The first accredited award for Professional Cookery in Health and Social Care has been approved by regulator Ofqual. The Level 2 award was announced at the NNC Conference in Nottingham.
Who Will Benefit from the Qualification?
People working in health and social care will have the chance to improve their skills and knowledge and gain an extra qualification. The course doesn’t just teach cookery skills. It also ensures students understand dietary issues and appetite problems. They will learn about the importance of hydration and nutrition to provide them with the tools necessary to create healthy meals for a variety of individuals.
Students will also learn about complex conditions such as Dysphagia. It will help them prepare and cook food for people that suffer from the condition. The qualification will enable students to not only provide a useful service for people but also teach them valuable skills for career development.
Those receiving care will also benefit from the qualification. A healthier diet and an understanding of dietary needs will ensure service users are well nourished and content.
Professional Organisations
Healthcare and hospitality organisations are also happy about the prospects the new qualification will bring to the industry. The chairman of the NACC, Neel Radia, said that not having a proper qualification had been a problem for the industry and that this was a good step forward. She added that chefs and others involved in catering had a lot of talent and knowledge and this qualification would be a way to recognise that. It would also help to raise standards by improving training for new recruits.
Benefits for Businesses
For people wanting to start a career in catering, it seems now is the ideal time. With the qualification being relatively new, people can use the award to show care providers they know the industry.
Start-ups can be relatively cheap, with the essential equipment being cooking materials and a counter display. People can buy equipment from companies such as https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/serve-over-counters.
With qualified staff, businesses are likely to gain more contracts and provide an efficient service.
For those in the catering industry, it looks like a promising future, and the new qualification should attract more people into the health and social catering field. It’s a sector where there are many opportunities for those willing to work hard and improve their skills.
