Spiritual Care Lead - Band 6

Job description

Job responsibilities

Patient and Family Support Provide person centred spiritual care to patients and those close to them, respecting their beliefs, values, and preferences. Facilitate life review, spiritual counselling, and enable practices such as prayer, meditation, or rituals as requested by patients or families. Offer presence and comfort during critical transitions, including end-of-life moments and bereavement support. Diversity and Inclusion Collaborate with individuals of diverse faith traditions, spiritual practices, and those without a formal faith background. Be a resource to the multi-disciplinary team to develop an understanding of culture and religion in end-of-life care. Promote inclusivity and respect in all interactions with patients, families, hospice MDT and external community partners. Community Engagement Develop active relationships with local faith communities, spiritual organisations, and secular groups to enable the strategic ambitions of the hospice. Lead and represent the hospice at community events, interfaith gatherings, and educational forums. Work in collaboration with the hospice Community Engagement team, raising awareness of spiritual care and other hospice support. To represent the hospice publicly, both planning and leading various services, for example, the annual Light up a Light service Teaching and Education Provide education to hospice staff, volunteers, and community members on spiritual care principles, end-of-life practices, and compassionate communication. Facilitate workshops or discussion groups and contribute to patient/carer groups. Collaborate with local faith leaders to develop educational opportunities. Share your knowledge and understanding of world faiths and other belief systems, in particular at end-of-life and in bereavement. Volunteer Leadership Recruit, train, and supervise a team of spiritual care volunteers to extend support to patients and those close to them. Provide ongoing leadership, resources, and supervision to ensure volunteers deliver sensitive, safe, boundaried spiritual care. Coordinate volunteers workload, matching to patients based on needs and compatibility. Communication Engage effectively with individuals in difficult situations, adapting communication styles to their needs. Involve clients in decision-making, respecting their choices and perspectives. Provide constructive feedback and foster strong multidisciplinary collaboration within the hospice and community healthcare teams. Personal & Professional Development Commit to continuous professional development, including annual appraisals, supervision, and participation in audits or research. Stay informed on spiritual care advancements and integrate relevant models into hospice services. Promote the role of spiritual care in palliative care and contribute to internal/external meetings. Work across clinical services to develop confidence and skills to talk with patients/families about their spiritual care needs. Quality & Service Improvement Maintain high standards, adhering to professional and hospice guidelines. Implement evidence-based practices and contribute to quality measurement, evaluation, and service development. Stay updated on hospice policies and procedures. Health, Safety & Security Identify and mitigate risks, adhering to health & safety regulations and lone-working protocols. Report safety concerns and comply with information governance policies. Maintain annual training in key areas such as CPR, manual handling, and fire safety. Equality & Diversity Uphold and promote equal opportunities, treating all individuals with dignity and respect. Address bias and discrimination appropriately. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in interactions.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Degree level in theology, religious studies, chaplaincy, or a related discipline or demonstrable equivalent level of experience relevant to role

Desirable

• Additional training or qualifications in pastoral care, counselling, or healthcare chaplaincy.
• Accreditation with a relevant professional body, such as the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) or membership in the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains (AHPCC).

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in the context of palliative care or a heath or social care area within a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of volunteer recruitment, leadership and training
• Awareness of risks and safeguarding

Desirable

• Experience of volunteer recruitment, leadership and training
• Experience and knowledge of implementing service improvement, initiating, and managing service change
• Experience of working with local community organisations/groups, culturally diverse and multi faith communities
• Experience of teaching/facilitating training
• Insight and understanding of the challenges to equity of access to hospice support and care

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Excellent verbal/written skills in communication and ability to produce written reports
• Demonstrates professional behaviour and communication
• Confidence in own professional decision making based on evidence based best practice
• Can identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions to resolve problems in relation to service delivery
• Can manage conflict in a variety of situations
• Can identify opportunities for team learning

Additional Criteria

Essential

• An understanding and empathy for the work of the Hospice
• Warm, compassionate and empathetic nature.
• Flexible and adaptable, supportive team player
• Self-managing, highly self-motivated and able to take the initiative
• Non-judgemental - with respect for individual beliefs and cultural diversity.
• A role model who can influence, motivate and encourage others
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, with professionalism and integrity
• Committed to own learning and self-development
• Resilient and able to face set-backs and manage change

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Driving license and own transport to travel to community settings across BNSSG
• Flexible, mainly daytime Monday-Friday but may include occasional on-call duties dependant on patient and family need or event outside of usual working hours

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.

Employer details

Employer name

St Peter’s Hospice

Address

St Peter's Hospice

Charlton Road

Bristol

Somerset

BS10 6NL

Employer's website

https://www.stpetershospice.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)