Housekeeper & Cook

Job Description

Abbeyfield is a charity for elderly people, providing housing to more than 7,000 residents across the UK and internationally. It is our mission to enhance our residents’ quality of life through high quality accommodation in a stimulating environment, maintaining a socially active life.We’re committed to providing the highest standards of care to our residents, and we believe that great care starts with great people. The interests of our valued staff and residents sit at the heart of what we do.Abbeyfield is more than a home; it’s a neighbourhood, a community, a family. Are you ready to be a part of it Job DescriptionIn return for your commitment, we offer a great pay and benefits package. This includes: 29 days paid leave, including bank/public holidays (pro rata) Opportunity to learn and develop new skills Occupational sick pay scheme Company pension scheme Shop and save discounts Description of the roleYour role is to maintain service continuity to our residents, through ensuring an efficient handover process is adopted by all house staff. You’ll go out of your way to ensure that all residents feel welcome, included and involved in the house(s), and matters affecting the house are communicated to them as required.You’ll organise social activities, consistent with housing management and health and safety requirements. You’ll consult with residents and volunteer groups, and the activities you design and provide reflect Abbeyfield values and policies, and do not interfere with the smooth running of the house, and are appropriate to the requirements of residents.Independence of residents is maximised in line with their abilities. And all residents remain involved in the community in line with their individual needs, aspirations and abilities.You’ll take responsibility for ensuring all staff, volunteers, trades persons and other visitors are managed effectively when on site, and all records and administration are accurate and kept up to date. And naturally, you will go out of your way to ensure that all areas of the House(s) are clean, tidy and meet all Health and Safety and Environmental Health requirements. Our Ideal CandidateAre you a naturally caring person, who is compassionate, and understands the needs of older people Can youinteract well withand build strong working relationships a wide range of people in varied situations And in a modern workplace, as you would expect, you should be able to use computers and IT applications, and be able to read, write and work with numbers to a good standard.A strong and supportive team player, you’ll also need to be a competent cook, who can keep to a budget. You’ll also be skilled in supervising and supporting your team of General Assistants, and will know how to get the best from them.If you are already experienced in working in a similar role within services for older people, and have knowledge of tenancy management and tenant participation, then even better. It would also be beneficial if you held a current driving licence. You will also need tohave a First Aid Certificate and Food Hygiene Certificate. However, if you do not possess these, full training will be provided to ensure you obtain these within the first few months. About the House or Home you’ll be working inSet in the heart of Corbridge, Riverhill is surrounded by beautiful stone buildings and is close to a variety of quaint shops including traditional sweet shops, vintage boutiques and an award winning bookshop. You will find everything you need from the butcher, the baker to the candlestick maker. The picturesque cobbled streets of Corbridge have many tearooms and restaurants for you to try out if you wish.Riverhill was built in 1800 and is a listed building. Previously it was used as a doctor’s surgery before becoming part of Abbeyfield in 1972. We have great transport links with a bus stop right outside the house which will take you into Hexham or if you feel like travelling further, you could visit Carlisle and Newcastle. We are fortunate to be next to the Roman Town tourist attraction which attracts people from all around the world.Our house has 10 flats which all vary in size from quite small to very large which is typical for a house of this age. Two of our flats are situated in the courtyard and have 1 bedroom, a separate kitchen, bathroom and lounge area. We have a beautiful communal lounge and large conservatory which are both perfect for relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet. The rear of the house overlooks the River Tyne and the front of the house has the view of St Andrews Church, which makes for a lovely view all round.Here at Riverhill we understand the importance of socialising and have regular coffee mornings for residents to get together. It is wonderful to arrange these social meetings where everyone can enjoy a good old natter over a cup of coffee and a biscuit or two.We like to celebrate special occasions throughout the year such as resident’s birthdays, Easter and Christmas and decide between us how the residents would like to mark these occasions.