Job summary
This role has been approved for advertising; however, it is being assessed as a suitable alternative employment opportunity. As a result, the vacancy may be withdrawn or there may be a delay before shortlisting can begin.
This role is open to all applicants. However in line with Cornwall first principles, initial shortlisting will prioritise applicants from Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the Integrated Care Board for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
An opportunity for an experienced healthcare chaplain with a track record of providing spiritual, pastoral and religious care in a healthcare setting to join the Chaplaincy Team at RCHT.
This role involves working across the Trust in clinical & non-clinical areas with patients, staff and visitors. It includes responding to referrals but also being a proactive presence throughout the Trust. The role is part of a 5 day a week on-site chaplaincy presence, with evening & weekend 24 hour on-call from home for emergencies and End of Life referrals.
Working as a team is key to uphold the Trust values of respect, compassion, honesty and teamwork. As one of two full-time members of the Chaplaincy Team, you will work with chaplaincy colleagues to provide a flexible, responsive service of spiritual, pastoral, and religious care to patients, visitors and staff whatever their beliefs, culture or lifestyle.
Main duties of the job
To visit patients, staff and visitors in the wards and departments on a regular basis, providing spiritual, religious and pastoral care to those of all religions and beliefs without prejudice. Provide spiritual, pastoral, and religious care for the dying, critically ill, and newly bereaved, including those experiencing sudden death or pregnancy loss. Work respectfully and sensitively alongside other Chaplaincy Team members and all other healthcare professionals. To assist the Lead Chaplain, deputising for them from time to time, as required. To work in partnership with leaders from all local faiths and beliefs to enable spiritual religious and pastoral care to be given to all within the Trust. Producing rotas for daytime and on call duties for the department, liaising with the Lead Chaplain. Be part of the on-call rota and the provision of a 24hr service, 7 days a week - responding to call outs. To assist, create and support corporate acts of worship which have spiritual significance including working with colleagues on the annual baby remembrance service. Intentionally support members of staff. Working with the Lead Chaplain, consider the role of volunteers within Chaplaincy including recruitment and training. To respond to all referrals to the Chaplaincy Team. Have the emotional strength and resilience to cope with difficult and challenging pastoral situations.
Please see full job description and person specification.
About us
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people - a figure that can increase significantly with
visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.
We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School.
The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles.
Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is a research active organisation.
It's established South West Clinical School in Cornwall exists to promote clinical academic career opportunities for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals interested in research and evidence-based activities. Read their research paper to find out more.
Website: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/clinical-schools/royal-cornwall-hospitals-nhs-trust-clinical-school
https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871231209037
Job description
Job responsibilities
PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.
To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:
- Identity Checks
- Professional registration and qualification checks
- Employment history and reference checks
- Work health assessments
- Criminal record check standards
- Right to work checks
For further information please visit:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation
Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us at interview about any flexible working arrangements you would prefer or require. While we may not be able to fully accommodate all requests, such requests will not be referenced during the interview scoring process, and we will fully consider and try to accommodate them for successful applicants.
We reserve the right to close this advert early, or when the allocated number of applications has been reached. Please submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.
To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:
- Identity Checks
- Professional registration and qualification checks
- Employment history and reference checks
- Work health assessments
- Criminal record check standards
- Right to work checks
For further information please visit:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation
Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us at interview about any flexible working arrangements you would prefer or require. While we may not be able to fully accommodate all requests, such requests will not be referenced during the interview scoring process, and we will fully consider and try to accommodate them for successful applicants.
We reserve the right to close this advert early, or when the allocated number of applications has been reached. Please submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognised/established sponsoring faith community or belief group.
- Experience of Healthcare Chaplaincy.
- Evidence of continuing personal and professional development.
- An undergraduate degree (or equivalent experience) with ability to demonstrate learning in a relevant field, such as counselling, pastoral care, psychology, psychotherapy, religious studies or theology.
Desirable
- Board Registered Chaplain with UKBHC. (It is not compulsory for Chaplains to be registered with UKBHC but the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care recommends choosing them from an Accredited Register).
- Postgraduate qualification (or equivalent experience) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- To be able to discern, assess and provide for the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, relatives/visitors, and staff - whatever their philosophy, belief and value systems.
- Experience of working in a team that is Ecumenical, Multi-faith and embraces diverse spiritualities.
- Evidence of offering spiritual care beyond own faith/belief boundaries, and of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of tenets of personal faith/belief tradition.
- Ability to demonstrate active listening skills.
- Knowledge of and engagement with other faith/belief traditions.
- Ability to manage time prioritizing workload including a commitment to continuity of service provision.
- Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care.
- Experience of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
Desirable
- Evidence that the candidate has knowledge of current research in spirituality in healthcare.
- Experience in supervising volunteers.
Values
Essential
- Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental.
- Helps and co-operates with colleagues.
- Pro-active and takes responsibility.
- Willing to learn, open to change.
- Motivated to make a difference.
- Takes pride in themselves, their appearance, their role and where they work.
- Motivated to be genuinely kind and caring.
Specific Skills
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative, whilst remaining accountable to the Lead Chaplain.
- Experience of working collaboratively, contributing to a team and sustaining positive working relationships with colleagues.
- Evidence of establishing and sustaining relationships in pastorally complex and challenging environments demonstrating empathy and compassion while taking personal responsibility and initiative.
- Ability to provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care for the dying, critically ill and newly bereaved, including those experiencing mental health conditions, sudden death or pregnancy loss.
- Ability to deliver care with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect even when own values are being challenged.
- Committed to accepting and supporting others across the full Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda free from prejudice or bias.
- Ability to create and lead ritual or other spiritual process in a way that is sensitive to the pastoral context and faith/belief needs of those present.
- Evidence of fluent and effective communication, in speech and writing, along with competence in computer skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Practice professionally within recognised boundaries within pastorally diverse settings, and a commitment to work within the UKBHC Code of Conduct.
- Ability to handle highly sensitive confidential or contentious information in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere working consistently under stress.
- Awareness of 'self' in chaplaincy practice including emotional availability, cultural humility, appropriate self-disclosure, positive use of power and authority and clear and responsible boundaries.
Desirable
- Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religions, spiritual and pastoral traditions.
- Acts as an informed theological/philosophical and ethical resource in complex pastoral and clinical situations.
- Ability to apply theoretical knowledge of ethical issues relating to health care.
Personal Requirements
Essential
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significant stress and emotional distress on a sustained basis.
- Ability to recognise and manage personal stress and to maintain clear judgments and decisions under pressure.
- Full UK Driving Licence, personal use of a vehicle and ability to reach the appropriate RCHT site when on-call within one hour.
Desirable
- Demonstratable evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress, e.g. meditation, prayer, exercise, journaling, reflective supervision.
Professional development, training and other requirements
Essential
- Desire to continue in-service training.
- Committed to ongoing professional review and appraisal.
- Ability to take part in a 24hr on-call rota, seven days a week.
- DBS check satisfactory to the Trust.
Desirable
- Member of College of Healthcare Chaplains (CHCC).
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognised/established sponsoring faith community or belief group.
- Experience of Healthcare Chaplaincy.
- Evidence of continuing personal and professional development.
- An undergraduate degree (or equivalent experience) with ability to demonstrate learning in a relevant field, such as counselling, pastoral care, psychology, psychotherapy, religious studies or theology.
Desirable
- Board Registered Chaplain with UKBHC. (It is not compulsory for Chaplains to be registered with UKBHC but the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care recommends choosing them from an Accredited Register).
- Postgraduate qualification (or equivalent experience) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- To be able to discern, assess and provide for the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, relatives/visitors, and staff - whatever their philosophy, belief and value systems.
- Experience of working in a team that is Ecumenical, Multi-faith and embraces diverse spiritualities.
- Evidence of offering spiritual care beyond own faith/belief boundaries, and of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of tenets of personal faith/belief tradition.
- Ability to demonstrate active listening skills.
- Knowledge of and engagement with other faith/belief traditions.
- Ability to manage time prioritizing workload including a commitment to continuity of service provision.
- Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care.
- Experience of finding or searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement.
Desirable
- Evidence that the candidate has knowledge of current research in spirituality in healthcare.
- Experience in supervising volunteers.
Values
Essential
- Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental.
- Helps and co-operates with colleagues.
- Pro-active and takes responsibility.
- Willing to learn, open to change.
- Motivated to make a difference.
- Takes pride in themselves, their appearance, their role and where they work.
- Motivated to be genuinely kind and caring.
Specific Skills
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative, whilst remaining accountable to the Lead Chaplain.
- Experience of working collaboratively, contributing to a team and sustaining positive working relationships with colleagues.
- Evidence of establishing and sustaining relationships in pastorally complex and challenging environments demonstrating empathy and compassion while taking personal responsibility and initiative.
- Ability to provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care for the dying, critically ill and newly bereaved, including those experiencing mental health conditions, sudden death or pregnancy loss.
- Ability to deliver care with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect even when own values are being challenged.
- Committed to accepting and supporting others across the full Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda free from prejudice or bias.
- Ability to create and lead ritual or other spiritual process in a way that is sensitive to the pastoral context and faith/belief needs of those present.
- Evidence of fluent and effective communication, in speech and writing, along with competence in computer skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Practice professionally within recognised boundaries within pastorally diverse settings, and a commitment to work within the UKBHC Code of Conduct.
- Ability to handle highly sensitive confidential or contentious information in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere working consistently under stress.
- Awareness of 'self' in chaplaincy practice including emotional availability, cultural humility, appropriate self-disclosure, positive use of power and authority and clear and responsible boundaries.
Desirable
- Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religions, spiritual and pastoral traditions.
- Acts as an informed theological/philosophical and ethical resource in complex pastoral and clinical situations.
- Ability to apply theoretical knowledge of ethical issues relating to health care.
Personal Requirements
Essential
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significant stress and emotional distress on a sustained basis.
- Ability to recognise and manage personal stress and to maintain clear judgments and decisions under pressure.
- Full UK Driving Licence, personal use of a vehicle and ability to reach the appropriate RCHT site when on-call within one hour.
Desirable
- Demonstratable evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress, e.g. meditation, prayer, exercise, journaling, reflective supervision.
Professional development, training and other requirements
Essential
- Desire to continue in-service training.
- Committed to ongoing professional review and appraisal.
- Ability to take part in a 24hr on-call rota, seven days a week.
- DBS check satisfactory to the Trust.
Desirable
- Member of College of Healthcare Chaplains (CHCC).
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
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