About this role
Job summary
We are looking for experienced healthcare chaplains to join our bank and be available for out of hours emergency on call work. You will be an autonomous practitioner, able to work at Band 6 level, and comfortable and competent at responding to situations of intensity and distress, most commonly being called to deliver pastoral, spiritual and religious care at the end of someone's life.
We operate a 24/7 on call rota. You would be expected to be able to travel to Warwick, Stratford and Leamington Hospitals, and also to Warwick and Coventry Myton. On call shifts usually run from 4.00 p.m. Sunday - Friday until 0800 the following day, and for 24 hours on Saturdays. You would be expected to be able to respond to a call out within one hour.
Main duties of the job
The Team Chaplain is to work with the whole Chaplaincy team in the delivery of pastoral, spiritual and religious care to all patients, their relatives and staff.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Job description Job responsibilities
Knowledge, Training and Expertise
Assist and advise external partners, e.g. representatives of faith communities, in the pastoral care of their people while in hospital, and to receive information from them, always observing the rules of confidentiality by which every NHS employee is bound
Contribute to the development of spiritual healthcare in a multi-faith setting, being sensitive to and aware of the varying pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of diverse ethnic groups, and to assist staff on responding to their needs.
Adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct (2024) of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains and of the College of HealthCare Chaplains
Communication Skills and Working Relationships
Be an informed, visible, and active presence in the Trust, visiting wards or departments frequently; ensuring that the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, staff and relatives are met.
Communicate clearly and empathetically with patients, relatives and staff at all times.
To use advanced communication skills and inter-personal skills to give and receive complex information often in sensitive or intense situations, e.g. following receipt of bad news or where there may be barriers to understanding or acceptance
Work with the early pregnancy, maternity and neonatal teams to offer support to parents and families experiencing baby loss at any stage of gestation, or the care of extremely ill babies.
Actively offer a ministry of encouragement to staff and offer time and space for supportive listening and counsel when sought
Help patients, relatives and staff articulate their pastoral, spiritual or religious needs and identify resources to address them
Ensure that the prayer rooms, Chapel and Oasis are properly maintained and accessible to all.
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Contribute to education programs within the Trust to enhance understanding of spiritual, cultural, and religious needs of patients and staff
Provide support to members of multi-disciplinary teams engaged in pastoral and spiritual assessment or referral, to help this become a standard part of patient care
Planning and Organisational Skills
Plan and organise own workload
Ensure that suitable religious services, rites, and ceremonies are made available to all who require them, without discrimination and in consultation with ward staff and the patients religious community as appropriate.
Plan, organise and conduct adult contract funerals, baby funerals (at any stage of gestation) thanksgiving, memorial, and other services as required
Freedom to Act
Initiate and take responsibility for own work pattern within the parameters of national standards and Trust polices
Attend appropriate meetings related to work, both inside and outside the Trust
Be a part of the Chaplaincy response within the Trusts major incident plans and response.
Management Responsibility
Supervise trainee chaplains and chaplaincy volunteers as required
Responsibility for Patient Care
Provide specialised advice, and pastoral/spiritual/religious support to patients and their relatives
Make provision for complex spiritual, pastoral or religious needs of patents, relatives and staff, especially those who are unable to engage with their usual place or manner of worship
Help patients, relative or staff articulate their pastoral, spiritual ad religious needs and identify resources to address them
Be readily available and supportive to relatives and patients, particularly those who are bereaved or struggling with diagnosis, and those who are close to the end of life, to ensure that sensitive, efficient, and appropriate pastoral or spiritual care is given at all times.
Respond to the practical and existential needs arising from the impact of illness, death and dying on individuals and families
To facilitate, when requested, visits to patients by their own faith leader
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
Assist in providing a comprehensive spiritual, pastoral and religious care service to the Trust, including provision of spiritual healthcare information
Share responsibility for the implementation of policy and service development within Trust parameters
Share in the implementation of pastoral, spiritual and religious healthcare polices
Contribute to the professional development of the chaplaincy team
Develop interests in specific areas of healthcare
Review own working practice in conjunction with line manager, and propose changes as appropriate
Contribute to making the hospital a place of equality for people of all faiths, beliefs, spiritualities and none.
Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resource
d Handle donations to chaplaincy from members of the public as needed, ensuring all correct procedures are followed
Responsibility for Information Resources
Maintain adequate notes of referrals and work done, on chaplaincy work record and, where appropriate, in patient medical notes
Access Lorenzo, Badgernet, Digit and EPR for patient information
Responsibility for Research and Development
Undertake surveys and audits necessary for own work and for research and development purposes
Physical Skills/Physical Effort
The post holder needs to be able to access wards and departments and be at ease by a patients bedside. There is also a degree of computer and desk work
Accompany relatives in viewing of deceased patients in the mortuary
Mental Effort
The work pattern is unpredictable and there are frequent interruptions. The post holder needs to be able to prioritise, and re-prioritise at speed
Emotional Effort
The post holder needs to be able to handle highly distressing or emotional circumstances, eg in supporting patients, relatives or staff following terminal illness, bereavement, or sudden death of infants or children.
The post holder needs to have a developed self awareness and commitment to seeking help when needed
The post holder needs to be able to respond and minister with integrity to people who hold a philosophy, belief or faith system different to their own
Engage in regular reflective practice
Maintain a strong patient focus throughout the course of the patients care in hospital
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent work or life experience) with demonstrable learning in a relevant field such as counselling, pastoral care, psychology, psychotherapy, religious studies or theology. Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognized/established sponsoring faith community or belief group. Evidence of annual continued professional development relevant to healthcare chaplaincy to UKBHC standards Post-graduate qualification (or equivalent life or work experience or working towards) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy Registration, or ability to be registered with the UKBHC Qualification (or working towards) in pastoral supervision (such as those recommended by APSE), coaching, management or leadership
Experience Essential
At least 2 years full time experience, or equivalent, of working as a designated healthcare chaplain
Desirable
Experience of supervising volunteers
Skills Essential
Demonstrable knowledge of tenets of own faith/belief tradition Knowledge of and engagement with faith/belief traditions beyond own Evidence of proactive practice of CPD Knowledge of current research in healthcare chaplaincy Evidence of offering spiritual care beyond own faith/belief boundaries with evidence of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care, and on finding/searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement Evidence of the ability to manage time prioritizing workload including a commitment to continuity of service provision
Desirable
Engagement with safeguarding, information governance, audit, service evaluation or research Training in research, audit and service evaluation Ability to deliver training at a variety of levels Ability to adapt ritual (which can come from a variety of sources) in an appropriate style to context in clinical environments Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions Ability to lead reflective practice Act as an informed theological/philosophical and ethical resource in complex pastoral and clinical situations Evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress - e.g. meditation, prayer, exercise, journalling, reflective supervision
Other Essential
Access to own transport Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral, out of hours, within 60 minutes
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bank Nursing, Warwick Hospital
Lakin Road
Warwick
CV34 5BW
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.swft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)