The session leader is an integral part of Eat Club’s work and an ambassador for our approach. As such we are looking for skilled cooks/chefs with a passion for food, health, social equality and young people to fill this exciting and flexible role.
The session leader is responsible for planning and delivering Eat Club’s cooking courses in community kitchens across London. This entails supporting and guiding the session attendees in preparing a two/three-course meal and facilitating the shared enjoyment of the food through a convivial meal at the end of the session. Each session has a specific menu relating desired skills outcomes for the group. It is up to the session leader to ensure that those outcomes are met and that the session is safe and inclusive and that reporting requirements are met. The session leader will report back to the Eat Club team throughout the course to ensure that the sessions meet the needs of the participants and any issues are adequately reported and responded to.
The session leader will be provided with the training, support and teaching materials relevant to the tasks and responsibilities associated with the role.
MAIN TASKS
The Session Leader strives to deliver successful sessions that enable participants to learn how to prepare healthy, affordable and delicious food in a welcoming, clean, safe and enjoyable environment.
- Procuring the ingredients needed for the session and taking them to the session venue.
- Preparing themselves for the session; ensuring that they are familiar with the teaching materials and session objectives and that both have been suitably adapted to meet the needs of participants when relevant.
- Preparing the kitchen or workspace in order to deliver a safe and efficient session; including correct storage of ingredients, fire, health and safety checks and easy access to the materials and equipment needed.
- Keeping record of session attendees on a weekly basis and collecting relevant monitoring data inline with the needs of the session and associated project and respecting of Eat Club’s Data Protection Policy and Data Protection law.
- Delivering the sessions in a safe and timely manor, inline with the session objectives.
- Ensuring the safety of participants in the sessions with the safe handling of knives, use of ovens, hobs and other heat sources and following of food hygiene principles.
- Supporting and guiding attendees through the application of recipes and facilitating a nature of cooperation and team-work among participants.
- Overseeing the setting of the table and joining the communal meal following the session. Session leader are expected to eat with participants and facilitate an inclusive conversation.
- Reporting to Eat Club’s Designated Safeguarding Officer on a monthly basis and ensuring that all issues to of concern are dealt with in a timely and appropriate manor inline with Eat Club’s safeguarding policy
- Maintaining good working relationships with the organisations with which the sessions are delivered.
- Actively contributing to and improving the Eat Club programme, proving feedback as appropriate.
- Attending and participating in training sessions organised by Eat Club as appropriate.
- Attending quarterly Eat Club team meetings in person or via teleconference.
- Any other duties commensurate with the post.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
Being a Session Leader with Eat Club provides a great opportunity to hone planning, cooking and teaching skills in a lively community environment where participants and spaces vary from one course to the next.
Qualifications
Essential
- 7 GCSE’s or equivalent with grade C or above in Maths and English.
- Must be able to legally work in the UK
- Be registered as self-employed with HMRC
- Hold a valid DBS (Eat Club can help with the application)
- Hold a valid Food & Hygiene level 2 for catering certificate (Eat Club can support in achieving the accreditation)
Desirable
- First Aid at work
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- Advanced cook
- Passion for food and food education
- Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent time keeping skills
- Excellent people skills, able to inspire, engage and train members of a small group
- Team player
- Detailed knowledge of food, healthy eating and cooking on a budget
- Excellent group management skills
- Conflict resolution abilities
- Excellent communicator
- Flexible and patient facilitator that can adapt to different learning abilities and environments
Experience
Essential
- Working with young people
- Working in a community setting in a culturally diverse area
- Leading or facilitating workshops
- Cooking and preparing food in a busy environment
Desirable
Managing a member of staff or volunteers
Compensation
This is a flexible, part- time position. We pay £21 per hour (~ 3 hours’ pay per session)
TO APPLY
Send a CV and covering letter setting out your experience, suitability to the role and availability and why you would like to work with us to the Eat Club Chief Executive Ruth Soroko: info@eat-club.org