Pastoral Care Worker - Seniors Communities

Anglicare; Sydney; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Employee assistance program

Staff rewards portal

Job summary

Anglicare Sydney seeks a Pastoral Care Worker to provide Christ-centred pastoral care to residents in our aged care homes. You will accompany residents through daily life, transitions, grief and change, building trust with individuals and families.

Working with Chaplains and care teams, you will nurture spiritual wellbeing, uphold dignity, and support staff with compassionate presence across shifts in a person-centred, faith-informed approach.

Qualifications

• Experience in Christian ministry or pastoral care.
• Commitment to Christian faith and Anglicare values.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide authentic, person-centred pastoral care to residents.
• Build trusted relationships with residents and families.
• Support spiritual wellbeing during transitions, grief, illness and change.
• Pray with residents and offer faith-based support.

Skills

Pastoral care

Christian ministry

Active listening

Empathy

Communication

Education

Theological studies

Pastoral care qualification

Job description

Transform lives, every single day Do you want a career that means more? At Anglicare Sydney, we bring the strength, the support and the strategy to make it happen. We're a well-respected not-for-profit that's been serving people in need for over 170 years. Each year, we achieve life-changing outcomes for thousands of people who rely on our person-centred support. As our Pastoral Care Worker – Residential Homes, you'll provide compassionate, Christ-centred pastoral care to older people living within Anglicare's residential aged care homes. You'll become a trusted pastoral presence within the home, walking alongside residents through everyday life as well as times of transition, grief, illness and change. Through meaningful conversation, prayer, listening and faith-based support, you'll help nurture residents' spiritual and emotional wellbeing while also supporting families and staff where appropriate. Be welcomed into a compassionate, respectful and purpose-driven community where we don't just talk about values we live them.

Your opportunity As our Pastoral Care Worker, you'll work alongside Chaplains and residential aged care teams to ensure pastoral and spiritual care forms an integral part of each resident's overall wellbeing. You'll take the time to know residents as individuals - their stories, relationships, beliefs, experiences and spiritual needs and provide pastoral care that honours their dignity, choices and individual faith journey. Working collaboratively with the broader residential care team, you'll contribute to a holistic approach to care, creating opportunities for connection and providing a compassionate presence to residents and their families.

With integrity and compassion, you will:

• Provide authentic, person-centred pastoral care to residents living within Anglicare's residential aged care homes.
• Build trusted relationships with residents through regular visits, meaningful conversation and active listening.
• Support residents' spiritual and emotional wellbeing through times of transition, grief, loss, illness, loneliness or uncertainty.
• Pray with residents and provide Christian spiritual support where welcomed and appropriate.
• Share the Christian message sensitively and respectfully in response to residents' individual needs and preferences.
• Support residents to explore, express and maintain their faith and spiritual practices.
• Facilitate opportunities for meaningful spiritual connection and participation in faith-based activities.
• Provide pastoral support to residents' families and loved ones where appropriate.
• Provide pastoral support to staff where appropriate, particularly during difficult or significant events within the home.
• Work collaboratively with Chaplains, residential care teams and other professionals to provide holistic support.
• Identify complex pastoral or spiritual care needs and refer these appropriately to the Chaplain or other relevant professionals.
• Maintain accurate pastoral care documentation, records and reporting in accordance with Anglicare requirements.
• Build positive relationships and maintain effective communication with residents, families, staff and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to a safe, welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment within the residential home.

What you'll bring

You're someone who genuinely enjoys spending time with older people, hearing their stories and being present through both everyday moments and life's more challenging seasons. Your Christian faith shapes the way you serve others. You'll bring warmth, empathy, emotional maturity and a genuine desire to walk alongside people with compassion and respect. You'll understand that every resident has their own life story, beliefs and experiences and will provide pastoral care in a way that respects their individual choices, dignity and spiritual needs. You'll also be comfortable working within a residential aged care environment and collaborating with Chaplains, care teams and other professionals to support the whole person. Most importantly, you'll share Anglicare's values of Integrity, Justice, Compassion and Excellence.

You will also need

• Experience in Christian ministry, pastoral care or a similar faith-based role.
• A demonstrated personal commitment to the Christian faith and alignment with Anglicare's Christian mission and values.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent communication and active listening skills.
• Demonstrated empathy, compassion and sensitivity when supporting older people through difficult circumstances.
• Ability to build meaningful relationships with residents from diverse cultural, personal and faith backgrounds.
• Ability to provide pastoral care in a respectful, person-centred and non-judgemental way.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Chaplains, residential aged care teams and other professionals.
• Sound professional judgement and the ability to recognise when pastoral matters require escalation or referral.
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries, confidentiality and accurate documentation.
• Working With Children Check or willingness to obtain one where required.

Ideally, you will also have

• Theological studies completed, currently underway, or a willingness to undertake theological study.
• A relevant qualification in pastoral care, ministry, chaplaincy or a related discipline.
• Certificate III or IV in Aged Care, Individual Support, Pastoral Care or another relevant discipline.
• Previous experience providing pastoral care within residential aged care.
• Experience supporting older people experiencing grief, loss, declining health, significant life transitions or social isolation.
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary care environment.

Why Anglicare?

We provide meaningful opportunities and choice, both for the individuals and communities we support and the dedicated people here who make it happen. At Anglicare, you'll get the security, stability and opportunities that come with a strong, well-established organisation that's ready for the future. You'll belong to a community of kind, humble and respectful people and be supported to gain new knowledge, deepen your experience and expertise, and shape a rewarding career.

On top of that, here are just some of the tangible benefits you'll enjoy in a career with us

• Pay less tax on your income and increase your take-home pay.
• With salary packaging, up to $15,900 of your income can be tax free.
• Spend up to $2,650 on meals and entertainment, also tax free through salary packaging.
• Ongoing professional development and opportunities to grow your ministry and pastoral care capability.
• Supportive and purpose-driven team environment.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Fitness Passport.
• Employee discounts and wellbeing benefits.
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of older people and their families.

Are you ready for a career that means more?

If you're passionate about Christian ministry and providing compassionate pastoral care to older people living within residential aged care, we'd love to hear from you.

Anglicare is as wonderfully diverse as the customers and communities we support. While we are guided by our Christian-based values, our team includes people from diverse backgrounds who share our commitment to serving others, and we value the perspectives they bring. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all ages, genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds. Successful applicants will be required to complete relevant pre-employment checks. Application Close Date: October 15, 2026

Your rewards and benefits

We believe that caring for others starts with caring for our people. Because you put so much heart into helping the most vulnerable in our community, we're committed to supporting you to thrive both professionally and personally. Here, we recognise that meaningful work deserves meaningful support. So, we've designed a comprehensive package of rewards and benefits that reflect our values and make a real difference to your life.

Staff Rewards

Enjoy access to our staff rewards portal, with exclusive discounts to over 400 retailers, free wellbeing resources and more.

Salary Packaging

Pay less tax on your income and increase your take-home pay! With salary packaging, up to $15,900 of your income is tax free. You can also spend up to $2,650 on accommodation, meals and entertainment tax free!

Employee Assistance Program

At Anglicare, we care about your mental wellbeing, both at work and at home. Our confidential Employee Assistance Program provides free counselling as you need it.

Employee Referral Program

Be rewarded with a $1,200 incentive every time you help us find the right person for a permanent role! Simply go to our careers page, refer a friend for a permanent role, and if they're hired, you'll receive an additional $1,200 (taxable) payment when they reach six months of service.

Formal Recognition

The Performance Review process supports your professional goals through ongoing conversations and feedback from your manager. Your Annual Review Conversation provides an opportunity to formally recognise and reward outstanding performance through career progression, skill development and secondment.