Hospital Chaplain in Huntley

We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly motivated and experienced healthcare chaplain with a track record of providing spiritual, pastoral and religious care (SPaRC) in an NHS healthcare setting. This role will involve supporting the development, delivery and implementation of the Trust's Spiritual Care Policy and providing high quality pastoral, spiritual and religious care to service users of all faiths and beliefs.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the effective working of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care team.
• Respond to referral by assessing the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs and refer to an appropriate staff Chaplain or faith community representative if necessary.
• Ensure good communication and collaboration with all members of the Chaplaincy Department and follow established procedures and policies.
• Share in the provision of 24‑hour on‑call cover; make decisions using own initiative about spiritual needs in crisis situations and respond to emergency calls in week and weekend night‑times while meeting the required response time.
• Share in the daytime duty rota (08:30 –16:30).
• Receive and respond to referrals from members of the healthcare team, visit wards and departments on a regular basis during daytime hours, maintain the spaces for prayer and reflection and provide resources for worship and spiritual expression.
• Assist in the planning of the work of Chaplaincy Volunteers.
• Participate in projects and operational groups as directed by the Lead Chaplain.
• Prepare and disseminate briefing material, reports and liturgical material as directed by the Lead Chaplain.
• Assist with Chaplaincy service developments, including Major Incident planning and implementation.
• Provide a supportive presence within the Trust.
• Contribute to audit and research within Chaplaincy practice.
• Assess spiritual health and wellbeing needs, develop spiritual care plans, keep written and electronic records, manage referrals and determine a timely response, maintain confidentiality, obtain informed consent and provide or facilitate spiritual and pastoral care sensitive to the cultural, faith and belief realities of the diversity of service users.
• Deliver ritual consistent with the chaplain’s faith or belief tradition, devise, coordinate and lead ritual to meet needs, conduct Trust funerals, organise rites and sacraments that cannot be undertaken by the post holder and make referrals to appropriate faith leaders and community ministers of religion.
• Model working relationships that respect the integrity of others, assess and respond to staff pastoral and spiritual needs, schedule time for staff support, collaborate with other relevant departments in promoting staff wellbeing, identify other sources of staff support and facilitate referral.
• Identify the learning needs of self and others, contribute to the planning and delivery of learning opportunities, contribute to the selection, training and supervision of Trust Chaplaincy Volunteers, train and oversee trainee chaplains and pastoral care placement students and contribute to Trust and/or Departmental Induction Programme for new staff.
• Present education and training sessions to a variety of internal and external groups as directed by the Lead Chaplain.

Person Specification

• In good standing with a faith or belief group as defined by the Network for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care in Health.
• Appropriately authorised, licensed, or commissioned for the role of healthcare chaplain.
• Bachelor's Degree level or higher in Theology or Pastoral Care or other relevant discipline.
• Evidence of Continuing Personal Development (CPD).
• Postgraduate certificate or diploma in healthcare chaplaincy or enrolled on this training.
• At least five years of experience of employment as an NHS healthcare chaplain.
• Registered as a Board‑certified chaplain with the UK Board for Healthcare Chaplaincy.
• Working knowledge of faith and belief systems other than one's own, and the ability to apply this knowledge in a diverse context in a health care setting.
• Digital and verbal communication skills desirable for effective communication of information within the organisation and with the public.
• Able to meet the transport demands of the role and respond to emergency on‑calls with 1 hour response time.