Food Production Assistant

Purpose:

The Food Production Assistant will help with the day-to-day food production, making products based on raw ingredients being produced in the gardens/farms. Processing it into food stuff such as jams, chutneys, juices and dishes to sell to internal and external customers in our shops, cafes, at events and online.

The purpose of the role is to assist in running a safe and effective production kitchen environment, where people are being supported to have meaningful roles in the food production team as part of their engagement in our Nature-based Therapies and Skills (NBTS) programmes.

Location & Travel:

Community-based.

This role will be based at Botton Village.

To be considered for the role, you must be able to reliably travel to our site. Please note that Botton is not accessible via public transport, so having your own vehicle is extremely advantageous.  

Duties & Responsibilities:

Enabling Nature-based Therapies and Skills Programmes:

• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary NBTS team, following systems and processes to ensure our food production environments are well-run, efficient and effective in providing places for people we support to have equal, meaningful roles to develop skills in catering, food production and processing.
• Sharing skills in systems, processes, equipment usage, production techniques etc.

Operating safe food environments:

• Delivering safe practice in the food production environment – meeting the day-to-day operational requirements of the Safer Food, Better Business processes and procedures including:

•  Ensuring all required tasks and records/documentation to ensure/evidence we run a safe business are completed.
• Informing risk assessment.
• Reporting unresolvable problems/issues and risks.
•  Reporting buildings and maintenance issues.

• Ensuring the products we make are safe and in-line with all relevant regulatory requirements (e.g. labelling, safety testing etc).
• Proactively seeking solutions to day-to-day operational challenges.
• Assisting with co-ordinating supplies/suppliers and stock management, seeking to minimise waste and deliver value for money.

People:

• Share skills and develop capabilities in the team.
• Assist with integrating and training new staff and volunteers.

Service Development and Promotion:

• Share ideas for service improvement.
• Build and maintain good relationships with stakeholders, including people we support, customers, suppliers, family members, colleagues and partners/visiting professionals, while ensuring the Camphill Village Trust ethos is clearly communicated.
• Help embed the farm to fork ethos, showcasing the nutritious, locally grown produce and demonstrating creativity in using that produce to offer all kinds of delicious food that changes with the seasons.
• Work alongside the retail team to produce items for sale in our shops, café’s and local businesses.

General

• Comply with the Trust’s policies and procedures, including Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity and Data Protection.
• Comply with the statutory provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Employees must look after their own health, safety and welfare and be mindful of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees must co-operate and comply with management instructions regarding health and safety issues and report all accidents, incidents and problems as soon as practicable to their manager or other senior members of staff where necessary.
• Ensure that confidentiality is respected and maintained at all times.
• Attend and participate in team meetings, 1-2-1 supervision sessions and other meetings as required in line with the post.
• Undertake any other duties which are consistent with this post, as directed by line management.

This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the department.

Person Specification:

Education & Qualifications:

Essential.

• Maths and English GCSE Grade C and above (or equivalent to).

Knowledge & Experience:

Essential.

Opportunity provision:

•  An ability to work with our mixed abilities team including people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and others facing barriers to participation in society and work.

Food production:

• A minimum of 1-year’s experience in a farm-based food production environment.

IT Skills:

• Experience in using Microsoft Office (spreadsheets for data in Excel, Word and Powerpoint for reports/presentations) to present information /write reports etc.)

Desirable.

• Experience of working in an environment that provides opportunity for people with learning disability, autism and/or mental health support needs.
• Experience of developing a Farm to Fork offer.
• Prior involvement in completing compliance documentation for ‘Safer Food Better Business’.

Personal attributes:

• A calm, person-orientated approach with a flexible mind set and the ability to take and give direction from and to others.
• Proven ability to be honest, dependable, and dedicated to your role.
• A common-sense approach, fun but mature attitude and approachability are key. 
• Strong and adaptable communication skills.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.

Key Competencies:

• Able to evidence empathy, recognise the needs of others, their individual abilities, barriers to progression & solutions to overcome these.
• Able to influence a positive and inclusive culture.
•  Excellent planning and time management skills.
•  Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
•  Able to support the team to be creative and develop products driven by local, seasonal products to meet customer demands and expectations.
•  Proven IT Competency.
• Must be available to work some weekends, bank holidays, school holidays between the hours of 9 – 5.30

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Camphill Village Trust is an equal opportunity employer.

Camphill Village Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to complete the relevant pre-employment checks including a DBS check.