Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to be an Assistant Chaplain looking after Catholic patients in London, working mainly at Guy's but also at St Thomas', the London Bridge and Evelina London Children's Hospitals.
Guy's and St Thomas' is one of the largest trusts in the country and is highly diverse. This role is to be part of the team looking after Catholic patients from all over the world, and their families, and to support Catholic staff.
It is expected the postholder would be trained in the Spiritual Health Care Academy in healthcare chaplaincy and would be willing to do further training.
Main duties of the job
To be an Assistant Chaplain or a senior assistant Chaplain in the department of spiritual health care which provides for the pastoral, spiritual, ethical, cultural and religious needs of patients, staff and visitors and, where applicable, students within the Trust. Under authority of the Team Leaders, to work as part of the chaplaincy team as an assistant chaplain (trainee) or senior assistant chaplain. The team includes asst chaplains, chaplains, multi-faith/belief chaplains, bank chaplains, honorary chaplains, religious visitors, students and chaplaincy volunteers. To be the religious/belief site lead of their Catholic chaplaincy, if required.
- Discern emotional and spiritual needs
- Arrange appropriate response with available resources
- Provide continuing support and strength
- To be a spiritual, pastoral, cultural and ethical religious resource
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' is one of the biggest and most successful hospital trusts in the country, with a staff of around 23,000, an annual turnover of over £2.1 billion and over 2.9 million patient contacts a year.
The Trust provides a full range of hospital services for local communities in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, as well as specialist services for those who come from further afield, including cancer, cardiothoracic, women's and children's services, kidney care and orthopaedics. The trust covers the Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's Hospital, Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital, and St. Thomas' Hospital. Both Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals have a long history, one dating back almost 900 years, and have been at the forefront of medical progress and innovation since they were founded. Both hospitals have built on these traditions and continue to have a reputation for excellence and innovation. We are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts. Our AHSC is one of only five in the UK. It consists of King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.
See www.kingshealthpartners.org
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. To conduct services for the Catholic community in the hospitals
2. To offer funeral cover for both generic and faith specific. To arrange and lead memorial services particularly for Catholic patients and Catholic staff
3. To visit patients, offering 24 hour cover (as part of a team) for religious and spiritual needs generically and specifically for Catholic patients. To offer rites for the seriously ill, and to train trust staff in care of the Catholic patients.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. To conduct services for the Catholic community in the hospitals
2. To offer funeral cover for both generic and faith specific. To arrange and lead memorial services particularly for Catholic patients and Catholic staff
3. To visit patients, offering 24 hour cover (as part of a team) for religious and spiritual needs generically and specifically for Catholic patients. To offer rites for the seriously ill, and to train trust staff in care of the Catholic patients.
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- To have degree level ordination training, or faith/belief community equivalent which is relevant for spiritual healthcare
- To be authorised by relevant faith/belief community, and to have recognition as a religious/belief leader or as a mature leading member
- To be registered, or to be able to register as a chaplain with UKHBC
Desirable
- To have training in healthcare chaplaincy and pastoral counselling techniques
Experience
Essential
- Experience of communication with people in situations with sensitive information and/or in distressing circumstances
- To have some experience of counselling &/or pastoral techniques
Skills
Essential
- To have specialist faith/belief community knowledge of spiritual care issues, and to be willing to learn about major faith/belief traditions within the healthcare setting, and to be willing to represent own faith/belief within a robust multi-faith/belief and multi-cultural environment. To be able to offer this care within the trust, SLAs and community settings.
- To have specialist knowledge of their own faith/belief community religious rites and rituals and provide the appropriate rites and rituals and care, particularly with the regard to death and the dying, the seriously ill, and birth rites
- Ability to communicate with people in situations with sensitive information and/or in trauma/distressing circumstances
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work as part of a team and operate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment
- To be highly flexible and be willing to work with multi-faith/belief colleagues as a be team player, and to be mentored
- Demonstrable aptitude for pastoral care, communication and teaching about spiritual care
- Good information presentation skills, evident in use of graphics and design of reports
Desirable
- Demonstrable interest in latest developments in NHS spiritual health care, equality and diversity and healthcare ethics
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- To have degree level ordination training, or faith/belief community equivalent which is relevant for spiritual healthcare
- To be authorised by relevant faith/belief community, and to have recognition as a religious/belief leader or as a mature leading member
- To be registered, or to be able to register as a chaplain with UKHBC
Desirable
- To have training in healthcare chaplaincy and pastoral counselling techniques
Experience
Essential
- Experience of communication with people in situations with sensitive information and/or in distressing circumstances
- To have some experience of counselling &/or pastoral techniques
Skills
Essential
- To have specialist faith/belief community knowledge of spiritual care issues, and to be willing to learn about major faith/belief traditions within the healthcare setting, and to be willing to represent own faith/belief within a robust multi-faith/belief and multi-cultural environment. To be able to offer this care within the trust, SLAs and community settings.
- To have specialist knowledge of their own faith/belief community religious rites and rituals and provide the appropriate rites and rituals and care, particularly with the regard to death and the dying, the seriously ill, and birth rites
- Ability to communicate with people in situations with sensitive information and/or in trauma/distressing circumstances
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work as part of a team and operate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment
- To be highly flexible and be willing to work with multi-faith/belief colleagues as a be team player, and to be mentored
- Demonstrable aptitude for pastoral care, communication and teaching about spiritual care
- Good information presentation skills, evident in use of graphics and design of reports
Desirable
- Demonstrable interest in latest developments in NHS spiritual health care, equality and diversity and healthcare ethics
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).
