Job summary
Building on your past experience of spiritual and pastoral care with children and young people and their mental health needs, are you enthusiastic and passionate about delivering good quality spiritual and pastoral care to children and young people using mental health services?
We seek a person who is endorsed by a faith community/belief system group to work both with inpatients and community patients, as part of a large specialist chaplaincy team which provides religious, spiritual and pastoral care in a wide range of mental health & learning disability services.
You will have a particular responsibility for working in our inpatient units at Ferndene (at Prudhoe) and Lotus Ward (Acklam Road, Middlesborough). You will need to have the ability to travel between these two sites, and also to visit children and young people and their families in the community.
As part of the team you will be expected to offer chaplaincy provision to people of all faiths and belief systems, and therefore you will have a good working knowledge of the theories underpinning pastoral, religious and spiritual care.
This post is open to employees within Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust and External Applicants. The post is for 7.5 hours per week. Interviews will be held via video conferencing (Microsoft Teams), on the morning of 26th March 2025.
Main duties of the job
To work as a member of the chaplaincy team which seeks, in the context of the fields of mental health, learning disabilities and neurological disorders, to meet the spiritual, religious and pastoral needs of the Trust's patients, carers and staff within a framework of user choice, appropriate to their culture and within resources available.
To work with service users, staff, volunteers and carers, their associated community-based services and faith communities.
You will provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care to inpatients. You will also undertake community work, working with patients referred to chaplaincy by the community mental health services of the Trust, but also offering advice to community groups and faith organisations as to how they can support children and young people in the community who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Although clear in articulating your own faith or belief system perspective of, as part of the team you will be expected to offer incidental chaplaincy provision to people of all faiths and none, and therefore you will have a good working knowledge of the theories underpinning pastoral, religious and spiritual care from different perspectives. You will have a knowledge of and demonstrable sensitivity towards people from diverse belief traditions.
About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 25th February 2025
Closing date : 16th March 2025
We welcome your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 25th February 2025
Closing date : 16th March 2025
We welcome your application.
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent
- Accreditation by a faith/belief community
Desirable
- Degree in theology or chaplaincy studies
- Relevant professional qualification
- Counselling qualification
- European Computer Driving Licence or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable committed practice within own faith
- Facilitating formal/ informal ceremonies and group sessions
- Professional experience of working in cooperation
- Multi-faith team work
- Pastoral care in a voluntary or paid capacity
- A general understanding of the National Health Service
- A general understanding of community care issues
- A good understanding of own faith's teaching and practice
- Knowledge of a range of approaches to prayer/spirituality
- Understanding of role of religion, spirituality and culture
- Understanding chaplaincy in the public sector
Desirable
- Worked as a chaplain in the NHS for two years
- Care of people with mental health problems
- Care of people with learning disabilities
- Knowledge of other faiths
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Listening and counselling skills
- Proven analytical and decision-making skills
- Ability to work in an ecumenical and inter-faith team
- A proven ability to develop and manage own workload
- A proven ability to reflect theologically and/or ethically
- Ability to travel between sites and venues
- Training and teaching skills
- IT Literacy
Desirable
- Creative and performing arts
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent
- Accreditation by a faith/belief community
Desirable
- Degree in theology or chaplaincy studies
- Relevant professional qualification
- Counselling qualification
- European Computer Driving Licence or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable committed practice within own faith
- Facilitating formal/ informal ceremonies and group sessions
- Professional experience of working in cooperation
- Multi-faith team work
- Pastoral care in a voluntary or paid capacity
- A general understanding of the National Health Service
- A general understanding of community care issues
- A good understanding of own faith's teaching and practice
- Knowledge of a range of approaches to prayer/spirituality
- Understanding of role of religion, spirituality and culture
- Understanding chaplaincy in the public sector
Desirable
- Worked as a chaplain in the NHS for two years
- Care of people with mental health problems
- Care of people with learning disabilities
- Knowledge of other faiths
Skills and Competencies
Essential
- Listening and counselling skills
- Proven analytical and decision-making skills
- Ability to work in an ecumenical and inter-faith team
- A proven ability to develop and manage own workload
- A proven ability to reflect theologically and/or ethically
- Ability to travel between sites and venues
- Training and teaching skills
- IT Literacy
Desirable
- Creative and performing arts
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).
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).
