Head Chef Nathan Looks To The Future With Operations Manager Apprenticeship
When Nathan Jones joined the team at Blenheim Court Care Home as Head Chef in January 2022, he discovered that alongside having a positive impact on the lives of the residents, he could also learn and develop as a chef and a leader.
Thriving in Blenheim Court’s Dynamic Environment
On arrival, Nathan immediately threw himself into the interactive environment created for residents by the team at Blenheim Court, which included hosting the monthly Food Forum where residents give feedback and ideas are discussed. He enthusiastically committed to creating ambitious menus for the monthly Gala Dinners where residents experience the traditional cuisine and customs of a different country in spectacular style. Having led his team to meet the challenge of catering for 60 residents on National ‘Eat What You Want Day’ last year, Nathan was honoured by Blenheim Court’s Wrinkly Writers Club who wrote him a special poem of appreciation!
Caring Homes’ commitment to giving person-centred care means that all food is tailored to the individual requirements of each resident, and that includes incorporating unique dietary specifications and personal preferences. Nathan is present at every meal service and attends the nurses’ weekly clinical meetings so he can better understand any new or changing dietary needs.
Awards and Qualifications Inspire Further Study
2024 was a year of achievement for Nathan; he gained his Level 3 Senior Production Chef qualification after completing a 12-month apprenticeship and was named Chef of the Year at the annual Caring Homes Awards.
Keen to keep improving and developing, Nathan recently began studying for a Level 5 Operations Manager qualification, having heard about it from the Learning and Development team when they brought their Apprenticeship Roadshow to Blenheim Court. It will take 2 years, combining on the job training and off the job training, and Nathan will learn new skills, meeting regularly with his tutor via video calls.
This course will bring fresh challenges for Nathan who explained, “My previous apprenticeship taught me about the management of the kitchen team and helped me to develop skills to run an effective kitchen, whereas this course is more about people management and how I can develop my team. The process is helping me to think of different options and ways of working that I might not have considered otherwise. Having said that, it’s not always easy to change the way you think, but this course helps me to work out how to develop my own skills and the best ways for me to lead”.
An Opportunity to Grow and Progress
Completing this apprenticeship will give Nathan the tools to enhance his people management skills and adapt them to different situations – a useful learning curve for someone who loves being a Head Chef but would one day like to spend more time training chefs and share his experience across the group. Having already established the longest-standing kitchen team at Blenheim Court and built a flourishing relationship with the residents based on open dialogue and collaboration, the attainment of a Level 5 Operations Manager qualification is the ideal next step as Nathan looks to grow and progress at Caring Homes.
