Practical Cookery and Independent Living Instructor

The closing date for completed applications for this post is 9am on Friday 16 October 2026, and it is anticipated interviews will take place on Tuesday 03 November 2026.

Hours: 35 hours per week (Monday-Friday 830am–430pm)

Salary:  £30,339 - £32,527 (SCP 21 - 24)

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The successful candidate will use practical cookery, baking and food-related learning as an engaging route to independence, confidence and achievement. The post holder will plan and deliver safe, inclusive and motivating sessions for young people in secure and residential school settings, helping them develop the everyday skills needed to shop, budget, prepare nutritious food, manage a home and make informed lifestyle choices.

The successful candidate will possess strong practical cookery, baking, hospitality or catering experience and be able to translate their skills into positive learning experiences. The post holder will work alongside teaching, care, throughcare and skills academy colleagues to support accredited learning, successful transitions and young people’s participation.

Main Tasks

• Support young people, through timetabled sessions, to engage with learning on practical skills for living, including food preparation and hygiene, planning and budgeting, and healthy lifestyle choices.

• Contribute to, understand and work to lesson plans

• Ensure that young people’s learning outcomes are evidenced

• Working alongside Education, Care, Throughcare and Advocacy colleagues, deliver sessions, which promote the young people’s voice within service design and delivery

• Adherence to risk assessments and safety plans

Practical cookery, baking and food skills

• Plan and deliver timetabled practical cookery and baking sessions that are engaging, appropriately challenging and relevant to independent living.

• Teach about safe food preparation, kitchen hygiene, nutritional, menu planning, portioning and shopping.

• Introduce a range of recipes, adapting activities to individual needs, interests and abilities.

• Maintain a clean, organised and safe learning kitchen, including appropriate stock control, equipment checks and allergen management.

• Support enterprise and hospitality activities where these provide meaningful opportunities.

Independent living and healthy choices

• Help young people build practical skills in budgeting, household planning, reducing food waste and making informed choices about health and wellbeing.

• Connect cookery learning to real-life contexts, including living independently, employability, further learning and community participation.

• Encourage confidence, perseverance, teamwork, creativity and pride in achievement.

Planning, learning and accreditation

• Work with GTCS-registered teaching colleagues to contribute to lesson plans, learning materials and individual learning approaches.

• Gather clear evidence of participation, progress and achievement and contribute to assessment for relevant National Qualifications or wider awards.

• Differentiate activities so young people with varied needs can participate and succeed

• Use young people’s feedback and interests to shape learning and improve engagement.

Relationships, safeguarding and safety

• Build consistent, respectful and boundaried relationships using relational and trauma-informed approaches.

• Support positive behaviour and respond calmly to challenge in line with school policy, risk assessments and individual safety plans.

• Follow safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, hygiene and allergen procedures.

• Complete activity-specific risk assessments and ensure safe use and storage of ingredients, utensils and equipment.

Collaboration and professional practice

• Work closely with colleagues to coordinate support and promote positive outcomes.

• Contribute to meetings, reviews, educational visits and transition planning where relevant.

• Undertake mandatory and role-relevant training and maintain professional knowledge in cookery, nutrition, food safety and inclusive practice.

• Carry out other duties appropriate to the nature and grade of the post.

Please note this job description is to provide a clear and concise statement of the main tasks and activities of the post, and it is not intended as an exhaustive list of every aspect of the post holder's duties.  All the above duties will be carried out in line with Rossie policies and procedures. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Knowledge Base (Essential):

• Strong practical knowledge of cookery and baking techniques, kitchen organisation and safe food preparation.

• Sound understanding of food hygiene, allergens, nutrition and healthy eating.

• Understanding of safeguarding, professional boundaries and safe working practice, or the ability to develop this quickly.

Knowledge Base (Desirable): 

• Awareness of Curriculum for Excellence, National Qualifications or other accredited learning.

• Understanding of relational and trauma-informed practice and the needs of care-experienced young people.

• Knowledge of budgeting, food poverty, sustainable food choices, and reducing food waste.

Qualifications (Essential):

• A relevant qualification in professional cookery, hospitality, catering, food education or an equivalent level of experience.

• Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate, or willingness to achieve this.

• Full driving licence

Qualifications (Desirable):

• Level 3 Food Hygiene or food safety qualification.

• Allergen awareness, nutrition, teaching/training, assessor or first-aid qualification.

• Recognised food-health qualifications.

Experience (Essential):

• Substantial hands-on experience of cooking and baking in a professional, community, educational or comparable setting.

• Explaining or demonstrating practical tasks to others.

• Planning activities, organising ingredients/equipment and maintaining safe standards.

Experience (Desirable):

• Working with young people, including those who may need additional support.

• Catering, hospitality, community food, training, employability or food education.

• Supporting accredited learning, enterprise or wider achievement.

Skills (Essential):

• Confident practical cookery and baking skills, with the ability to model safe techniques.

• Ability to make practical learning accessible, enjoyable and relevant.

• Strong communication, relationship-building and organisational skills.

• Ability to remain calm, consistent and solution-focused

• Competent in the use of IT.

• Ability to manage stock, resources and budgets responsibly.

Skills (Desirable):

• Ability to develop menus and activities around young people’s interests, cultural preferences and dietary needs.

• Ability to contribute to evidence gathering and assessment for qualifications.

• Creative skills in food presentation, enterprise or hospitality.

Qualities (Essential):

• Warm, respectful and encouraging, with clear professional boundaries.

• Patient, resilient, dependable and able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.

• Committed to young people’s rights, voice, safety and achievement.

• Flexible and willing to learn about secure care, education and trauma-informed practice.

• Committed to Rossie’s aims, vision and values.

Qualities (Desirable):

• Creative and innovative in designing engaging learning experiences.

• Naturally curious and committed to keeping up to date with developments in food, nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

• Confident in promoting wider achievement and celebrating success

• Positive, solution-focused approach to overcoming barriers to engagement

Full Clean Driving Licence - Essential

Sponsorship - Please note that Rossie do not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications at present.

We acknowledge that AI can support applications, but we ask that yours reflects your true self. By applying, you confirm that all information is accurate and represents your own knowledge, skills and experience.