Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Head of Chaplaincy

The closing date is 20 July 2025

Job summary

This is a role for an exceptional healthcare chaplain who combines practical wisdom gained from extensive healthcare chaplaincy experience, leadership that is compassionate and inclusive, and a vision for how healthcare chaplaincy can develop in response to the evolving nature of the NHS and those it serves.

Main duties of the job

  • Professional leadership of chaplains and the representation of chaplaincy within the Trust
  • Professional and clinical governance to ensure the safe practice of chaplains aligned with national standards and Trust values
  • Strategic planning including an annual plan to meet the needs of service users and the requirements of the Trust
  • Operational management to ensure the day-to-day provision of chaplaincy care
  • Chaplaincy practice that contributes to the duty and on-call rotas
  • Education and training of chaplains and other healthcare professionals
  • Management of resources including a departmental budget
  • Audit, service evaluation and research collaborations

Please note this advertisement can be appointed as either a full time or part time opportunity.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its employees. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year pa/pro rata for part time staff

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

190-0585-DIR

Job locations

RHH/NGH

Sheffield

S10 2JF


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification document for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet all the role criteria.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification document for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet all the role criteria.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master's level degree with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy that includes systematic study in any of the following fields: theology, religious studies, pastoral care, psychology, counselling or psychotherapy.
  • Validated training in spiritual care or equivalent pastoral practice to the level of bachelor's degree with honours that is consistent with sponsoring faith community or belief group.
  • Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognised sponsoring faith community or belief group.

Desirable

  • Registered with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy - an Accredited Register of the Professional Standards Authority.
  • Post-graduate qualification in clinical supervision or professional coaching
  • Clinical Pastoral Education Units through an accredited CPE program
  • Post-graduate qualification in leadership or management

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive track record of working at a senior chaplain level in an acute healthcare setting with a wide range of patient groups.
  • Minimum of five years whole-time experience (or part-time equivalent) of professionally supervised clinical practice as a healthcare chaplain that must include working with adults, palliative and end of life care, and on-call duties.
  • Proven responsibility for professional leadership and operational management of a diverse group of healthcare chaplains.
  • Working knowledge of planning for, and responding to, major incidents and emergencies that require Chaplaincy support.
  • Working knowledge of major faith communities and belief groups in relation to the acute hospital context.
  • Involvement in audit and/or service evaluation.
  • Teaching and training of health professionals.
  • Understanding of the research process.
  • Managing a devolved budget.
  • Managing staff and volunteers.
  • Experience of participating in on-call.

Desirable

  • Extensive track record of working at a senior chaplain level responding to trauma and medical and surgical emergencies.
  • Planning and delivering successful organisational change and/or service improvement.
  • Oral presentations at professional conferences.
  • Publications in peer reviewed journals or books
  • Involvement in teaching programmes and research projects.

Further Training

Essential

  • Evidence of annual continued professional development relevant to healthcare chaplaincy to UKBHC standards.
  • Postgraduate training or development in an area of chaplaincy practice.
  • Postgraduate training or development in management and leadership skills.
  • Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions

Desirable

  • Completion of a recognised Leadership Training Programme
  • Training in Service or Quality Improvement Methods
  • Training through a recognised programme in teaching, tutoring and supporting the learning of others at post-graduate level
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master's level degree with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy that includes systematic study in any of the following fields: theology, religious studies, pastoral care, psychology, counselling or psychotherapy.
  • Validated training in spiritual care or equivalent pastoral practice to the level of bachelor's degree with honours that is consistent with sponsoring faith community or belief group.
  • Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognised sponsoring faith community or belief group.

Desirable

  • Registered with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy - an Accredited Register of the Professional Standards Authority.
  • Post-graduate qualification in clinical supervision or professional coaching
  • Clinical Pastoral Education Units through an accredited CPE program
  • Post-graduate qualification in leadership or management

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive track record of working at a senior chaplain level in an acute healthcare setting with a wide range of patient groups.
  • Minimum of five years whole-time experience (or part-time equivalent) of professionally supervised clinical practice as a healthcare chaplain that must include working with adults, palliative and end of life care, and on-call duties.
  • Proven responsibility for professional leadership and operational management of a diverse group of healthcare chaplains.
  • Working knowledge of planning for, and responding to, major incidents and emergencies that require Chaplaincy support.
  • Working knowledge of major faith communities and belief groups in relation to the acute hospital context.
  • Involvement in audit and/or service evaluation.
  • Teaching and training of health professionals.
  • Understanding of the research process.
  • Managing a devolved budget.
  • Managing staff and volunteers.
  • Experience of participating in on-call.

Desirable

  • Extensive track record of working at a senior chaplain level responding to trauma and medical and surgical emergencies.
  • Planning and delivering successful organisational change and/or service improvement.
  • Oral presentations at professional conferences.
  • Publications in peer reviewed journals or books
  • Involvement in teaching programmes and research projects.

Further Training

Essential

  • Evidence of annual continued professional development relevant to healthcare chaplaincy to UKBHC standards.
  • Postgraduate training or development in an area of chaplaincy practice.
  • Postgraduate training or development in management and leadership skills.
  • Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions

Desirable

  • Completion of a recognised Leadership Training Programme
  • Training in Service or Quality Improvement Methods
  • Training through a recognised programme in teaching, tutoring and supporting the learning of others at post-graduate level

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).

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.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

RHH/NGH

Sheffield

S10 2JF


Employer's website

https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

RHH/NGH

Sheffield

S10 2JF


Employer's website

https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Director

Professor Mark Cobb

mark.cobb1@nhs.net

01142713327

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year pa/pro rata for part time staff

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

190-0585-DIR

Job locations

RHH/NGH

Sheffield

S10 2JF


Supporting documents

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