Patient Catering Service Delivery Manager

Job overview

Barts Health NHS Trust manages one of the largest and most complex operational estates in the NHS, supporting some of the busiest hospitals in the country. We are committed to delivering safe, effective and high-quality services that enable outstanding care across East London. We are seeking exceptional Patient Catering Service Delivery Managers (Band 7) to lead our Soft FM Catering team.

Main duties of the job

The postholder shall be responsible for the overall management and monitoring of organisational food safety and delivery within Barts Health. The postholder will have overall responsibility for the management of the in-house staff and delivery of catering services at one of our hospital sites alongside other sites as required. The postholder shall lead regular collaborative menu reviews to ensure that the catering services at the site meet the changing needs of service users, dietetic requirements and NHS and other similar standards, whilst maintaining effective budget management and stakeholder collaboration. The postholder will manage the day-to-day effectiveness of communication between the nursing teams and catering department teams. The postholder will act as the main point of contact for resolving any site complaints / issues from service users and staff, and work with the in-house and outsourced catering service providers to implement continuous improvement initiatives. The postholder shall ensure the catering services at the site are compliant with all relevant legislation and standards, including the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Food and Drink 2022, and submit assurance reports to the trust following regular auditing

The Patient Catering Service Delivery Manager will be responsible for the operational leadership, management and delivery of a high-quality, safe and patient-focused hospital catering service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will ensure that Patient Catering services consistently support positive patient experience, clinical outcomes and nutrition and hydration requirements, while complying with Trust policies, statutory regulations and national standards for healthcare food and drink. .

The postholder will manage the day-to-day operation of Patient Catering services across the hospital, ensuring the effective coordination of food receipt, preparation, production and service delivery to inpatient wards. This will include responsibility for ensuring that food and beverage services are delivered safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards, and that services remain responsive to patient, clinical and operational needs. The postholder will ensure that catering operations are well organised, appropriately resourced and able to meet fluctuations in demand, including during periods of increased activity, service change or operational pressure

The postholder will work closely with the Associate Director of Patient Catering and the Soft FM Dietitian to support the delivery of Trust nutrition and hydration priorities. This will include supporting compliance with therapeutic diet requirements, hydration standards and national guidance, and working collaboratively to address issues that may impact patient safety or experience. The postholder will engage regularly with ward teams, Nursing colleagues and Dietitians to ensure that catering services are aligned with clinical needs and that issues are identified and addressed promptly. The Patient Catering Service Delivery Manager will also work in partnership with the Hospital Head of Facilities to support the effective management of resources and service performance. The postholder will contribute to operational planning and performance discussions and will provide cross-cover across Facilities functions when required, deputising as appropriate to ensure continuity of service and effective operational oversight. The postholder will provide visible, professional and supportive operational leadership to Patient Catering teams, promoting Trust values and encouraging a culture of quality, safety, accountability and continuous improvement. They will be accountable for operational performance, health and safety compliance and service standards within Patient Catering and will manage complex operational issues, making informed and timely decisions to ensure continuity and reliability of service delivery. The role will require the postholder to exercise judgement and autonomy within agreed policies and procedures, escalating issues appropriately where required. Monitoring and improving performance will be a key aspect of the role.

The postholder will be responsible for monitoring key performance indicators and service standards and for contributing to the development and implementation of improvement plans where performance falls below agreed expectations. This will include supporting audits, inspections and reviews, and ensuring that actions are implemented and monitored effectively to achieve sustained improvement. The Patient Catering Service Delivery Manager will contribute to the effective management of financial and staffing resources within Patient Catering services. Working with the Hospital Head of Facilities, the postholder will support the management of service performance against agreed financial and operational targets. This will include monitoring food costs, wastage and quality, identifying opportunities for efficiency and sustainability, and contributing to service development and cost improvement initiatives. The postholder will proactively manage staffing resources, including overtime and agency usage, to ensure that services are delivered efficiently and within available resources.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.