Assistant Chaplain

The post holder will assist the Chaplaincy Department in providing diverse and person-centred religious, spiritual and pastoral care to all members of the hospital community, guided by the Lead Chaplain.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chaplaincy team in providing for the religious, spiritual & pastoral needs of all patients, family members and staff within the DGFT.
• Pro‑actively facilitate the expression of all faith and belief groups within the Trust community.
• Respond in a timely manner for a request for a bedside visit to offer pastoral and spiritual support.
• Carry out initial spiritual needs assessment using listening skills and validated assessment tools.
• Support patients and bereaved relatives by providing compassionate religious, spiritual and pastoral care.
• Facilitate visits from local faith leaders in response to patient requests.
• Assist the Lead Chaplain to ensure that the service provided by the Team is for all people of faiths and beliefs, including non‑religious, spiritual and Humanist.
• Assist with Staff Well‑Being initiatives involving Chaplaincy input.
• Provide emotional and spiritual support for parents and families who have experienced pregnancy loss.
• Assist with the conducting of baby cremation services and hospital contract funerals.
• Contribute to multi‑faith and secular events and festivals hosted by the department.
• Attend Chaplaincy team meetings and other training offered by the Trust or outside agencies.
• Participate in very occasional on‑call duties.

This is a pre‑registration post, which will provide the necessary experience that could lead to an application for full registration with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains.

It requires the post holder to have some experience and skills in pastoral and spiritual care that will be nurtured and refined in a hospital chaplaincy setting.

At the Dudley Group our patients and staff are at the heart of all that we do and that is to provide a world‑class service that aligns with our vision of \”excellent health care, improved health for all\”. We are seeking to recruit staff who share our vision and values of making Dudley Group an incredible workplace.

As part of the NHS People Promise, your wellbeing is our priority, and we are committed to ensuring our employees achieve a healthy work‑life balance supported by our flexible working options and by making reasonable adjustments where possible. We believe no‑one should have to sacrifice family, friends, or their personal interests for work. We are a modern employer able to attract and retain high quality staff through our commitment to the NHS People Promise.

As an employer, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. We want to ensure that our workforce is representative of the population we serve. More information – inclusive practice people promise.

Dudley Group offer many opportunities for our staff to develop and grow within their roles through our Learning & OD Team. These include topics such as communication, wellbeing, team development, cultural competency, and values.