Join The Team: Food Educator, HMP Stoke Heath
We’re really excited to start a brand new 1-year project with HMP Stoke Heath, a men’s Category C prison in Shropshire - and we’re looking for some fantastic people to come on board. The project is in collaboration with the NHS, who provide the healthcare services at HMP Stoke Heath. We are partnering with the healthcare department to deliver a programme of food-based education and initiatives to support the wellbeing of the men at Stoke Heath.
We’ll be helping cultivate an outdoor wellbeing hub on the prison grounds, where groups can come and learn how to grow food, keep bees and understand the food system on a deeper level. We’ll be supporting the catering team with new, healthy recipes to roll out on the prison menu. And we’ll be delivering our Food 360 programme - a holistic cooking course designed to promote people’s wellbeing through food - to groups of prisoners in Stoke Heath’s staff cafe.
This project will directly engage some of the prison’s most ‘hard-to-reach’ individuals - those suffering from mental health issues and those who might not regularly be attending work or education. We are on the hunt for an amazing Food Educator to lead the delivery of our Food 360 programme and help support the catering team with new recipes too.
Scroll down to read the full job description. To apply, please email your CV and cover letter to info@foodbehindbars.co.uk. Deadline: Thursday 30th November.
Job Title: Food Educator
Location: HMP/YOI Stoke Heath, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 2JL
Hours: 2 x days per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Contract Length: 12 months
Remuneration: £32,000 pro rata (approximately £12,800 annually)
Start Date: January 2024 (subject to vetting)
About us
Food Behind Bars is the leading charity dedicated to transforming the food served in British prisons. We deliver a variety of services and projects at men’s and women’s prisons across the UK, including cookery classes, menu development, food growing, baking and butchery. Our activities cover every aspect of food, cooking, eating and hospitality. We work with prisons on a bespoke basis, co-designing original initiatives that enable prisons to champion wholesome, tasty and exciting food. Our work is shaped around each unique establishment and united by our philosophy of wholesome food for everyone in society.
Job purpose
We are looking for a dynamic and inspiring Food Educator to deliver an exciting cookery education programme at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire. You will be responsible for delivering engaging cooking sessions to groups of healthcare service users in a working education kitchen. You will also work collaboratively with the main prison kitchen, helping develop new recipes to include as an additional Healthy Option on the prison menu.
Each session will be part of our Food 360 course - an integrated programme of food education that takes participants on a journey through food which ultimately leaves them more confident, connected and healthier. The aim of Food 360 is to influence, excite and inspire individuals around food, allowing them to make healthier choices and equipping them with skills and ideas to utilise beyond release. You will be responsible for leading this programme at HMP Stoke Heath.
You will have the opportunity to teach participants how to make a variety of dishes - previous examples of our Food 360 sessions include “One chicken, three ways”, “Store cupboard cookery” and “Healthy baking”. Prisoners will be encouraged to cook, eat and learn together, boosting their wellbeing and gaining skills and confidence in the kitchen that could support their life on release.
We are looking for someone who truly wants to make a difference. This is an opportunity to make your mark, by helping design and deliver a programme of education that supports some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.
Responsibilities
Deliver a set of practical and engaging cooking classes to groups of between 6-8 prisoners per cohort at HMP Stoke Heath.
Work with the prisoners on their individual goals, adapting the course to support their needs and requirements.
Help design each Food 360 session to make them as exciting and thoughtful as possible.
Organise food deliveries to ensure we have all the appropriate ingredients to deliver the sessions.
Liaise with prison staff to ensure classes run smoothly and work alongside the existing prison regime.
Assist the FBB team and Healthcare in recruiting prisoners to attend the sessions.
Help integrate the programme into the wider prison activities, e.g. food growing, cultural celebrations, seasons etc.
Design recipes and education resources for the main kitchen and support the kitchen team more generally.
Requirements
A passionate and experienced trained chef who is looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact through food.
An advocate for healthy eating and positive food practices.
An understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable individuals relating to food access, diet and wellbeing, desired, but not essential.
A positive can-do attitude and a desire to use their skill set to make a difference.
An ability to approach all situations with confidence, flexibility and an open mind.
Experience of previous cookery teaching is desired but not essential.
Additional information
This is a permanent employed position working part time.
All working hours will be based at HMP Stoke Heath.
The successful candidate will have to go through the Ministry of Justice security clearance before commencing employment.
Subject to successful security clearance, the successful candidate will also have to attend an induction training course at HMP Stoke Heath