Job responsibilities
JOB
PURPOSE/SUMMARY
The
Specialist Oncology and Palliative Care Chaplain/pastoral carer is responsible
for leading the chaplaincy departmental provision in oncology and palliative
care, in consultation with the Head/Deputy Head of Department and the wider
chaplaincy team. The post holder will provide specialist advice to the Trust on
matters of religion, spirituality, and pastoral care, especially for cancer and
specialist palliative care. The post holder will also continue to practice as a
chaplain/pastoral carer and contribute to the duty and on-call rota, as
appropriate for their belief or faith.
The
Specialist Oncology and Palliative Care Chaplain/pastoral carer is a senior
member of the chaplaincy team and may be called upon to deputise for the
Head/Deputy Head of Service.
The
chaplaincy service contributes to care pathways across the acute sector and
collaborates across the integrated care systems in West Yorkshire and as well
as health and care providers in the City of Leeds, with the aim is to integrate
service delivery and organisational systems as extensively as possible so that
the needs of one person are addressed by people acting as one team, from
organisations behaving as one system.
The
primary aim of the Chaplaincy/Pastoral Care Service is to provide specialist
pastoral, spiritual, and religious care and chaplaincy support to the hospitals
of the Trust. Chaplains work at the intersections of religion, belief,
spirituality and health by supporting patients (babies, children and adults),
those important to them, and the healthcare team, to integrate spiritual
beliefs, values and practices into whole-person care.
The
Chaplaincy Service is a department of the Trust that plans, facilitates, and
delivers services and care to address the pastoral, spiritual and religious
needs of the hospitals diverse population. It provides access to chaplaincy
support 24 hours a day, expert advice and educational opportunities, and
liaises with faith communities and belief groups in the wider community. The
Chaplaincy service provides pastoral, spiritual, and religious support to staff
and volunteers of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.
The
Specialist oncology and palliative care chaplain/pastoral carer will be
collaborate with the Lead Cancer Nurse, the Specialist Palliative Care Team,
CNS teams, and CSUs, especially where cancer patients access services. The post
holder will collaborate with the wider chaplaincy and pastoral care team;
including volunteers, bank and honorary chaplains.
PRINCIPAL
DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
4.1
Specialist Chaplain/Pastoral Carer
Lead by example through presence,
visibility and behaviours of compassion, inclusivity and the Leeds Way values
of the Trust.
Contribute to excellent multi
professional collaboration to provide the best possible holistic care for
people.
Help promote an ethos within the
Chaplaincy Service that nurtures and engages staff, provides an empowering and
collegial environment, and facilitates mutual accountability and learning.
Foster respect and understanding of
the religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions and practices of the diverse
communities the Trust serves and are represented in the workforce.
Lead professional development and
service improvement to support excellence in patient care and service delivery
within oncology and palliative care.
Contribute to the senior leadership
of the chaplaincy and work effectively as a senior chaplain/pastoral carer.
Ensure that pastoral, spiritual, or
religious care in cancer and palliative care meets all relevant service and
professional standards, including NHS England NHS Chaplaincy Guidelines and the
UKBHC Standards for Healthcare Chaplaincy Services.
Contribute to sustainable innovation
that is informed by current evidence, diffuses fresh thinking and new ideas,
and supports the chaplaincy team with cancer and palliative care staff in
developing best practice.
Represent the department at relevant
clinical and governance relating to cancer and palliative care.
4.2
Clinical Governance
Ensure that there are effective
structures and processes of governance in place to provide assurance to the
chaplaincy and oncology quality fora.
Submit timely performance updates on
agreed metrics to the Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Promote and follow all relevant
Clinical Governance standards and practices in the department including
Infection Prevention and Control.
Reflect on user and stakeholder
feedback and concerns, ensuring lessons learnt are implemented.
4.3
Service Planning
Formulate an inspiring and ambitious
vision for the development and delivery of high-quality chaplaincy services
withing cancer and palliative care aligned to the clinical support units (CSU),
the strategic needs of the Trust and the populations it serves.
Identify and collaborate with
Head/Deputy Head of Chaplaincy in the development of relevant business plans
that aim to fulfil the needs of service users and the requirements of the CSU
and the Trust.
Understand and adopt innovations and
developments in chaplaincy practice and service delivery that can improve the
quality of the chaplaincy service in cancer and palliative care.
4.4
Operational Management
Ensure the day-to-day continuity of
services in cancer and palliative care, escalating concerns in a timely way,
working with the Head/Deputy Head of chaplaincy when staff shortages or other
challenges arise.
Be part of the departments Major
Incident Response plan.
4.5
Chaplaincy Practice
Provide specialist spiritual care and
chaplaincy support to patients, those who are important to them, and to staff.
This may include working in highly sensitive and complex situations and in
highly distressing circumstances.
Provide specialist assessments of
people presenting with pastoral and spiritual needs and exercise professional
judgement in determining their chaplaincy care and support.
Communicate in a skilled and
sensitive manner with those who seek chaplaincy support, record relevant
information about the patient and their care in the patient and chaplaincy
record, and liaise with other members of the care team to support effective
multidisciplinary teamwork.
Administer appropriate rites and
ceremonies that are congruent with the practices of patients and those who are
important to them, and consistent with the post-holders authorising faith
community or belief group.
Refer, with the consent of the service
user, to a leader of a relevant faith community or belief group where the
service user has immediate or ongoing needs that cannot be met within
Chaplaincy Department.
Practice in accordance with the
principles of the UKBHC Code of Conduct for Healthcare Chaplains and be subject
to regular chaplaincy supervision.
Maintain fitness to practice as a
chaplain by completing the necessary training and CPD to meet UKBHC standards
and the requirements of the Trust.
Contribute to the chaplaincy duty and
out of hours on-call rotas responding within departmental standards.
Contribute to the supervision of
chaplains and junior chaplains and promote reflective practice as a core skill
in chaplaincy care.
4.6
Communication, Information & IT
Join or initiate networks at the
local, regional and national level to support collaborations and the
dissemination of knowledge in support of the chaplaincy profession and the
contribution of chaplaincy practice to health services in cancer and palliative
care.
Communicate effectively at a high
level with other clinical professions, both internally and externally, on
issues relating to chaplaincy and spiritual care.
Ensure effective communication
structures among chaplaincy staff, within the CSUs and across wider networks.
Ensure patient and operational
information is accurate and managed within relevant governance frameworks and
regulations.
Request, collate and analyse data
related to service activity and performance in cancer and palliative to drive
service quality and inform strategic planning.
Maximise the benefits of information
technology in the service.
4.7
Audit, Service Evaluation and Research
Promote a culture of quality
improvement and evidence-based practice in the profession, and actively support
the translation of research knowledge into practice.
Ensure that professional and relevant
national standards and guidelines are implemented and audited.
Adopt and implement service
improvement methods and techniques that provide a systematic and rigorous
approach, engage staff and support learning from the patients experience.
4.8
Education and Training
Support a culture of professional
learning, reflection, and the continuous development of practice.
Supervise students on placement.
Contribute to the development and
delivery of training and educational programmes in chaplaincy practice and
spiritual care at a range of academic levels.
Appraise directly line-managed
chaplains and support their on-going professional and career development.
4.9
Resource and Asset Management
Ensure chaplaincy office space,
chapels, quiet and prayer rooms are maintained to a safe and good standard.
Ensure they meet the needs of the stakeholder populations and comply with
relevant Trust policies.
Financial oversight of the resources
used by chaplaincy in oncology and special palliative care, including detailed
analysis of cost benefits, monitoring finances, reporting back on utilisation
and impact.
Develop fully costed business plans
for further service development; and ensure all activity uses the Leeds Way
waste reduction to maximise resource available to patient care and staff
support.
4.10
Staff Management
Follow Trust policies and relevant
professional regulations including processes and procedures to ensure that
staff and volunteers are competent and safe practitioners and are supported and
managed effectively.
