Are you as safe to work as you could possibly be?

This is a quick update for chefs seeking work in the care sector….many of our clients are requiring the agency chefs to be tested within the last 7 days.

We would advise chefs wanting to maximize their chance of employment to take advantage of the testing facilities local to them available from the NHS. Some sites are offering testing for agency staff but you would need to be tested prior to your employment commencing. Show that you are safe to work and get yourself tested regularly.

Please call Christine for further advice on 0191 516 6118 if you are unsure what to do.

Have you ever thought about packing your bags, jumping on a plane and working a ski season?

White snowy mountains, clear blue skis, beautifully quaint towns and villages all buzzing with bars, restaurants and tourists ready to hit the slopes for action pack ski holiday.

 

Maybe it’s the scenery you crave, maybe you want to meet new people or maybe you want to hit the slopes and learn how to ski/snowboard. Whatever your reasons for wanting to work a season trust me once you do it you will not regret it!

As a Chalet chef you will be expected to cater for anything between 8-30 guests. Most chalets will require you to work alone cooking breakfast, afternoon snacks and an evening meal which is usually a minimum of 3-4 courses. You will need to be confident and experienced in managing a kitchen.  Be a minimum of sous chef level and possess a good knowledge of different cuisines in order to cater to the guests.

When applying for chalet roles most companies will request a full CV along with references and a portfolio of work.

Do not be discouraged if you are not at Sous/Head chef level as there are hotels and guests houses which will take less experienced chefs to work under their head chef.

To get a quick insight into a day in the life of a chalet chef I did a Q&A with Dane an experienced chef who started his career in hotels and now works the seasons as a private chalet chef in the French Alps.

Q. Dane you started doing ski seasons back in 2015 what is it about the ski season that makes you choose to go back every season over working in the UK?

A. Having worked in hotels in the UK and Chalets in France I would pick the ski work every time.For me having 6 hours off in free time every afternoon to ski is the dream!

Q. We all know chefs work long hours and split shifts, what does your typical day look like and do you get any time off to go up the mountain or have a social life?

A. A normal day for myself is 7-11 and then 5-9, giving myself most of the day to ski or relax. TIP: make dessert during breakfast!

Q. I take back what I said about the hours, yours are fantastic. What is it about working a ski season that you love so much?

A. I love all of it. For me it’s not only a job but a lifestyle. It’s not all fun and games. Some weeks are harder and longer hours than others. It usually depends on the guests, some weeks are the best time ever and others are not so much

A. Are there any downside to working a ski season (apart from having to go home at the end)?

Q. It is hard work. Some guests can be demanding. You need to be very versatile in the kitchen and be able to manage your time.

Q. Last question what advice would you give to any chefs thinking about doing a season?

A. There are 3 things to do in the mountains Work Ski and Party. You cannot do all 3 and last a season. Pick 2 knowing work must be one of them. Stop thinking about it and just go for it. It’s a game changer, you will never look back!

As a chef if you have the right training and attitude the world is your oyster.

 

You may be aware that the government made further announcements to clarify the state of play for PAYE workers this morning. Whilst it is good that we have an update on the situation, the information is still unclear on exactly how pay will work out for workers on zero hour contracts. We would advise that anybody in need of urgent funds should apply for Universal Credit.

We are working together to get all the details ironed out so we can give you a clearer picture on Monday 30th March and advise you of what exactly you need to do. All self employed workers should follow government guidelines on the HMRC website to make their own personal claims.

In the meantime if you do need somebody to chat to then do not hesitate to call your usual consultant. We will be happy to give you all the help we can in this worrying time.

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank our chefs and general assistants working at care homes and other vital locations across the region. You are doing an important job and everybody appreciates your hard work!

Dean, Melika, Christine, Liam and Ashleigh

As the threat posed by the COVID-19 strain of the Corona Virus is growing we have implemented an action plan to protect our workforce and our clients.

NEW CANDIDATES

All new candidates will undertake a health questionnaire designed to assess the likelihood that they have been exposed to/are displaying symptoms of  the virus.

EXISTING WORKFORCE

All our temporary workers will be issued with an Corona Virus Information Update via email which will give you advice on what to do if you think that you have been exposed to the virus or if you are displaying symptoms associated with the virus. It is vitally important that you read this information. This update can be found below:

Updated Corona Virus (COVID-19) Advice for Employees of Adkins and Cheurfi

The risk associated with COVID-19 infection for people in the EU/EEA and UK is currently considered moderate to high.

It is the responsibility of all of us to help prevent and contain it’s spread.

Travel

If you have been overseas in the last 14 days and are feeling unwell, please call 111

If you have came into close contact with anyone with confirmed coronavirus, please call 111

Current areas of high-risk concern are: China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Iran, Italy, Myanmar or Vietnam.

Main symptoms of Corona Virus are:

• A Cough
• A high temperature
• Shortness of breath

Other symptoms include those like a common cold a runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache and a fever that can last for a couple of days

If you think you may be at risk of having contracted the virus call 111 immediately, avoid human contact, stay indoors. Do not go to your GP or pharmacy. Call 111 and await NHS advise.

For full details on self-isolation and common questions asked please see below links to NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/common-questions/

Further information can be found on the government website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

 As an Adkins & Cheurfi Employee

• We request you call the office and declare if you have returned from anywhere outside of the UK in the last 14 days.
• We also request you must inform us of any pending travel plans to anywhere outside of the UK.
• Due to the nature of our work health and hygiene is paramount please do not accept shifts or go into to work if you are feeling unwell.
• If you do need to cancel a shift due to illness, please call the office and let us know asap.
• To safeguard yourself and others during shift please wash your hands regularly with warm water and soap
• Take a hand sanitiser and pocket tissues with you to work.
• Always cough and sneeze into a tissue then immediately discard of that tissue.
• Notify a supervisor immediately if you become unwell whilst on shift.
• If you are working in a live-in position, please follow the company policies on the coronavirus and notify a manager/supervisor if you are displaying any symptoms and are feeling unwell.

Thank you for your hard work and cooperation and please don’t hesitate to call the office if you have any questions or concerns.

CLIENTS

We have now begun supplying our clients with details of our Corona Virus action plan. We urge any clients who believe that they may have a possible out break of the virus to inform us immediately.

We trust everyone to act responsibly and follow not only our advice but government advice which can be found on the NHS Website.

If anybody does have any questions please call the office on 0191 516 6118.

So, we’ve made it through the winter months and it won’t be long before we say hello to lighter nights and the occasional ray of sunshine…. We have come to the final third of a busy first quarter and we thank you as ever for your hard work and professionalism. Please read the following important information to keep yourself in the loop of all the latest developments and advice from us to you:

HOLIDAY PAY

From 1st April 2020 our holiday year is changing. Instead of the current January-December holiday year we will be changing to an April-March holiday year. This should help with ensuring you all take your holidays properly throughout the year. Please remember holiday pay is not a method of topping up your weekly wage but is to be used when you are on holiday from work. If you are working then that does not constitute a holiday period. Consultants are not responsible for ensuring you get your holiday pay. Please email susan@adkinscheurfi.co.uk with all holiday pay requests. Bear in mind that holiday pay requests must be received a full week in advance to ensure they are processed with payroll. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter and if you have any queries call the office on 0191 516 6118 to chat with us.

PERMANENT VACANCIES

Over the last few months we have placed many of our team in permanent roles. If you are working as a temp at a business and you think you might like a permanent job there then let us know! We can negotiate a better salary on your behalf and advise you on the going rate for your skills in today’s market. If you have been approached by the client but you are unsure what to do about it then give us a call and we can have that conversation.

LIVE IN CHEFS

We are currently expanding our remit further afield and seeking live in chefs for a number of properties across Scotland and the Lake District. If you know a reliable, experienced chef who would like some live in work for the upcoming summer season then please put them in touch with Christine or Melika.

COMPLIANCE

We are committed to investing in the ongoing training of all our staff. We are continuously auditing our staff compliance to ensure we provide a safe and effective workforce. If you have been contacted by your consultant to complete your Food Safety and Allergen training then please respond and complete at your earliest convenience to avoid losing bookings. Thank you for helping keeping yourselves and our clients safe and well.

CORONA VIRUS

As we are sure you are all aware the UK Chief Medical Officers have now raised the status of risk posed by Corona Virus from low to moderate. It is the responsibility of all of us to prevent and contain it’s spread and as an Adkins and Cheurfi employee you must call the office and declare if you have returned from any of the following countries in the last 14 days: China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Iran, Italy, Myanmar or Vietnam. Symptoms of Corona Virus are similar to those of the flu and if you think you may be at risk of having contracted the virus call 111 immediately, avoid human contact, stay indoors and do not go to your GP or pharmacy. Call 111 and await NHS advise. Further information can be found on the government website.

Thanks again for your hard work and cooperation from the Adkins Cheurfi office team 🙂

As part of our ongoing commitment to investing in our staff we offer free health and safety training to all our workers. During February we will be auditing our files to ensure that we continue to to provide the most compliant, qualified staff to our clients. We make every effort to match the right candidate to the right client and health and safety in the workplace is an important consideration.

We can offer the following modules free of charge:

• Food Safety Level 2
• Food Allergens
• Health and Safety Level 2

Once completed, the certificates are yours to keep on file and remain valid for three years. Please remember that all chefs and any staff that handle food should possess Food Safety Level 2 and Food Allergens certificates as the bare minimum. We would appreciate your co operation in helping us keeping you compliant and up to date with current health and safety legislation. We will be sending access codes out this week to any staff who are missing certificates. You can then access our online training provider and complete the modules from home. Please keep an eye on your email inboxes and if you have any queries please email christine@adkinscheurfi.co.uk or call the office on 0191 516 6118.

Alternatively we are happy to help you complete this necessary training and will continue to run sessions in the office every Wednesday 10am-12pm. If you would like to book on to one of the sessions please call us and we will be happy to oblige.

 

We are delighted to announce that Dean, Liam, Christine and Ashleigh are getting their walking shoes on to tackle the Hambleton Hobble….all in the name of a good cause.

As you know we have partnered with the Foundation of Light over the last twelve months to raise money for their charitable efforts which directly benefit the Wearside community. The Hambleton Hobble is a gruelling 30 mile trek around North Yorkshire. We will be setting off to complete the trail at 7am Wednesday 25th March come wind rain or shine! We would be delighted with any sponsorship donations to speed us on our way, no matter how big or small.

We will keep you updated on our preparations and will send you friendly reminders to sponsor us over the coming weeks!

Thank you in advance for your generosity

The Adkins Cheurfi team 🙂

 

 

Merry Merry Christmas to all of our fantastic staff and clients!

We would like to thank all of our chefs, front and back of house staff for their professionalism, hard work and cooperation in what has been another busy year of growth. We have now supplied into Scotland and supported clients as far away as the French Alps and look forward to pushing on in the New Year.

It is not only the business that has grown but we have grown in numbers too…..we would like congratulate Melika and her partner Nick on the birth of their daughter Gia who has was born Monday 11th November (not that it’s stopped her from coming in to the office to check on proceedings!) Dean and Lizzie have also had the recent pleasure of welcoming their second child in to the world! Congratulations to the Adkins family on the birth of their little girl Vivienne Rae who entered the world on Friday 13th December.

For those of you working over the Christmas period please contact Christine on the office number for any issues or queries. Liam and Ashleigh will also be contactable if you urgently need to speak to somebody. Payroll dates have been published on our Facebook page and will be re posted in the next few days so please take note. Susan, as ever is the contact for time sheets. Please send your hours to her direct at susan@adkinscheurfi.co.uk, thank you.

We are looking forward to organising for big things in the roaring (20)20’s and wish you and your families all the best….

Dean, Melika and the team

Fantastic to be featured in this quarter’s Sage ‘What’s On’ guide as an extremely proud corporate partner of The Sage Gateshead

Please follow the link to read the article

https://sagegateshead.com/news-from-our-corporate-partners-adkins-and-cheurfi/