Chaplain

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - Department of Spiritual & Pastoral Care

Post: 1 WTE Band 6 Chaplain Full time post. Part time applicants will be considered.

The ecumenical, multi-faith team of Chaplains which covers both campuses of this Hospital Trust, currently has a vacancy for a Band 6 Chaplain. This is a Band 6 role and applicants will need to demonstrate healthcare chaplaincy experience, with an aptitude for sensitive pastoral working in this context.

Applicants will have accreditation/licensing with authority to practice as a religion or belief (including non-religious beliefs) leader/representative and/or pastoral worker. The role involves weekend working and daytime and overnight on-call.

As a member of the Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care team you will assist in the delivery of appropriate and sensitive spiritual, pastoral and religious care. This provision is for patients, staff and visitors across the Trust and is offered equally for those of any particular faith/belief and those who do not identify with any.

The role requires a person-centred approach that employs active listening skills. This band 6 role requires experienced and proficient pastoral practitioners. It requires the ability, where required, to facilitate religious rites and sacraments. Chaplains practice in accordance with the Guidelines and Code of conduct of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy.

Main duties of the job

Chaplains share in the provision of 24-hour on-call cover; assessing and providing pastoral, spiritual, and religious care needs. Scheduled interactions, crisis situations; and responding to emergency calls are part of the role. It also includes delivering training, supervising students, developing the chaplaincy service within the Trust and working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals. Frequent involvement in end of life care is to be expected, including peri-natal loss and conducting baby funerals.

Job responsibilities

• Contribute to the effective working of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care team.
• Ensure good communication and collaboration with all members of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Department.
• Follow established procedures and policies.
• Opportunity to share in the provision of 24-hour on-call cover; making decisions using own initiative about spiritual needs in crisis situations; responding to emergency calls in week and weekend night-times while meeting the required response time.
• Share in the daytime duty rota.
• Receive and respond to referrals from members of the healthcare team.
• Assist in the planning of the work of Spiritual and Pastoral Care students.
• Participate in particular projects and operational groups as directed by the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Manager.
• Prepare and disseminate briefing material, reports and liturgical material as directed by the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Manager.
• Assist with Spiritual and Pastoral Care service developments, including Major Incident planning and implementation.
• Contribute to audit and research within Chaplaincy practice.
• Provide pastoral and spiritual care by assessing spiritual health and wellbeing needs, developing spiritual care plans, and keeping written and electronic records.
• Manage referrals and determine a timely response.
• Maintain confidentiality and obtain informed consent.
• Provide or facilitate spiritual and pastoral care sensitive to the cultural, faith and belief realities of the diversity of service users.
• Maintain effective and consistent links with designated clinical areas.
• Work collaboratively alongside other professionals of all grades.
• Provide or facilitate religious care, including delivering ritual consistent with one's own faith or belief tradition, conducting funerals, and making referrals to appropriate faith/belief leaders.
• Provide support for staff, assess and respond to staff pastoral and spiritual needs.
• Identify the learning needs of self and others, contribute to the planning and delivery of learning opportunities, and present education and training sessions to various groups.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of the theory and practice of Spiritual and Pastoral Care.
• Participate in the Development Review Process (Appraisal) and maintain agreed personal and professional development.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

• Accreditation/licensing with authority to practice as a religion or belief (including non-religious beliefs) leader/representative and/or pastoral worker.
• Accredited training/qualification (normally degree level or higher) in theology, pastoral care or other relevant discipline.
• Further counselling skills supported by appropriate training.

Experience

• Substantial, recent pastoral experience in local faith/belief community setting or equivalent.
• Significant experience of healthcare chaplaincy or providing spiritual and pastoral care in a non-religious setting.
• Able to support and facilitate sacraments/rites according to service user's own faith/belief group.
• Experience of collaborative working in a multi-faith/belief setting.

Communication and Relationship skills

• Good communication skills to provide pastoral care to individuals in a variety of complex pastoral encounters.
• Experience of working within data protection and information governance policies.

Requirements specific to the role

• Able to participate in the departmental on-call provision, including overnight on-call.
• Committed to working collaboratively in ecumenical and multi-faith/belief team and setting.
• Eligible for registration with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary: £37,338 to £44,962 a year dependent on experience.