Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Chaplain at Cambridge University Hospitals. This is your chance to become a vital part of our compassionate and dedicated team, providing spiritual and pastoral care to our diverse patient community.
As a Band 6 Chaplain, you will play an instrumental role in offering emotional and spiritual support to patients, families, and staff from various cultural and religious backgrounds. Your empathetic nature and excellent communication skills will help foster a comforting and inclusive environment for those in need.
We are looking for someone with relevant qualifications and experience in pastoral care or chaplaincy, who is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of others. If you have a deep understanding of the complexities of hospital life and a genuine desire to support the well-being of our patients and staff, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
At CUH the Chaplain will provide the following:
Deliver spiritual care to patients, their loved ones and staff, utilising their understanding of faith/belief, combined with their experience in pastoral care to provide person-centered support.
Work collaboratively within the Chaplaincy Team, and wider CUH teams, to ensure integrated practice, optimal care and adherence to guidelines/standard operating procedures.
Operate reflectively as a practitioner, seeking to develop their practice and be a catalyst for wider team change to the benefit of the hospital and patients we serve.
Provide compassionate, empathetic and holistic staff support to sustain wellbeing and spiritual health.
Working one to one, in groups and with teams.
To work flexibly across our service delivery locations, supporting Chaplaincy colleagues, and being responsive to the demands upon the Chaplaincy service.
To contribute towards the development and delivery of training within the Trust.
About us
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 3rd September 2025.
Interviews are due to be held on 15th September 2025.
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 3rd September 2025.
Interviews are due to be held on 15th September 2025.
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Approximately 1600 hours of professionally supervised clinical practice as a designated healthcare chaplain.
- Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care.
- Evidence of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
- Evidence of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
- Engagement with safeguarding, information governance, audit, service evaluation or research.
Desirable
- Experience of supervising volunteers or healthcare pastoral assistants/care workers.
- Training in research, audit and service evaluation.
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge of tenets of own faith/belief tradition.
- Knowledge of and engagement with faith/belief traditions beyond your own.
- Offer spiritual care beyond own faith/ belief boundaries with evidence of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy.
Desirable
- Evidence that the candidate proactively practices CPD. Knowledge of current research in spirituality in healthcare
Skills
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 compassionwhile taking personal responsibility and initiative.
- Evidence of fluent and effective communication in speech and writing.
- Practice professionally within recognized boundaries within 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 needs of those present.
- A professional Chaplaincy identity rooted in one's own religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and behaviours skills and specialist knowledge (vocational canon).
- Enhanced use of self in chaplaincy practice including emotional availability, cultural humility, appropriate self-disclosure, positive use of power and authority, and clear and responsible boundaries.
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significance stress on a sustained basis.
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significance stress on a sustained basis.
- Commitment to work within UKBHC Code of Conduct.
Desirable
- Deliver training at a variety of levels.
- Adapt ritual (which can come from a wide 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.
- Demonstrable evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress. E.g. Meditation, prayer, exercise, journaling, hydration, reflective supervision
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- Ability to travel independently in accordance with organisation policies and service need.
- Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral within 60 minutes.
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
- Postgraduate qualification (or equivalent life or work experience or working towards) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
- It is not compulsory for Chaplains to be registered with UKBHC but the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care recommends choosing them from an Accredited Register
- Qualification (or working towards) in pastoral supervision (such as those recommended by APSE), coaching, management, or leadership.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Approximately 1600 hours of professionally supervised clinical practice as a designated healthcare chaplain.
- Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care.
- Evidence of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
- Evidence of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
- Engagement with safeguarding, information governance, audit, service evaluation or research.
Desirable
- Experience of supervising volunteers or healthcare pastoral assistants/care workers.
- Training in research, audit and service evaluation.
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge of tenets of own faith/belief tradition.
- Knowledge of and engagement with faith/belief traditions beyond your own.
- Offer spiritual care beyond own faith/ belief boundaries with evidence of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy.
Desirable
- Evidence that the candidate proactively practices CPD. Knowledge of current research in spirituality in healthcare
Skills
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 compassionwhile taking personal responsibility and initiative.
- Evidence of fluent and effective communication in speech and writing.
- Practice professionally within recognized boundaries within 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 needs of those present.
- A professional Chaplaincy identity rooted in one's own religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and behaviours skills and specialist knowledge (vocational canon).
- Enhanced use of self in chaplaincy practice including emotional availability, cultural humility, appropriate self-disclosure, positive use of power and authority, and clear and responsible boundaries.
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significance stress on a sustained basis.
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significance stress on a sustained basis.
- Commitment to work within UKBHC Code of Conduct.
Desirable
- Deliver training at a variety of levels.
- Adapt ritual (which can come from a wide 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.
- Demonstrable evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress. E.g. Meditation, prayer, exercise, journaling, hydration, reflective supervision
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- Ability to travel independently in accordance with organisation policies and service need.
- Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral within 60 minutes.
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
- Postgraduate qualification (or equivalent life or work experience or working towards) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
- It is not compulsory for Chaplains to be registered with UKBHC but the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care recommends choosing them from an Accredited Register
- Qualification (or working towards) in pastoral supervision (such as those recommended by APSE), coaching, management, or leadership.
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).