Job summary
- Main area
- Chaplaincy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Ad-hoc: 6 months
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 372-FW1467
- Employer
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Town
- Huddersfield
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 11/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Roman Catholic Chaplain- Bank
NHS AfC: Band 6
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.
We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.
We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.
We received our Silver Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we provided its statement of intent to support all Defence personnel and we welcome application to work for us.
Our Future Plans
The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded capital funding to invest in local health services at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This is a significant investment and an opportunity to enhance services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come. To find out more, please visit https://future.cht.nhs.uk/
Job overview
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust are currently seeking applications to join its highly valued Hospital Chaplaincy Team. We are seeking experienced Healthcare Chaplains who can work autonomously across the hospital sites to ensure the provision of pastoral, spirituality and religious care.
Bank Chaplains will need to be available to respond to both office hours and out of hours calls in a timely manner, as well as to be able to travel between the acute hospital sites.
These positions are open only to those accredited / licensed with authority to practice as a Roman Catholic chaplain by a sponsoring faith community or belief group.
Main duties of the job
The jobholder’s primary responsibility is to be available to visit patients/carers/relatives/staff in wards and departments as requested and when required to offer the appropriate care. The jobholder will work as part of the chaplaincy team ensuring that that pastoral, spiritual and religious needs are met.
Chaplains and chaplaincy volunteers deliver person-centred pastoral, spiritual and religious care for patients, relatives, friends, carers, and members of staff, regardless of whether these be persons of faith or not.
It is essential that you are a team player and enjoy working collaboratively.
Working for our organisation
We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.
We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.
We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.
We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS – yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff and the local community.
Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· To respond to urgent and non-urgent referrals for patients and their families requesting religious care and support.
· To arrange Roman Catholic services and be involved in corporate or public services as the Trust requires and participate in multi-faith services and events under the guidance of the Lead Chaplain.
· To provide prayers, sacraments and rituals for End-of-Life Care patients and families and parents who have a pregnancy loss or still birth.
· To support ward staff in the provision of health care by providing information, advice and support regarding pastoral, spiritual and religious care.
· To provide support to relatives of patients, including those who are bereaved.
· To provide pastoral care and support parents with pregnancy loss and still birth.
· On occasion share in the provision of prayer and worship for patients, families and staff.
· To be able to make specialist independent judgements and provide support regarding religious and spiritual care, dependent upon the situation including End of Life Care and other issues as they arise.
Standard Information
- Carries out Chaplaincy duties within the Chaplaincy Policy and the SOP (standard operational procedure) under the direction of the Lead Chaplain. Adheres to agreed procedures and promotes by example, a high standard of pastoral, spiritual and religious care.
- Works closely with and under the guidance of the Lead Chaplain.
- Collaborates and liaises with other members of the multi-faith/cross cultural chaplaincy team.
- Fosters good relationships with patients, families, carers and other members of staff.
- To be a skilled communicator and be able to establish and maintain relationships sometimes in a pastorally challenging environment.
- To be able to work effectively in highly stressful situations such as where there is distress or verbal abuse.
- Maintains a personal and Professional profile.
- Develops within the scope of professional practice.
- Available during hours of duty, to support relatives of patients, particularly those who are bereaved.
- To attend the quarterly chaplaincy team meetings and participate in reflective practice and supervision.
- Keeps records of the service provided including records of patient visits on EPR (Electronic Patient Record) and when required contributing to the writing of reports e.g. Quarterly End of Life Strategy group Report and the Chaplaincy Annual Report.
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
Essential criteria
- Degree level training in a subject relevant to health care chaplaincy that includes systematic study in any of the following fields: theology, religious studies, pastoral care, psychology, counselling, or psychotherapy
- Accreditation/acknowledged status for faith / belief community leadership role
- A commitment to undertake further training essential to the requirement of the post
Desirable criteria
- Postgraduate degree or diploma in a chaplaincy-related discipline OR engaged on a course leading to this.
- Registration with the UK Board of healthcare Chaplains or eligibility to register
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Essential criteria
- Substantial experience in Healthcare Chaplaincy or the equivalent in a pastoral care setting.
- Significant work with people from diverse backgrounds, including of faith and no faith
- Counselling / pastoral skills
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary setting and the ability to promote shared decision making
- Demonstratable evidence of working with and respecting religious, spiritual and pastoral diversity and differences
- Deputise for the lead chaplain in chairing and facilitating meetings for staff, volunteers, and interfaith service meetings
- Endorsement to practice as a healthcare Chaplain by a recognised sponsoring faith, community, or belief group
- Working knowledge of major faith communities and belief groups in relation to the acute hospital context
- An understanding of the NHS and chaplaincy
- An understanding of the principles and practice of governance.
- A proven pastoral, spiritual and religious expertise in complex, emotional and distressing situations.
- Knowledge of religious, spiritual and ethical issues related to healthcare
- Ability to represent the chaplaincy department.
- The ability to communicate sensitively with people who have mental and physical health problems, to request support and escalate concerns as required to Lead Chaplain.
- Authorised minister or lay worker in the Roman Catholic tradition
Desirable criteria
- Involvement in the recruitment of staff e.g., volunteers.
- Evidence of experience of the NHS as a healthcare chaplain
- Experience in counselling and pastoral techniques
- Effective performance as a healthcare chaplain at a minimum of Band 5.
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)
Essential criteria
- The ability to regulate own workload and work on own initiative
- The ability to establish effective relationships and maintain the cooperation of others
- To be trustworthy, showing careful attention to the individual and specific needs of those in their care and to have an approach that values and affirms the rights of those outside the chaplain’s own tradition to practice their beliefs appropriately
- Demonstrate appropriate personal and professional values and behaviours and practice in accordance with the UKBHC Code of Ethics
- A professional Chaplaincy identity rooted in one’s own religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and disclosure, positive use of power and authority, and clear and responsible boundaries behaviours, skills and specialist knowledge.
- Competent use of self in chaplaincy practice including emotional availability, cultural humility, appropriate self
- Supportive of the Trusts values
- To participate in the on-call rota which offers cover overnight and at weekends
- To deputise for the Lead Chaplain on operational issues as required.
Desirable criteria
- Willingness to respond to urgent and unexpected event e.g., major incident supporting the Lead Chaplain
- To have experience of supervising others e.g., volunteers
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Alexandra Keaskin
- Job title
- Matron for Patient Experience
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07825054782
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