Community Catering Kitchen Porter

Job Title:                           Kitchen Porter

Reporting to:                    Manager - COPE Galway Community Catering

COPE Galway's Community Catering service prepares, and home delivers fresh tasty, affordable meals to older people, and people living with a disability or chronic illness. Meals4Health is a social enterprise of COPE Galway that provides a supportive workplace environment.

The person in this position will work together with the Kitchen Porter team under the direction of the Chefs on duty. This is a varied and interesting role and is an excellent opportunity to join our dynamic team.

Our Values, Our Work, Our People 

Our Vision is a community where every person is valued, cared for, and supported at every stage of life. We work to achieve this by providing essential supports for people at challenging times in their lives, and by advocating for systemic change to remove the root causes of inequity and disadvantage that constrain the well-being and development of individuals, families and communities.  

Our Mission is to make a difference by empowering people, creating change and strengthening communities. We understand, respect and respond to the needs of our clients who are always at the forefront of our work.  

COPE Galway is committed to becoming a Trauma trauma-informed organisation through an implementation plan that includes training for all team members across all roles and departments. Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) aims to support us to recognise trauma and to react and respond to it in ways that minimise triggering and re-traumatising people, so that we continue to provide the best possible services to those who need us most. TIP also encourages us to focus on our organisational culture and how we each interact with one another to create psychologically safe environments for clients, volunteers and staff. It encourages us to reflect on our own triggers and responses and considers personal and organisational responses to staff wellbeing to ensure that our people are supported to deliver the best services they possibly can to those who need them most. 

Everything we do is guided by the COPE Galway Approach to help us achieve our vision of a community where every person is valued, cared for and supported at every stage of life.  

This assets-based and person-centred approach recognises that each person has attributes and strengths that can make positive differences in their own lives. We achieve results for the people we work with because of our Approach.  

The COPE Galway Approach is built on  

Understanding - Deep listening, storytelling, learning, developing, openness, connections. 

Respect - Valuing the whole person, empowering, trusting, believing in the potential of others, drawing on strengths and abilities.  

Response - Quality, professionalism, making an impact, challenging ourselves, continuous improvement.  

Strong human relationships form the basis for the COPE Galway Approach. These relationships are established on how we understand and respect those we work with and how we respond so that we positively impact people's lives.  

Our Team is supported by regular support and supervision, and access to our Employee Assistance Programme. Our people receive a wide variety of on-the-job training, with core training including Trauma Informed Practice, First Aid Responder, MAPA (Management of Actual and Potential Aggression), Overdose Response and Naloxone Administration and additional trainings including Values Workshops, Diversity Workshops and Harm Reduction Workshops.

Duties and Responsibilities

• General cleaning duties across all sections of the kitchen facility.
• Manage wash-up area, maintaining a supply of cooking ware & kitchen utensils.
• Help keep the food storage areas organized.
• Arrange equipment and ingredient deliveries.
• Be capable of working on your initiative and be organized in one's approach to working with the ability to work as part of a team.
• Be enthusiastic, approachable, communicative, and flexible.

• Ensure food safety & hygiene polices & procedures are strictly adhered to throughout all stages of the food flow chain.
• Ensure the Kitchen & equipment are cleaned to the required standard and daily cleaning schedule is complete.
• Report any equipment faults and repairs necessary to the supervisor on duty
• Familiarize yourself with safety features of the service including manual handling the Fire alarm system, fire blanket and fire extinguishers.

• Adhere to COPE Galway Code of Conduct.
• Provide support and assistance to kitchen volunteers.
• Participate in appropriate training programs as required.
• To work with the team to ensure HACCP processes are strictly followed & required daily documentation is complete.

• Meals provided on duty.
• Training in Trauma Informed Practice
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program
• Employee benefits such a special rate at gyms
• Pension
• Income Protection
• Training and upskilling will be provided.

Key Terms and Conditions

Hours of Work:                30 hours per week Monday to Friday office hours ordinarily. Occasional out-of-hours work may be required

Contract:                          2 Year Fixed Term Contract

Pay:                                  € 14.12 Hourly Rate

Scale:                               Clerical Officer Grade Scale Point 1

Hours:                               Relief hours - Sunday (every 2nd Sunday) 6-hour shift

Location:                           Unit 5, Ballybane Industrial Estate, Galway.