Trainee Trust Chaplain

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen and we are looking to recruit a Hospital Chaplain to join Plymouth University Hospitals Trust Chaplaincy team. We are looking for an applicant who is kind, compassionate, of good standing within their faith or belief community and who is enthusiastic about delivering pastoral, spiritual and religious care across our Trust. You will be working with patients, their relatives and friends, staff, volunteers and students, whatever their cultural and faith tradition, for the purpose of pastoral, spiritual and religious care.

This role is demanding and the successful candidate will need to be emotionally intelligent and able to work within clear boundaries so as to be able to manage difficult situations whilst acting as a reflective practitioner, so previous pastoral experience is essential. We are looking for someone who understands the complexities of working in a team and will enjoy the challenges of Chaplaincy in an acute hospital. This is a progression post from a Band 5 to a Band 6 after 12 months within the Hospital setting. Suitably experienced applicants can start at Band 6 pay band.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

• Specialist knowledge and practice: to provide specialist knowledge of one's own faith tradition as well as a knowledge of other traditions, cultures and faith communities. With regard to birth rites, serious illness, and death and the dying, to provide specialist knowledge of one's own faith community, its rites and rituals.
• Policy implementation: to be aware of Trust and Departmental policies, acting on these as required.
• Direct patient care: as a skilled communicator, to be able to establish and maintain relationships, sometimes in pastorally challenging, as well as unpredictable, unpleasant and hostile environments. To be able to negotiate and work within complex and sensitive situations and to provide or refer for pastoral, spiritual and religious advice and care as necessary. To be able to make independent specialist judgements regarding pastoral, spiritual and religious care, dependent upon situation. To work independently, adapting to unpleasant working conditions when required, and to refer issues to the Head of Department as appropriate.
• Multi-disciplinary practice: to co-operate with clinical and management staff wherever possible in multi-disciplinary meetings and department meetings as and when attendance is appropriate. To play a full part in discussions where pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients might be a component of care-planning.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

• To have keyboard skills and office skills as required. To attend such training as agreed with the Head of Pastoral & Spiritual Care.
• To participate in innovation and change within both the Department and the service it offers.
• To contribute to the development and implementation of the Departments strategy plan in the context of its commitment to the objectives of the Trust. To work with the Head of Department and Team Chaplain for certain areas of implementation.
• To respond to major and critical incidents on behalf of the Department.
• To be responsible for one's own professional and spiritual development. To attend team meetings when available, as well as other meetings and supervision. To be a reflective practitioner and be willing to become a member of a professional body. To undertake an annual retreat.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven demonstrable pastoral, spiritual and religious experience.
• Proven knowledge of spiritual care issues (with specialist knowledge of own tradition and others), multi-faith issues and cultural care.
• Understanding of spiritual assessment and care.
• Demonstrable experience of working with people of differing cultures and faiths.
• Openness to working collaboratively with colleagues from differing liturgical and sacramental traditions.

Qualifications

• A degree or graduate certificate relevant to your faith community or belief group or demonstrable equivalent.
• To be recognised as an authorised practitioner by a faith community which is a member of Churches together in Britain and Ireland.

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.

£29,970 to £36,483 a year Per Annum, Pro Rata