School Cook – Complex Diets

School Cook – Complex Diets
Location: Meldreth, Nr Royston, Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire border
Contract Type: Permanent, Full time 
Hours: 40 hours per week (Monday to Friday), 52 weeks per year
Salary: £13.87 - £15.53 per hour (£28,849.60 - £32,302.40 per annum), depending on experience, Plus £1,500 Welcome Bonus*

Are you looking for a catering/cook role that doesn’t require evening or weekend working?

Do you have an interest in catering for young people with special dietary needs?

About us:

The Aurora Group is an innovative provider of education and care for children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities.

Aurora Meldreth Manor School, Meldreth Manor Children’s Home and Orchard Manor Adults Residential Home, provides education, care and therapeutic support for children aged 6–19 years and young adults aged 18–30 years with severe and profound communication, cognitive and physical difficulties associated with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, brain injury and degenerative disorders.

The role:

We’re currently looking for a Catering Manager/Residential & School Cook to lead our onsite catering service.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll oversee the preparation and delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals tailored to the complex dietary needs of our service users. You’ll manage a small team including a Senior Cook and Catering Assistant, ensuring compliance with food safety standards, budget control, and a person-centred approach to mealtimes.

You’ll be responsible for supervising staff, conducting probation reviews, supporting performance development, and fostering a positive team culture. You’ll also contribute to leadership development across the catering team, helping staff grow in confidence and capability.

You’ll work closely with therapy, education, and care teams to develop inclusive menus, support themed events, and contribute to emergency planning for catering operations. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Please see our full job description below:

Catering Manager Job Description

We’re looking for someone with:

• Experience managing a catering service in a care or education setting
• Proven track record of team leadership, staff supervision, and performance management (e.g. probation reviews, coaching, feedback)
• Experience supporting leadership development and fostering team growth
• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and health & safety legislation (including COSHH and Natasha’s Law)
• An interest in or experience catering for complex dietary needs
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PDF)
• Attention to detail and accuracy in documentation, planning, and communication
• Demonstrated ability to manage and monitor budgets effectively, including stock control and supplier liaison
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults

What’s on offer?

🌟 What’s on Offer at Aurora?

We believe in supporting you as much as we support the children and young people in our care. Here’s a snapshot of the fantastic benefits waiting for you:

📚 Grow with Us – Training & Development

Learning never stops at Aurora! We offer a wide range of training programmes and career development opportunities to help you build your skills and reach your goals.

💸 Save Money on Everyday Essentials

With the rising cost of living, our Perkbox app helps you stretch your money further:

• Discounts on groceries, phone plans, internet, dining out, gym memberships & more
• Access to our Cycle to Work and Car Scheme

💰 Competitive Pay & Reward

We regularly benchmark our pay and benefits to stay ahead of the curve. You’ll enjoy:

• Enhanced Annual Leave
• Company Sick Pay
• Enhanced Pension
• Life Assurance

🩺 24/7 GP Access – For You & Your Household

Need a doctor? No problem. Book a phone or video appointment anytime, day or night. This service covers everyone in your household.

🦷 UK Health Cash Plan

Cover everyday healthcare costs like dental and optician bills. You and your children are included in the scheme, and you can upgrade to add your partner too!

🧠 Employee Assistance Programme

Your wellbeing matters. Get confidential support on a wide range of issues, including:

• Freephone counselling (available 24/7)
• Online tools and resources

👯‍♀️ Refer a Friend – Earn £1,000!

Know someone who’d be a great fit? Refer them and get rewarded!
(*Terms apply)

How to apply:

You can apply online by completing our online application form. For more information on this position please contact kirsty.wilkinson@theauroragroup.co.uk

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children and young adults.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search. 

* Welcome bonus is payable in 2 payments -  50% following successful completion of probation and 50% after one year service