Catering Assistant

Catering Assistant

Location: Derwentside IRC, County Durham, DH8 6QY
Salary: £26,663.57plus excellent benefits
Schedule: Full time 40 hours per week, working hours 8.30am to 6.30pm including weekend work (1 weekend in 3).  

Ready to impact a better future?
As a Catering Assistant in our Justice and Immigration team, you’ll play a hands-on role in supporting the smooth running of daily kitchen operations to help create a safe, well‑run environment for the people we care for. Your work will contribute to a positive, consistent catering service that supports wellbeing and daily life within the Centre.

You’ll help maintain a clean, well‑organised kitchen and stores area, assist with preparing daily meals, and support stock management processes that keep our catering operation running smoothly. It’s practical work with real purpose, where your efforts genuinely touch lives every day.

What you’ll do as a Catering Assistant
You’ll be entrusted to:

• Assist the chef with the preparation and production of the daily menu.
• Maintain exceptionally high standards of food hygiene, cleanliness and food service.
• Check, rotate and store catering deliveries, highlighting any issues and arranging returns when needed.
• Monitor and issue stock in line with procedures, supporting accurate stock control and record keeping.
• Escort deliveries, maintain catering stores and complete daily and weekly cleaning schedules.
• Observe and report any hygiene, health and safety or security hazards.
• Support the catering manager with general kitchen operations and administrative tasks.
• Promote equal opportunities and zero tolerance of discrimination, following all safety and security policies.

Does this sound like you?
You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Basic computer skills including Excel, Word and Outlook.
• An understanding of risk awareness and conflict management.
• Problem‑solving skills and the ability to work under pressure.
• Experience in large‑scale catering (e.g., armed forces, hospitals) and working to tight deadlines.

Vetting and checks:
This role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance, which involves verifying your identity, employment history, nationality, and criminal record to meet government security standards. In addition, depending on the nature of the role, you may need to obtain formal Security Clearance (such as CTC or SC), which includes more detailed background checks on employment, criminal record, and financial history to ensure suitability for working in secure environments. Please note that UK residency requirements may apply for certain levels of clearance. You will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire so we can identify and provide any support you may need to undertake the role effectively.4

Discover all you need to keep growing
We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.

What we offer

• Salary: Competitive salaries with annual reviews
• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Holidays: 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• Training and development: We offer a wide range of learning opportunities with over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
• Wellbeing: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, BUPA Anytime Healthline, wellbeing app, simply health cash plans to claim back money towards healthcare costs, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres
• Discounts: Save across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• Employee networks: Dedicated networks where colleagues can come together to find support, share challenges, discuss ideas, network and be part of a community
• Charity: Support a charity or organisation with a paid volunteering day each year. You can also choose to donate to your favourite charity tax-free, through our Payroll Giving Scheme

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.