About us at Hounslow

We’d love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be.

We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture, we’ve built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

About our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. It's about breaking down barriers between our parts and people and unlocking the problem-solving power of our amazing mix of minds. We serve a diverse community, we have a diverse workforce and we are committed to being an inclusive employer.

We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias.

As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There’s space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.

Our Benefits

If you join us, you’ll have access to a range of employee benefits. Read more about these here.

About The Role

This role sits within residential children’s services and is responsible for providing healthy, nutritious, and varied meals for children and young people living in residential units. The Cook plays an important part in supporting children’s wellbeing by ensuring food is prepared to a high standard, meets individual dietary needs, and reflects cultural and religious requirements.

Working closely with managers and the wider staff team, the Cook will plan menus, manage the day‑to‑day running of the kitchen, and ensure high standards of hygiene, health, and safety are maintained at all times. The role also helps create positive mealtime experiences by offering choice, promoting inclusion, and encouraging involvement from young people and families where appropriate. They will work on:

• Planning and preparing balanced, healthy meals for children in care.

• Catering for vegetarian, cultural, religious, and special dietary requirements.

• Offering choice to young people at mealtimes.

• Managing food orders and supplies within budget.

• Maintaining excellent standards of cleanliness, hygiene, and food safety.

• Organising the daily operation of the kitchen and managing time effectively.

• Communicating regularly with managers and using departmental systems as required.

The role offers opportunities for development through:

• Food hygiene and health and safety training.

• Learning about nutrition and dietary needs in residential childcare.

• Working collaboratively within a multi‑disciplinary team.

• Gaining experience in a care‑focused, supportive environment.

This is a vital role for someone who understands the importance of food in supporting health, routine, and emotional wellbeing, and who wants to make a meaningful contribution to the daily lives of children and young people in care.

About The Team You’ll Be Working In

The Children’s Safeguarding and Specialist Services team is dedicated to protecting and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people. Its core purpose is to provide safe, nurturing, and high-quality care environments that support children’s development, emotional wellbeing, and long-term outcomes.

You’ll be joining a newly formed, forward-thinking residential care team that’s committed to delivering high-quality, child-centred care. Led by the Residential Group Manager, the team will include:

• Residential Manager
• Deputy Managers
• Senior Residential Support Workers
• Residential Support Workers
• A Chef/Cook
• A Handyperson
• A Domestic Cleaner

Together, you’ll work collaboratively to uphold the highest standards of care, guided by Hounslow’s values and the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015. The team is passionate about safeguarding, inclusion, and empowering children and young people to achieve their full potential.

You’ll also work closely with social workers, education providers, healthcare professionals, and families to ensure holistic support and continuity of care.

This team plays a vital role in:

• Delivering statutory care and safeguarding responsibilities.

• Ensuring compliance with national regulations and Ofsted standards.

• Creating tailored care plans that reflect each child’s individual needs and aspirations.

The impact of this work is significant for children and young people to benefit and have stable, supportive relationships, improved life chances, and a sense of belonging within their communities.

About You

You’re someone who understands the importance of good food in supporting children’s health, wellbeing, and sense of routine. You take pride in preparing meals that are not only nutritious and balanced, but also enjoyable, inclusive, and suited to the needs of children and young people living in residential care.

You may already have experience cooking in a residential, education, or care setting, or you may be looking for a role where your kitchen skills can make a genuine difference. Either way, you’re organised, reliable, and comfortable managing the day‑to‑day running of a kitchen while working as part of a wider care team.

You respect individual needs and choices, and you’re confident planning menus that reflect cultural, religious, vegetarian, and special dietary requirements. You’re happy offering choice at mealtimes and understand how positive food experiences can help children feel valued and included.

You’re confident working to high standards of hygiene, health, and safety, keeping the kitchen clean, well‑organised, and compliant at all times. You communicate well with managers and colleagues, are comfortable using basic digital systems, and can manage food orders responsibly within budget.

You’re open to learning, willing to undertake training, and flexible in your approach to support the smooth running of the kitchen. Above all, you care about doing your job well and want to be part of a team that plays an important role in creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for children and young people in Hounslow’s care.

Read more about the work you’ll be doing in the Role Profile.

Essential for The Role:

Enhanced DBS

Don’t meet every single requirement? We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box. At Hounslow, we realise the ‘perfect candidate’ doesn’t exist. So, if you can do most of what we’re looking for, go ahead and apply. You may be just the right candidate for the job or be perfect for one of our other roles!

When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact

The key information you need about the role should be in the role profile, but if you have any further questions about the role, please contact:

Email: Charmaine.Matthews@hounslow.gov.uk

Interviews for this job will be held during week commencing Monday 8th June 2026.