Job summary
Our dedicated Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team is seeking chaplains to join us in enhancing and developing the pastoral, spiritual, and religious care services we provide. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a supportive and diverse environment.
We welcome applications from individuals of all faiths and belief backgrounds who hold the appropriate qualifications. To foster inclusivity and broaden the diversity of our team, we encourage applications from those coming from a faith or belief other than Christianity, and particularly from Muslim applicants.
All applications will be considered based only on the essential and desirable criteria listed in the Person Specification attached. In collaboration with our existing chaplains, you will provide spiritual and pastoral support to individuals from various backgrounds, delivering religious care as applicable to your own faith or belief tradition.
We offer flexible part-time or full-time positions, with negotiable working hours to suit your schedule. The primary base for this role will be the Littlemore Mental Health Centre in Oxford but with some travel required across the Trust including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and further afield.
If you are a compassionate, qualified professional eager to make a difference and be part of an inspiring team, we would love to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
The primary duty of the chaplain is to offer spiritual and pastoral care to inpatients, community service users, families, carers and Trust staff in coordination with the rest of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care team. Chaplains are expected to assess spiritual, pastoral and religious needs and either to offer religious care where appropriate or to make onward referrals to ensure these needs are provided for.
Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties
About us
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application you are encouraged to read the "candidate guide to making an application" which is attached to all roles. Please include details around qualifications (including years these were gained particularly if we need to assess for clinical roles that these are still valid) and ensure that the supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses the essential criteria found in the JD.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible.Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount
- Pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
- Visit inpatient units and community service users as required to provide spiritual, pastoral and emotional support and make provision for appropriate religious support where required
- Support staff wellbeing and be available to staff for spiritual, pastoral and religious support where appropriate
- Establish good working relationships with clinical and other staff including community mental health teams
- Assess spiritual and religious needs where appropriate and communicate with the multi-disciplinary team as part of a holistic care plan
- Assist in the provision, maintenance and care of spiritual and religious resources including multi-faith spaces, prayer rooms and sanctuaries
- Lead spiritual and/or religious rituals or practices as appropriate or arrange for these to be provided
- Contribute towards chaplaincy service innovation and development
- Encourage an interest in spiritual and pastoral care among other health professionals and assist in the provision of training
- Encourage an interest in mental health and wellbeing among faith and belief communities
- Contribute to the implementation of spiritual, pastoral and religious care by service managers as an integral aspect of standard service delivery and support the development and dissemination of an integrated and holistic model of patient care that is inclusive of psychospiritual care
- Promote spirituality as a quality of organisational life through personal integrity in attitude and behaviour
- Serve as a resource to the Trust on spiritual, ethical and religious matters and provide guidance in areas of specialist knowledge
- Actively challenge societal stigma and social exclusion in promoting mental and emotional wellbeing for all people and communities
- Proactively undertake professional, personal and spiritual development
- Ensure that the health and welfare of patients is at the centre of all Trust activities
- Promote quality of care and safety of patients, visitors and staff and strive for continuous quality improvement
- Appropriately document encounters and support provided in Trust systems
- Preserve appropriate confidentiality regarding patients, families, carers and staff
Please refer to the job description and guidance notes attached for further information on this role
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
- Visit inpatient units and community service users as required to provide spiritual, pastoral and emotional support and make provision for appropriate religious support where required
- Support staff wellbeing and be available to staff for spiritual, pastoral and religious support where appropriate
- Establish good working relationships with clinical and other staff including community mental health teams
- Assess spiritual and religious needs where appropriate and communicate with the multi-disciplinary team as part of a holistic care plan
- Assist in the provision, maintenance and care of spiritual and religious resources including multi-faith spaces, prayer rooms and sanctuaries
- Lead spiritual and/or religious rituals or practices as appropriate or arrange for these to be provided
- Contribute towards chaplaincy service innovation and development
- Encourage an interest in spiritual and pastoral care among other health professionals and assist in the provision of training
- Encourage an interest in mental health and wellbeing among faith and belief communities
- Contribute to the implementation of spiritual, pastoral and religious care by service managers as an integral aspect of standard service delivery and support the development and dissemination of an integrated and holistic model of patient care that is inclusive of psychospiritual care
- Promote spirituality as a quality of organisational life through personal integrity in attitude and behaviour
- Serve as a resource to the Trust on spiritual, ethical and religious matters and provide guidance in areas of specialist knowledge
- Actively challenge societal stigma and social exclusion in promoting mental and emotional wellbeing for all people and communities
- Proactively undertake professional, personal and spiritual development
- Ensure that the health and welfare of patients is at the centre of all Trust activities
- Promote quality of care and safety of patients, visitors and staff and strive for continuous quality improvement
- Appropriately document encounters and support provided in Trust systems
- Preserve appropriate confidentiality regarding patients, families, carers and staff
Please refer to the job description and guidance notes attached for further information on this role
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Awareness of NHS guidance and standards for chaplaincy
- Knowledge of / engagement with other faith/belief traditions
Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Endorsement or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience of offering spiritual/pastoral care
- Evidence of self-care practices
Skills
Essential
- Capacity to work in emotionally, spiritually and psychologically demanding/distressing contexts
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Awareness of NHS guidance and standards for chaplaincy
- Knowledge of / engagement with other faith/belief traditions
Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Endorsement or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience of offering spiritual/pastoral care
- Evidence of self-care practices
Skills
Essential
- Capacity to work in emotionally, spiritually and psychologically demanding/distressing contexts
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.
