

A member of staff who believes that they have suffered any form of discrimination,

harassment or victimisation is entitled to raise the matter through the College’s

Procedures for Dealing with Complaints of Bullying and Harassment. All complaints of

discrimination will be dealt with seriously, promptly, and confidentially.

In addition to our internal procedures, members of staff have the right to pursue

complaints of discrimination to an Employment Tribunal or a Fair Employment Tribunal.

Members of staff, although not required by legislation, are encouraged to raise complaints

of discrimination using the appropriate internal complaints procedures in the first instance.

Every effort will be made to ensure that members of staff who make complaints will not be

victimised. Any complaint of victimisation will be dealt with seriously, promptly and

confidentially. Victimisation will result in disciplinary action and may warrant dismissal.

At any stage members of staff have the right to seek advice and support from the Equality

Commission for Northern Ireland – 028 90 500 600