Job responsibilities

Knowledge, Training and Expertise

Contribute to the development of spiritual healthcare in a multi-faith setting, being sensitive to and aware of the varying pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of diverse ethnic groups, and to assist staff on responding to their needs.

Assist and advise external partners, e.g. representatives of faith communities, in the pastoral care of their people while in hospital, and to receive information from them, always observing the rules of confidentiality by which every NHS employee is bound

Adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct (2024) of the Council for Professional Chaplains and Pastoral Carers (formerly UKBHC

Communication Skills and Working Relationships

Be an informed, visible, and active presence in the Trust, visiting wards or departments frequently; ensuring that the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, staff and relatives are met.

Communicate clearly and empathetically with patients, relatives and staff at all times.

Use advanced communication skills and inter-personal skills to give and receive complex information often in sensitive or intense situations, e.g. following receipt of bad news or where there may be barriers to understanding or acceptance

Work with the early pregnancy, maternity and neonatal teams to offer support to parents and families experiencing baby loss at any stage of gestation, or the care of extremely ill babies.

Actively offer a ministry of encouragement to staff and offer time and space for supportive listening and counsel when sought

Help patients, relatives and staff articulate their pastoral, spiritual or religious needs and identify resources to address them

Ensure that the prayer rooms, Chapel and Oasis are properly maintained and accessible to all.

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Contribute to education programs within the Trust to enhance understanding of spiritual, cultural, and religious needs of patients and staff

Provide support to members of multi-disciplinary teams engaged in pastoral and spiritual assessment or referral, to help this become a standard part of patient care

Planning and Organisational Skills

Plan and organise own workload

Ensure that suitable religious services, rites, and ceremonies are made available to all who require them, without discrimination and in consultation with ward staff and the patients religious community as appropriate.

Plan, organise and conduct adult contract funerals, baby funerals (at any stage of gestation) thanksgiving, memorial, and other services as required

Freedom to Act

Initiate and take responsibility for own work pattern within the parameters of national standards and Trust polices

Attend appropriate meetings related to work, both inside and outside the Trust

Be a part of the Chaplaincy response within the Trusts major incident plans and response.

Management Responsibility

Supervise trainee chaplains and chaplaincy volunteers as required

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent work or life experience) with demonstrable learning in a relevant field such as counselling, pastoral care, psychology, psychotherapy, religious studies or theology.
• Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognized/established sponsoring faith community or belief group.
• Evidence of annual continued professional development relevant to healthcare chaplaincy to UKBHC standards

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification (or equivalent life or work experience or working towards) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
• Registration, or ability to be registered with the UKBHC
• Qualification (or working towards) in pastoral supervision (such as those recommended by APSE), coaching, management or leadership

Experience

Essential

• At least 2 years full time experience, or equivalent, of working as a designated healthcare chaplain

Desirable

• Experience of supervising volunteers

Skills

Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge of tenets of own faith/belief tradition
• Knowledge of and engagement with faith/belief traditions beyond own
• Evidence of proactive practice of CPD
• Knowledge of current research in healthcare chaplaincy
• Evidence of offering spiritual care beyond own faith/belief boundaries with evidence of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy
• Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care, and on finding/searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement
• Evidence of the ability to manage time prioritizing workload including a commitment to continuity of service provision

Desirable

• Engagement with safeguarding, information governance, audit, service evaluation or research
• Training in research, audit and service evaluation
• Ability to deliver training at a variety of levels
• Ability to adapt ritual (which can come from a variety of sources) in an appropriate style to context in clinical environments
• Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions
• Ability to lead reflective practice
• Act as an informed theological/philosophical and ethical resource in complex pastoral and clinical situations
• Evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress - e.g. meditation, prayer, exercise, journalling, reflective supervision

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Evidence of working collaboratively, contributing to team and sustaining positive working relationships with colleagues
• Evidence of establishing and sustaining relationships in pastorally complex and challenging environments, demonstrating empathy and compassion while taking personal responsibility and initiative
• Evidence of fluent and effective communication in speech and writing
• Evidence of practising professionally within recognised boundaries in [pastorally diverse settings (as set out in the Code of Conduct)
• Ability to create and lead ritual or other spiritual process in a way that is sensitive to the pastoral context and faith/belief traditions of those present
• Possession of a professional chaplaincy identity rooted in ones one religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and behaviours, skills and specialist knowledge
• Emotional availability, cultural humility, and a positive use of power and authority, within clear and responsible boundaries
• A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significant stress on a sustained basis
• Ability to apply theoretical knowledge or ethical issues relating to health care
• Commitment to work within UKBHC Code of Conduct

Other

Essential

• Access to own transport
• Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral, out of hours, within 60 minutes

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).