Left to right: Nikki Frost, Dora Brown, Lorena McCauley, Sarah Sim,
Mary Rio, Teresa Jackson and Pete Chandler. Absent -Neil McCarthy.
Qualification recognises Whakatāne
kitchen staff service & skill
By Nikki Frost, Whakatāne Hospital Support
Services Coordinator.
Between them, the group of five has 69 years’
experience of cooking and prepping food
at Whakatāne Hospital and now they have
qualifications recognising their service and skill.
Earlier this month the cooks and kitchen hands; Mary Rio, Lorena
McCauley, Dora Brown, Teresa Jackson and Neil McCarthy
received their Service IQ Level Three Catering Services
certification.
To facilitate the training, myself and Kitchen Cook and weekend
Supervisor Christine Isley became qualified workplace assessors
and Food Services Supervisor Sarah Sim was the onsite verifier.
6
We are so very proud of their achievements. Some would get up
at 4 o’clock in the morning to study before doing a full shift in the
kitchen – there were no days off for study leave.
All five were so grateful for the opportunity. A celebration was
held where the group were presented with certificates. One of the
recipients Mary Rio said the certificate meant she now had formal
recognition of the work she has done for many years. And the
achievement was even better because the group had embarked
on the study journey together.
Attending the presentation celebration, Executive Lead BOP
Health System Evolution, Pete Chandler described the team’s
sense of achievement as brilliant. “We are proud of you and happy
that you’re proud of you too. This is validation of what you do.”