Chaplain

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Gorleston-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dedicated Chaplain to join our professional chaplaincy team and volunteers. You will advocate for pastoral and spiritual care across patients, families, staff and students, delivering compassionate, culturally sensitive support within the hospital community.

The role requires experience with diverse faiths, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work autonomously within a multidisciplinary NHS setting, including

Qualifications

• Qualified degree in theological studies required.
• Eligible for authorisation by faith group to practice as healthcare chaplain.
• Pastoral/ministry accreditation and knowledge of multiple religions required.
• Registered or eligible for UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains registration (UKBHC).
• Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Healthcare Chaplaincy or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide pastoral and spiritual care to patients, families, staff and students within the hospital.
• Coordinate with chaplaincy volunteers and multidisciplinary teams; offer crisis support and debriefing.
• Engage with diverse faiths and lead worship or ceremonial activities as appropriate.

Skills

Pastoral care

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Public speaking

Education

Theology degree

Faith affiliation/authorisation

Pastoral accreditation

UKBHC registration eligibility

Healthcare chaplaincy qualification

Job description

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chaplain

The closing date is 12 November 2026

We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative individual to work with our professional chaplaincy team, and our chaplaincy volunteers, to act as an advocate for pastoral and spiritual care within the Trust. They will need to be self-motivated, self-aware and able to provide spiritual sensitivity and compassion for patients, families, visitors, staff and students within the hospital community.

Main duties of the job

To be a chaplain within James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundations trust you will need to be prepared to work with a wide variety of people which will include; patients, their relatives and friends; staff and students; and visitors to the hospital.

Chaplains are expected to offer pastoral care regardless of cultural or faith tradition. They also offer spiritual care where appropriate and seek specialist spiritual care where it is not available within the chaplaincy team. Person centred care with integrity is an essential concept through which we can offer high quality spiritual care to everyone under the James Paget family.

Key links in the Paget pastoral chain will be working with, ward staff, the palliative care team, maternity bereavement support, bereavement services, the mortuary team, and the wellbeing team.

About us

The successful candidate will have experience of working alongside a range of faith and belief organisations (religious and non-religious), excellent interpersonal skills, ability to encourage others and the spiritual and emotional stamina required to carry out this demanding service.

Job responsibilities

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for a full and comprehensive overview for this position.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

• Qualified degree level in theological studies.
• Eligible to be authorised by appropriate faith or belief group to practice as a healthcare chaplain (Ordination, licence, letter of authority etc.)
• Pastoral/ministry accreditation
• Evidence of knowledge of a range of religions and faiths.
• Registered or Eligibility to enable registration with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains (UKBHC)
• Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Healthcare Chaplaincy in Healthcare chaplaincy (or equivalent relevant qualification/equivalent relevant experience in healthcare chaplaincy)

Experience & Knowledge

• Proven record of sustained pastoral experience.
• Significant experience of professionally supervised clinical practice as a healthcare chaplain that must include working with adult patients, end of life care, and on-call duties in an acute NHS hospital setting
• Experience of providing spiritual and pastoral care to a diverse population.
• Experience of working with people of different faiths, those with a life limiting illness and the bereaved.
• Team working across different denominations, faiths, clinical disciplines and with hospital management
• Experience of working with those experiencing trauma.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent knowledge of own and other faith or belief systems and their impact in healthcare settings.
• Excellent verbal and IT communication skills; including IT and keyboard skills - Familiarity with Microsoft office, cloud-based applications and the ability to learn new computer skills
• Ability to work autonomously and within a multidisciplinary team and to prioritise workload.
• Evidence of ability to train and supervise chaplaincy volunteers; and to make decisions within defined boundaries.
• bility work in, and support people, during crisis situations. To be able to debrief people following traumatic and crisis situations.
• Able to lead formal and informal public worship or facilitate for other religions e.g., Islam /Sikhism

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.

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£39,959 to £48,117 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time,Flexible working,Compressed hours