Supported Housing Catering Assistant

Response; Oxford; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 20,000; Part time

Job summary

A mental health and housing services provider in Oxford is seeking a Supported Housing Catering Assistant to join their team. The role involves providing meals for residents, engaging with them about their health and nutrition, and cooperating with the team to enhance residents' well-being. The ideal candidate will have a caring attitude and basic food hygiene knowledge. This position offers 26 hours a week and a flexible working pattern, along with various employee benefits.

Benefits

25 days annual leave pro rata

Blue Light card and other discounts

Employee Assistance Plan

Cycle to Work Scheme

Professional qualification sponsorship

£500 refer a friend bonus

Optional health cash care plan

Free flu jabs

Qualifications

• Ability to build relationships and be friendly, respectful, and empathetic.
• Willingness to work towards Level 2 Food Hygiene if not obtained.
• Experience caring for others in personal life is appreciated.
• Methodical work approach with good communication skills.
• Respect for diversity and differences.

Responsibilities

• Provide staple meals for residents.
• Engage residents around diet and nutrition.
• Oversee daily running of in-house catering.
• Assist with menu planning and food deliveries.

Skills

Caring and compassionate nature

Basic Food Hygiene knowledge

Organizational skills

IT skills (Word and Outlook)

Job description

Our mission at Response is to enable people of all ages to live a more fulfilled life by providing excellent mental health services, housing, and supported living.

Do you have the desire to empower and promote independence and an interest in mental health?

Supported Housing Catering Assistant

£25,325 - £27,378 per annum pro rata to £17,795 - £19,238 (Salaries vary depending on experiences)

Hours –

26 hours per week (Flexible Working Pattern – Alternate Weekends and Occasional Bank Holidays)

Service

Rowan House, Littlemore, Oxford

What You’ll Be Doing:

Response is looking for an enthusiastic, friendly and approachable person to join the Rowan House team. Rowan House is home to 25 residents with acute mental health needs. Our roles offer employees variety where every day is different whilst also giving a great sense of pride seeing the positive impact you can have on others.Our clients are with Response to gain skills in living independently, while also focussing on improving their mental health.

Responses aim is to enhance “co-production working” between staff and residents so we work together to develop Responses activities and services. Our clients really appreciate the passion from our Staff too: The staff are caring, kind, compassionate and understanding. They support me and care for me and are first class. I am happier now than I have been in years. Client in Adult Services.

We want you to support us to support our clients in looking after their physical health and wellbeing through diet and nutrition.

Overall job responsibility

• Provide staple meals for residents.
• Work with the support team to engage with residents around their physical health and wellbeing of diet and nutrition.
• Oversee the daily running of the in-house catering provided by Apetito including heating and serving of Apetito meals on a daily basis.
• Oversee the daily preparation of lunch and supper meals including meals not provided by Apetito on a daily basis.
• Ensure the residents have a person‑centred approach with regards to their meal choices and that their dietary needs are taken into consideration when planning menus.
• Assist management with the menu planning and ordering process for food deliveries.
• Keep a clean and tidy work environment to comply with food and hygiene safety regulations.
• Support residents who wish to volunteer kitchen duties in accordance with their care plans, risk assessments and food safety guidance.

The Successful Applicant:

Our main priority is to find people who can live our values every day – Caring, Safe, Creative and Aspirational. We provide excellent training on everything else, but we do ask that you can:

• Build relationships and be friendly, compassionate, respectful,patient and empathetic towards others.
• Basic Food Hygiene knowledge. Willingness to work towards Level 2 if not already obtained.
• Care for others and support them in challenging times. Perhaps you have done this in your personal life for friends or family.
• Work calmly and methodically, with organisational, written and verbal skills.
• Have respect for difference and diversity.
• Use IT, with a basic knowledge of Word and Outlook.

If you feel you would be an ideal candidate but don’t have all the essential criteria, we would still like to hear from you.

What We Offer:

• 25 days annual leave pro rata and standard bank and public holidays.
• Blue Light card and other discounted shopping
• Employee Assistant Plan - with access to free counselling
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Enhanced family friendly leave
• Professional qualification sponsorship and study leave
• £500 refer a friend bonus scheme
• Optional health cash care plan with money off prescriptions and treatments
• Wellbeing hub and mental wellbeing support app – approved by NHS
• Free flu jabs
• Free DBS application

You will receive the training and confidence to use core therapeutic talk therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Strength‑based Trauma Informed Care and Mutual Aid to provide the best possible support to our clients

If this Supported Housing Catering Assistant position sounds like the role for you then we would love to hear from you! Please apply today as this vacancy may be closed early. To learn more about Response and what we do, please visit our website. Closing date – 02/02/2026

All our roles require a DBS check, two references from most recent employers and you must have the right to work in the UK – Unfortunately, Response are not able to offer sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for the role and require sponsorship, you will be withdrawn from the recruitment process. Our employees and clients come from all over the world, we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture and are registered as a Disability Confident Employer.

Our employees and clients come from all over the world, we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture and are registered as a Disability Confident Employer. We welcome applications from individuals with a range of neurodivergent thinking styles and from those who might need reasonable adjustments. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our clients. All our roles require an enhanced DBS check, two references from most recent employers and you must have the right to work in the UK.