Lead Chaplain

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:

• To visit and offer religious, spiritual and pastoral care to patients, their families and friends and staff in the wards and departments ensuring that all wards and departments of the Trust are visited by members of the Chaplaincy Team on a regular basis.
• To ensure that suitable religious rites and ceremonies are made available to all who require them without discrimination and in consultation with other staff where appropriate and as requested.
• When appropriate, to minister to the seriously ill or dying.
• To provide for the spiritual and religious needs of our patients and their families and friends who are unable to be in contact with their regular church or faith community.
• To liaise with leaders of churches, mosques and other faith communities with respect to the pastoral care of their members who may also be our patients, always bearing in mind the rules of confidentiality by which every NHS employee is bound. To arrange, whenever possible, visits to patients by representatives of their own faith communities and traditions where necessary and when requested.
• Alongside medical, nursing and other healthcare professionals, to take an active part in the multi-disciplinary care of the patients of the hospital. To attend multi-disciplinary team meetings with Palliative Care and the Children's Unit.
• To lead in developing the Chaplaincy service across the Trust and to ensure that the departmental strategy complies with nationally agreed guidelines for Healthcare Chaplaincy.
• To be responsible for the development and delivery of the strategy for the on-going provision and improvement of the Chaplaincy service.
• To attend mandatory training (as required by the Trust) and as highlighted by performance appraisal.
• To be committed to your own professional development and spiritual growth, which will include regular professional supervision and Spiritual Direction.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Masters degree in Theology or equivalent level of knowledge gained through theological formation
• On-going academic study relating to pastoral care.
• Pastoral Care/Counselling qualification/training - or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of pastoral ministry.
• Experience of working with those in distress.
• Experience of NHS / Understanding of how it works
• Experience of working within a multi-faith team.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of chaplaincy within the NHS
• Experience of managing teams

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Good knowledge of Theology
• Comprehensive knowledge of faith and belief systems to be able to work in a multi-cultural / multi-faith context
• To have an in-depth knowledge of your own religion/faith/belief system
• To have knowledge and experience of other faith/belief traditions and religions. Ability to offer spiritual care beyond own denominational and faith boundaries with a commitment to an ecumenical / multifaith approach to chaplaincy
• To have knowledge of the emotional, spiritual, cultural, social and religious needs of those who are unwell
• To be a highly skilled communicator including an ability to teach, share ideas and work as part of a team.
• To be able to maintain and establish relationships in a pastorally challenging environment.
• To be able to work in highly complex and sensitive situations and to provide such religious and spiritual care as the chaplain deems appropriate.
• Proven ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Good organisational skills with proven ability to manage own workload and to set priorities.
• Computer skills: Word, Outlook, Web-search on Internet, basic Excel
• Knowledge of equality and diversity issues.

Other

Essential criteria

• Enhanced DBS clearance
• Evidence that you are in good standing with your faith community
• Able to be flexible to meet the needs of the role.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination - What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

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