Head Chef

St Mary's Care Home, Norwich, Norfolk

Pay:: £16 per hour
Type:: Permanent
Shift:: Days
Closing date:: 17/03/2026

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About the company

At Kingsley Healthcare, we are more than just a care home group - we are a proud, family-run business driven by a passion to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives every single day. Our dedicated teams transform care into a calling, delivering excellence with compassion, integrity, and respect.

As the UK’s only large care home provider to achieve B Corp certification, we continue to lead the sector in responsible, values-driven care. In 2024 and again in 2025, we were honoured to be named Health Investor’s Residential Elderly Large Care Provider of the Year, a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation.

For eight consecutive years, we’ve been recognised among the Top 20 Large UK Care Home Groups by carehome.co.uk, reflecting consistently high standards and resident satisfaction. We are also proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, ensuring that the dedication of our team members is valued and fairly rewarded.

Our commitment to people-first values has earned us outstanding workplace recognition, including a 4.7 rating on Glassdoor, a 4.5 rating on Indeed, and the No.1 ranking in the UK for wellbeing at work (Indeed’s Better Work Awards 2023).

If you're passionate about delivering exceptional care and want to be part of a forward-thinking organisation that puts both its residents and people at the heart of everything it does, we’d love to hear from you.

About the role

As a Head Chef, you will play a crucial role in providing nutritious and well-balanced meals for residents while ensuring a high standard of culinary excellence. You will be responsible for managing the kitchen staff, overseeing food preparation, menu planning, and maintaining compliance with relevant health and safety regulations. In addition to cultivating a positive dining atmosphere for residents and catering to their special dietary requirements, this role encompasses crucial responsibilities. You will play a pivotal role in staff training, ensuring a commitment to health and safety standards, and upholding a pristine and well-organised kitchen environment.

Reports to: Home Manager

Skills and attributes

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Executive Chef in a similar setting.
• Culinary degree or relevant certification.
• Knowledge of nutrition, dietary needs, and food safety regulations.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other departments within the care home.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work efficiently under pressure.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations and procedures.
• Ability to train and supervise kitchen staff.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays.

Education and qualification

NVQ Level 3 in Catering or equivalent qualification, desirable.

What will you gain?

You will have the satisfaction of working with, and being supported by, an enthusiastic and caring team that puts people at the heart of the business. We know the happiness of our staff improves the service we give our residents. You will have plenty of opportunities to learn and develop your skills, and we have the procedures and processes to help you at every step.

Benefits

Comprehensive induction and training programme.
Opportunities for career development and progression.
Employee Assistance Programme
Blue Light Card Scheme. We’ll reimburse the enrolment fee of this fantastic scheme that offers discounts on holidays, days out and over 15,000 national brands.
Loyalty Bonus: Accrue up to 5 additional holiday days depending on length of service.
Refer a friend and receive a thank you gift of up to £500 *
We’ll pay for your full DBS disclosure
Your uniform will be provided – this is another cost that we think it’s essential that we cover for you.
Enhanced rates of pay for bank holidays
Paid breaks – we think it’s essential that all staff can take breaks without fear of losing money, so we pay for you to have a break during working hours.

Location

St Mary’s Care Home, set in the pleasant rural village of Crostwick, between Norwich and Wroxham, offers residential, dementia and respite care in a relaxed environment that feels very homely.

North Walsham Road, Crostwick, Norwich NR12 7BZ

Visit care home page

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You automatically have the right to work in the UK if:

you’re a British or Irish citizen
you have pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme - or you’ve applied and you’re waiting for a decision
you have a family permit from the EU Settlement Scheme
you have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
you have right of abode in the UK

You might have a right to work in the UK if you have a visa with a time limit. This is called having 'limited leave to enter or remain’.

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Are you able to upload a CV with your application?

Yes

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This vacancy is approximately miles from your address, you will be required to travel to the care home for work. Please make sure you have suitable transport before continuing your application.

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

I understand that if I receive an offer of employment with Kingsley Healthcare my future employment is conditional on the company receiving, to its satisfaction, two employment references.

Criminal Record Check

I will be required to declare and sign a self-disclosure where I will be asked: “Do you have any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) by SI 2103 1198' specifically in the UK, or anywhere else in the world?”

I also understand that Kingsley Healthcare will verify the above declaration in the UK by requesting a Disclosure from either the Disclosure & Barring Service (England & Wales) or Disclosure Scotland. In relation to anywhere else in the world, checks will be verified as appropriate.

Disclosure & Barring Service Adults Barred List (England & Wales) and Protection of Vulnerable Groups Adults List (Scotland)

I understand that my name should not be on the above lists, which prohibits me from seeking employment with Vulnerable groups. I also understand that Kingsley Healthcare will verify this as part of the criminal records checking process.

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I agree that I am not currently subject to a referral to the above lists

I have read the and confirm there is nothing preventing me from applying for this role.

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I consent to Kingsley Healthcare using and keeping information I have provided on this application or elsewhere as part of the recruitment process and/or personal information supplied by third parties, such as Referees, relating to my application or future employment. I understand that the information provided will be used to make a decision regarding my suitability for employment and, if successful, the information will be used to form my personal record and will be retained for the duration of my employment and as long as is deemed necessary thereafter. If I am not successful, I understand that Kingsley Healthcare will retain the form for as long as is deemed necessary for the purpose of recruitment and that the Company may use it to contact me in the event of there being any other vacancies for which I may be suitable.

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If there are other vacancies which you may be suitable for, we can email you to let you know when they become available on our website.

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By submitting this form, you confirm that the information provided is correct and understand that any false information or deliberate omissions will disqualify you from employment or may render you liable for dismissal in conjunction with the Company's Disciplinary Procedure