Supervise food services

This standard is about supervising the food service and making sure that the service area and equipment are suitably clean and ready for use and is likely to be used by a supervisor responsible for the activities within the area of work on a daily basis under the direction of the relevant manager.
Great food service is actually about more than just the food itself – it needs a knowledgeable and capable team to deliver it. Many customers may be slightly forgiving towards mediocre food but one thing they won’t tolerate is poor service!

When supervising food service, it’s important to make sure staff are well briefed on what’s required and have the information they need to follow correct procedures; reducing any potential risks or hazards. It’s also paramount to communicate with customers on a regular basis and make sure the service is being delivered efficiently and effectively in line with your organisation’s standards.

This standard covers the key elements of supervising the food service including planning; supervising cleaning, clearing and restocking; checking equipment; liaising with other departments and dealing with problems to ensure that service meets the required standard.

A holistic approach to food safety is essential to providing a quality food service and this is addressed in detail in standard HSL30.When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to:

• Supervise food services

1. Make sure staff have the skills, knowledge and resources they need when they  need them and encourage staff to ask questions if there is information that they do not understand
2. Inspect the food service areas to make sure they are comfortable, attractive  and arranged as agreed
3. Inspect the food service preparation areas to make sure that they been prepared in line with requirements, to the standard agreed and in time to allow the scheduled food service to be provided
4. Make sure your staff follow food service procedures, maintain the appearance of  the food service area in line with customer requirements, conduct and present themselves according to organisational requirements and standards
5. Lead staff to identify different customers and their real and perceived needs and communicate with customers in a manner that promotes a positive customer experience
6. Make sure the food service complies with legal requirements, industry regulations, social responsibility, professional codes and organisational policies
7. Liaise with other relevant people and departments to make sure the delivery of an effective food service, inform your staff and customers about any changes  to the service that may affect them
8. Monitor the food service areas and quality of service and take prompt and effective action to deal with any problems
9. Control costs, make best use of available resources and proactively seek new sources of support when issues arise
10. Monitor and review procedures and communications to make sure the food  service meets the needs of customers
11. Collect and pass on feedback and recommend improvements to the relevant people according to your organisation's requirements
12. Give feedback to staff to help them improve their performance where appropriate
13. Use effective methods to gather, store and retrieve information, accurately complete the required records and report on performance to support the service according to your organisation’s procedures

1. The relevant industry specific regulations and codes of practice that relate to the food service operation, how to access them to make sure procedures are kept up- to-date and how to identify, deal with and report any breaches
2. Your organisation’s procedures and standards for food service and customer care and how to make sure that staff follow these
3. How to identify trends in levels of demand which influence staffing requirements.
4. The roles and responsibilities of different people within your department and how these affect food service
5. The information that customers need about the food service and how to provide this effectively
6. How to make sure staff receive the correct training to support their  responsibilities
7. How to organise staff depending on service requirements 
8. How to identify and obtain the resources that you need for food service 
9. How staff should communicate with customers and conduct themselves in the food service area
10. How to communicate operational procedures to staff
11. How to check that equipment is ready for use and what to do in the event of equipment failure
12. Who to consult and how to identify and evaluate possible solutions to problems that may occur during food service, how to minimize disruptions to the service caused by problems and develop contingency plans
13. How to regulate the time you have available and prioritise tasks
14. How food service operations integrate with other activities / departments in the organisation and who to liaise with when you are organising the food service
15. How to correct and report failures according to organisational standards and procedures.
16. Why it is important to seek the views of staff and customers and gain their feedback
17. How to collect and analyse feedback
18. How to give feedback to your staff to help them improve their performance
19. How to present recommendations

Effective methods to gather, store and retrieve information include cost- effective, time effective and ethical means.
Information includes from customers and staff.

The following behaviours are provided as guidance to underpin effective performance of a hospitality supervisor

1. You demonstrate passion for high quality food products and service
2. You identify people’s information needs
3. You are vigilant for possible risks and hazards
4. You clearly agree what is expected of others and hold them to account
5. You monitor the quality of work and progress against plans and take appropriate corrective action where necessary
6. You confront performance issues and resolve them directly with the people involved
7. You take pride in delivering a high quality service
8. You work to develop an atmosphere of professionalism and mutual support

It is strongly recommended that HSL30 which covers food safety hygiene in the preparation and serving of food and drink is undertaken in conjunction with this standard. This standard is a sector specific standard and has particular links with the following units in the Hospitality Supervision & Leadership suite of standards:
HSL1-8, HSL11, HSL15, HSL16, HSL19, HSL25, HSL24, HSL26, HSL27, & HSL28