Job summary
As a Chaplain within our NHS Trust, you will play an essential role in providing compassionate and professional pastoral, religious and spiritual support to a diverse range of patients, their relatives or carers, and our dedicated staff and volunteers. This role offers you the opportunity to engage with individuals from all faiths and spiritual beliefs and none, ensuring everyone receives equal and inclusive care.
You will be required to work shifts covering 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Wednesday (5 hours every day).
Full details will be discussed at interview.
The post holder is expected to participate in the on-call service provided by the Trust on a shared rota basis.
Main duties of the job
You will visit various wards consistently to be accessible to patients, staff, families, and visitors in need of spiritual, religious, and pastoral support including palliative and End of Life care.
The post holder will discern and ensure that the pastoral, spiritual or religious needs of patients, their relatives or carers, staff, volunteers, and visitors are met compassionately, through their own ministry and/or that of the team (including volunteer chaplains).
Ensuring opportunities for prayer and worship are readily available for patients and staff, catering to diverse spiritual practices.
You will be expected to sensitively identify the needs of individuals from all faiths and those with no faith and ensure everyone receives appropriate support.
You will be expected to uphold chaplaincy standards and quality of care in line with the new NHS Chaplaincy - guidelines for NHS managers on pastoral, spiritual and religious care 2023, and standards of professional practice agreed by the Trust.
About us
With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others. We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance.www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking If you have a disability or long-term health condition and require support or guidance please contactwestherts.recruitment@nhs.net If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form. We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide holistic support by offering comprehensive, pastoral, religious, spiritual, and emotional support to patients, their relatives/ carers, staff, volunteers, respecting diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
To communicate clearly and empathetically with patients, relatives, and staff always.
To use effective communication and inter-personal skills to provide and receive complex information in particularly sensitive circumstances, such as following the receipt of bad news where there may be barriers to understanding or acceptance.
To document chaplaincy records in accordance with information governance policies.
To positively cultivate and maintain good relationship with local faith and belief communities /spiritual groups to enhance the support network available to our service users.
To cooperate with staff at all levels of the Trust.
To offer advice on all aspects of bereavement both before and after death particularly per Roman Catholic Faith tradition in supporting patients, relatives, and staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide holistic support by offering comprehensive, pastoral, religious, spiritual, and emotional support to patients, their relatives/ carers, staff, volunteers, respecting diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
To communicate clearly and empathetically with patients, relatives, and staff always.
To use effective communication and inter-personal skills to provide and receive complex information in particularly sensitive circumstances, such as following the receipt of bad news where there may be barriers to understanding or acceptance.
To document chaplaincy records in accordance with information governance policies.
To positively cultivate and maintain good relationship with local faith and belief communities /spiritual groups to enhance the support network available to our service users.
To cooperate with staff at all levels of the Trust.
To offer advice on all aspects of bereavement both before and after death particularly per Roman Catholic Faith tradition in supporting patients, relatives, and staff.
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Recognised theological qualification, authorisation/ licence to minister from an accountable agency/ organisation in the UK to operate in Healthcare Chaplaincy settings.
Desirable
- Healthcare Chaplaincy Certification or working towards certification.
Knowledge
Essential
- To work independently in a high-pressure situation
- To lead services of worship in differing situations.
- To face up to the challenges that health presents and liaise comfortably with other disciplines at all levels.
- To work collaboratively across denominational boundaries and have an interest in multi faith issues
- Understanding of contemporary health care philosophy and environment.
- To advise staff, patients and carers on spiritual and Multicultural issues, especially but not uniquely those relating to own denomination or faith/belief community.
- To co-operate with medical, nursing and management staff in departmental and multidisciplinary meetings and to assist with discussions on the spiritual care of patients as required.
- To provide support and supervision to members of multi-disciplinary teams engaged in spiritual needs assessment and referral.
Desirable
- Ability to participate in Health Care Ethics debate.
Experience
Essential
- Pastoral Care of people including bereavement issues (including children) or care of terminally ill people.
- Care of people bereaved through miscarriage, still birth and neo-natal death.
- An ability to communicate and work with staff, patients and visitors in sensitive, distressing and traumatic situations.
- Ordained with a minimum of three years' experience of pastoral ministry.
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary environment
- Care and support of staff under pressure
- Experience relevant to Healthcare Chaplaincy
- Able to administer the Sacraments
Desirable
- To be aware of/ discern various stress levels in Hospital Staff / Colleagues.
- To have an experience of counselling, pastoral and/ or bereavement care.
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Recognised theological qualification, authorisation/ licence to minister from an accountable agency/ organisation in the UK to operate in Healthcare Chaplaincy settings.
Desirable
- Healthcare Chaplaincy Certification or working towards certification.
Knowledge
Essential
- To work independently in a high-pressure situation
- To lead services of worship in differing situations.
- To face up to the challenges that health presents and liaise comfortably with other disciplines at all levels.
- To work collaboratively across denominational boundaries and have an interest in multi faith issues
- Understanding of contemporary health care philosophy and environment.
- To advise staff, patients and carers on spiritual and Multicultural issues, especially but not uniquely those relating to own denomination or faith/belief community.
- To co-operate with medical, nursing and management staff in departmental and multidisciplinary meetings and to assist with discussions on the spiritual care of patients as required.
- To provide support and supervision to members of multi-disciplinary teams engaged in spiritual needs assessment and referral.
Desirable
- Ability to participate in Health Care Ethics debate.
Experience
Essential
- Pastoral Care of people including bereavement issues (including children) or care of terminally ill people.
- Care of people bereaved through miscarriage, still birth and neo-natal death.
- An ability to communicate and work with staff, patients and visitors in sensitive, distressing and traumatic situations.
- Ordained with a minimum of three years' experience of pastoral ministry.
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary environment
- Care and support of staff under pressure
- Experience relevant to Healthcare Chaplaincy
- Able to administer the Sacraments
Desirable
- To be aware of/ discern various stress levels in Hospital Staff / Colleagues.
- To have an experience of counselling, pastoral and/ or bereavement care.
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).
