Job summary
Spiritual Care
is an important aspect of the holistic care that we provide at Pilgrims
Hospices. Our Spiritual Care Chaplains work within our Multi-Disciplinary team
to deliver patient centred care on our inpatient units, in our therapy centres
or in the community.
Spiritual Care
Chaplains provide
a calm, non-judgmental presence where patients can explore spiritual, emotional
and existential needs that often arise at the end of life. This care is not
limited to religious practice; Spiritual Care Chaplains support people of all
faiths, spiritual traditions, and those who identify as non-religious. Our care
is tailored to what brings each individual comfort and strength. When desired, Spiritual
Care Chaplains may offer prayer, sacred readings, rituals, or connections to
faith communities, while always respecting personal beliefs and autonomy.
Ultimately our Spiritual Care Chaplains strive to help foster peace and a sense
of meaning during one of life's most profound transitions.
We welcome applications from persons of any faith tradition or humanist belief.
Applications are most desirable from those with authority from their faith tradition,
however applications will be considered from those without appropriate
authorisation- provided that they have relevant experience and/or appropriate
qualifications.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the job
- To act as a lead for the practice of pastoral, religious and spiritual care
- To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to patients living with life limiting conditions and at the end of their life, in the in-patient unit, therapy centre and in the community.
- To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to carer and families of hospice patients both pre and post bereavement
- To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to hospice staff and volunteers
- To undertake holistic person centred assessment of individual pastoral, religious and spiritual needs, and support the exploration of issues of spirituality where required
About us
About us
As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.
Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families both in the community and in-patient units.
Our Vision
Of a community where people with a life-limiting illness, and their family and friends, are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life.
We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our charitable behaviours and values.
To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:
- CompassionateWe treat everyone with compassion and care
- OpenWe communicate openly, honestly and effectively
- DynamicWe are dynamic, improving and developing our service
- EmpoweredWe empower people to achieve their outcomes
Job description
Job responsibilities
Pastoral, Religious and Spiritual Care
- To act as a lead for the practice of pastoral, religious and spiritual care
- To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to patients living
with life limiting conditions and at the end of their life, in the in-patient unit,
therapy centre and in the community and to carers and families both pre and
post bereavement.
To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to hospice staff
and volunteers.
To undertake holistic person centred assessment of individual pastoral,
religious and spiritual needs, and support the exploration of issues of
spirituality where required.
- To provide advice and support to patients and families around funeral planning
and arrangements, including conducting funeral services if requested and as
appropriate.
- To facilitate appropriate sacramental ministration at patient bedside if
requested.
- To recognize diversity and promote inclusivity and equity across services for
people of all religions or with no religious belief.
- To support the provision of spiritual care out of hour needs, establishing
appropriate connections within the community to ensure the diverse needs of
patients and families are met.
- To keep clear and accurate patient records in accordance with Pilgrims clinical
record keeping guidance.
- To regularly attend spiritual care chaplaincy team meetings and support the
work of the team across all hospice sites as required.
Multi-Disciplinary- To regularly attend multidisciplinary meetings and contribute to
multidisciplinary team discussions to ensure the individual pastoral, religious
and spiritual needs of patients and families are identified and addressed as
part of holistic care planning.
- To contribute to the development and delivery of hospice bereavement
services, working collaboratively with counselling and social work colleagues.
- To contribute to the development and provision of holistic psychosocial and
wellbeing services.
- To lead on the development and delivery of memorial and remembrance
services and work collaboratively with fundraising and marketing teams where
required.
- To contribute to the development and delivery of spiritual care awareness and
bereavement training for staff and volunteers.
- To support new staff inductions.
Other- To assist in the recruitment of spiritual care volunteers and to provide
appropriate support and supervision to spiritual care volunteers.
- To provide support and supervision to students on placement in the hospice
as required.
- To actively engage with faith leaders and other appropriate groups in the local
community for the benefit of patients and families.
- Take responsibility for maintaining appropriate CPD, staying abreast of
contemporary themes and evidence based practice in pastoral, religious and
spiritual care in palliative and health care generally, to inform ongoing service
development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Pastoral, Religious and Spiritual Care
- To act as a lead for the practice of pastoral, religious and spiritual care
- To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to patients living
with life limiting conditions and at the end of their life, in the in-patient unit,
therapy centre and in the community and to carers and families both pre and
post bereavement.
To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to hospice staff
and volunteers.
To undertake holistic person centred assessment of individual pastoral,
religious and spiritual needs, and support the exploration of issues of
spirituality where required.
- To provide advice and support to patients and families around funeral planning
and arrangements, including conducting funeral services if requested and as
appropriate.
- To facilitate appropriate sacramental ministration at patient bedside if
requested.
- To recognize diversity and promote inclusivity and equity across services for
people of all religions or with no religious belief.
- To support the provision of spiritual care out of hour needs, establishing
appropriate connections within the community to ensure the diverse needs of
patients and families are met.
- To keep clear and accurate patient records in accordance with Pilgrims clinical
record keeping guidance.
- To regularly attend spiritual care chaplaincy team meetings and support the
work of the team across all hospice sites as required.
Multi-Disciplinary- To regularly attend multidisciplinary meetings and contribute to
multidisciplinary team discussions to ensure the individual pastoral, religious
and spiritual needs of patients and families are identified and addressed as
part of holistic care planning.
- To contribute to the development and delivery of hospice bereavement
services, working collaboratively with counselling and social work colleagues.
- To contribute to the development and provision of holistic psychosocial and
wellbeing services.
- To lead on the development and delivery of memorial and remembrance
services and work collaboratively with fundraising and marketing teams where
required.
- To contribute to the development and delivery of spiritual care awareness and
bereavement training for staff and volunteers.
- To support new staff inductions.
Other- To assist in the recruitment of spiritual care volunteers and to provide
appropriate support and supervision to spiritual care volunteers.
- To provide support and supervision to students on placement in the hospice
as required.
- To actively engage with faith leaders and other appropriate groups in the local
community for the benefit of patients and families.
- Take responsibility for maintaining appropriate CPD, staying abreast of
contemporary themes and evidence based practice in pastoral, religious and
spiritual care in palliative and health care generally, to inform ongoing service
development.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of hospice and palliative care philosophy.
- An understanding of the appropriate use of counselling/listening skills in
- pastoral work.
Other requirements
Essential
- A broad-based spirituality; deeply rooted but open to all faiths and
- traditions.
- Able to manage the emotional demands of the post, using support and supervision appropriately.
- Flexible and positive in managing volunteers with varying knowledge, experience and views
- Car driver/ability to travel across sites
Qualifications
Essential
- Appropriate authorisation if a representative of one of the major faith traditions.
Desirable
- Relevant professional training/qualification in healthcare chaplaincy or similar.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with bereaved people.
Desirable
- Experience in palliative and hospice care.
- Experience of health care chaplaincy or similar.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to relate to people of all faiths or none without any urge to
- proselytise or persuade.
- Demonstrable ability to work effectively as part of a multi-professional team.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of hospice and palliative care philosophy.
- An understanding of the appropriate use of counselling/listening skills in
- pastoral work.
Other requirements
Essential
- A broad-based spirituality; deeply rooted but open to all faiths and
- traditions.
- Able to manage the emotional demands of the post, using support and supervision appropriately.
- Flexible and positive in managing volunteers with varying knowledge, experience and views
- Car driver/ability to travel across sites
Qualifications
Essential
- Appropriate authorisation if a representative of one of the major faith traditions.
Desirable
- Relevant professional training/qualification in healthcare chaplaincy or similar.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with bereaved people.
Desirable
- Experience in palliative and hospice care.
- Experience of health care chaplaincy or similar.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to relate to people of all faiths or none without any urge to
- proselytise or persuade.
- Demonstrable ability to work effectively as part of a multi-professional team.
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.
