Band 6 Chaplain

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Enfield; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a compassionate chaplain to join its diverse Spiritual Care Team. This role provides inclusive spiritual and pastoral support to patients, families, visitors, volunteers and staff of all faiths, with a patient-centred approach that respects individual beliefs.

You will respond to referrals, work with MDTs and ethics committees, lead memorial services where needed, and help staff wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of faith and belief systems to work in a multi-faith context.
• Experience of counselling and/or pastoral and religious support.
• Substantial ministry experience.
• Healthcare settings experience and NHS familiarity.
• Understanding of NHS policies relevant to chaplaincy service.

Responsibilities

• Provide compassionate spiritual and religious care to patients, families, visitors, volunteers and staff.
• Receive and respond to urgent and non-urgent referrals; liaise with other chaplains as needed.
• Collaborate with Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Team; maintain open communication.
• Raise the profile of spiritual care across the Trust; engage with MDTs and ethics committees.
• Offer staff wellbeing support via one-to-one sessions and reflective groups.
• Contribute to teaching, training, and educational sessions when required.
• Support pregnancy loss families; arrange and lead baby funerals and memorial services where appropriate.
• Oversee and maintain spiritual care spaces and multi-faith facilities across the Trust.
• Participate in a 24-hour on-call Chaplaincy service as required.

Skills

Multifaith care delivery

Counselling support

Pastoral ministry

Healthcare setting experience

NHS knowledge

Ethics in healthcare

Education

Theology degree

Healthcare Chaplaincy PG Cert/Dip/MA

Counselling qualification

Ordained/licensed status

Job description

We are seeking a compassionate, creative and motivated chaplain to work as part of our Spiritual Care Team. You will be joining a team that is diverse and inclusive. Informal visits and conversations are welcome. This post is open to all faiths and beliefs.

The Chaplaincy-Spiritual Care team is committed to providing compassionate, person-centred spiritual, pastoral, and religious care to patients, families, visitors, volunteers, and staff of all faiths, beliefs, and philosophies of life. We seek to promote dignity, wellbeing, and holistic care through a compassionate, non-judgemental approach that respects and values individual differences and lived experiences.

The team offers responsive one-to-one spiritual and religious support tailored to the needs of each individual. Chaplains provide both inclusive spiritual care and faith-specific support where requested or appropriate, ensuring that all people are treated with respect, sensitivity, and understanding.

Main duties of the job

• Provide appropriate, compassionate, and sensitive spiritual and religious care to patients, families, carers, visitors, volunteers, and staff.
• Receive and respond appropriately to both urgent and non-urgent referrals, referring to other chaplains as necessary.
• Work collaboratively and maintain excellent communication with members of the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Team.
• Raise the profile of spiritual care across the Trust by maintaining a visible presence within clinical areas and actively engaging with staff through multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), ethics committees, organ donation committees, staff networks, and other relevant forums.
• Provide pastoral and wellbeing support to staff through one-to-one sessions, reflective practice groups, and debriefs following challenging or complex situations.
• Contribute to the delivery of teaching, training, and educational sessions as required.
• Support individuals and families who have experienced pregnancy loss and, where appropriate, arrange, plan, and lead baby funerals and memorial services.
• Oversee and assist in maintaining spiritual care and multi-faith spaces across the Trust.
• Participate in the provision of a 24-hour on-call Chaplaincy service, as required.

About Us

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests. Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top. For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Person Specification

Experience

• Comprehensive knowledge of faith and belief systems to be able to work in a multi-faith, multi-cultural context
• To have experience of counselling and/or pastoral and religious support
• Demonstrate substantial experience of ministry
• Experience and knowledge of healthcare settings
• Knowledge and understanding of the workings of the NHS to enable the post holder to work as part of the chaplaincy-spiritual care team and play an active part in the life of the trust in a multi-disciplinary context
• Understanding of national policies and procedures relevant to the provision of the healthcare chaplaincy service
• Theoretical knowledge on ethical issues relating to healthcare
• Experience of working in multi-faith contexts

Education and professional qualificatons

• Recognised (ordained/licensed) and in good standing with faith and/or belief community
• Educated to degree level in theology and ministerial development as per faith and belief traditio
• Healthcare Chaplaincy PG Cert/Dip/MA or equivalent
• Counselling qualification

Royal Free shared commitments

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments

Personal qualities and attributes

• Ability to communicate with staff, patients and others in difficult and sensitive situations
• Highly developed communication skills including the ability to teach and share ideas as part of teamwork
• An ability to express idea clearly and effectively in speech and writing
• Commitment to working in a multi-faith context with openness to the views and doubts of others and a willingness to pastorally care for people of all faiths and beliefs.
• Empathetic and compassionate
• Deep personal spirituality
• Commitment to continuous learning and development

Others

• Share in the provision of 24-hour on-call, to provide emergency spiritual and religious care as required and appropriate
• Liturgical competence
• 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.

£45,953 to £54,254 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS