Facilities and Services – Catering Manager – HMP Maidstone

Company: Ministry of Justice
Apply for the Facilities and Services – Catering Manager – HMP Maidstone
Location: Maidstone
Job Description:

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for the Food Services for the establishment, including all food areas and staff mess. This is a non‑operational management role with line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities

  • Ensure provision of meals for prisoners and the quality and quantity of meals served.
  • Maintain a safe working environment by requesting repairs to kitchen equipment, conducting ongoing testing and reporting operating faults on the computer‑aided facilities management system.
  • Achieve Service Level Indicators within the unit, verifying and signing off documentation as appropriate.
  • Ensure compliance with all Food Safety Management systems and Hygiene Assessments in the kitchen and associated areas, undertaking Risk Assessments and responding to hazards as appropriate.
  • Cost the menu requirements and manage the catering budget, meeting cultural, health nutrition and special dietary needs.
  • Act as point of contact for external/internal stakeholders such as the Independent Monitoring Body (IMB) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP).
  • Estimate, order and manage resources (generally food and ingredients) to deliver catering requirements, maximizing reduction of waste.
  • Maintain security standards in the kitchen area in line with Local Security Strategy (LSS) and National Security Framework (NSF).
  • Manage prisoner workforce in kitchens, ensuring induction, training, supervision, payment and documentation of prisoners.
  • Implement national policy and contribute to the development of local policy, ensuring consistency across the unit.
  • Collect, collate, analyse and act on data concerning the catering function, including feedback on the choice and quality of food and weekly individual menu choices from residential area.
  • Train wing food handlers on hygiene standards.
  • Carry out kitchen inspections, audit preparation and documentation for audit purposes.
  • Manage devolved budgets in accordance with financial procedures.
  • Manage all staff within area, handling performance, development, annual appraisal and sickness absence.
  • Implement and manage HMPPS standards and Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs).
  • Ensure all national and local policies and procedures are implemented and compliant (NSF, LSS, Finance Manual).
  • Attend and contribute to relevant boards/meetings.
  • Provide leadership and direction to supervisors and staff, building relationships and effective communication.
  • Produce relevant reports and ensure correspondence is replied to within agreed timescales.
  • Liaise and form good relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Contribute to preparation of prison contingency and emergency plans and ensure implementation.
  • Manage resources to deliver activities and contribute to mid‑to‑long term business planning processes.
  • Ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation, undertaking risk assessments and informing staff of responsibilities.

Qualifications and Experience

  • Must hold qualifications and competences of F&S Supervisor – Catering.
  • Must hold a Food Hygiene Level 4 Diploma or equivalent Level 4 award in HACCP.
  • Familiar with applying all current health, safety and hygiene regulations that apply in a working kitchen environment.
  • Previous competency at supervising or managing staff within a kitchen environment.
  • Ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English.

Behaviours (Civil Service Success Profile Criteria)

  • Working Together
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Leadership

Nationality and Nationality Rules

  • UK nationals
  • Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members with settled or pre‑settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status under the EUSS
  • Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

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Posted: May 15th, 2026