Deputy Head of Chaplaincy (NHS AfC: Band 7) - Chaplaincy - The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust; Harlow; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Harlow seeks a Deputy Head of Chaplaincy to lead the pastoral care team. The role involves providing spiritual support, managing a team of chaplains, and ensuring strategic alignment with Trust policies. Candidates should hold a master's level qualification in healthcare chaplaincy and have experience in leading and managing teams. This position offers competitive pay and extensive benefits, emphasizing patient care and community engagement.

Benefits

Minimum 27 days' annual leave

NHS Pension scheme

Flexible working options

Free car parking

Access to an onsite creche

Qualifications

• Significant proven experience in a full-time healthcare chaplaincy post.
• Knowledge of national policies relevant to acute healthcare chaplaincy.
• Experience in leading, managing, and motivating teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality pastoral and spiritual care to patients and staff.
• Lead, manage, and develop the chaplaincy team.
• Ensure strong community links with local faith and belief groups.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Pastoral care

Education

Masters level in healthcare chaplaincy or equivalent

Job description

Employer The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust Town Harlow Salary £47,810 - £54,710 Pro rata, Per annum plus 5% high cost area supplement Salary period Yearly Closing 10/10/2025 12:00

Deputy Head of Chaplaincy

NHS AfC: Band 7

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.

Our values

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) promise to our patients, as identified by our three values which will contribute to improving our patients’ experiences, is:

Patient at heart – Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts.

Everyday excellence – Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both.

Creative collaboration – Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care.

Job overview

The Deputy Head of Chaplaincy will be committed to the pastoral, spiritual and religious care of all patients, relatives, carers, visitors, volunteers and staff at PAHT regardless of faith, belief, or culture. You will respond with sensitivity and compassion to the diverse emotional, cultural, pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of people across the Trust.

You will provide professional leadership and line management to the chaplaincy team at PAHT. This is a multi-faith, multi-belief, and ecumenical team of ordained chaplains, and honorary chaplains, and chaplaincy volunteers. You will work with them to provide a safe, effective, caring, and responsive service. This will include maintaining the 24-hour 365 day on call rota, in which you will be expected to participate fully.

You will work closely with the Head of Chaplaincy to identify and implement strategic development and service change to ensure the needs of patients, relatives, carers, visitors, volunteers and staff are met. This work must be up to date, evidence-based, and consistent with Trust policies and procedures, UKBHC Standards and Codes of Practice, and current NHS Chaplaincy Guidelines.

You will deputise for the Head of Chaplaincy from time to time, as required.

Main duties of the job

• To provide visible leadership for the provision of high-quality pastoral, spiritual and religious care to patients, carers, relatives, visitors, volunteers and staff. You will ensure all care is sensitive to their needs, culture, background, faith and belief, including where people do not think of themselves as being religious.
• To provide leadership, line management, and development of the Chaplaincy at PAHT. You will arrange quarterly team meetings and reflective sessions in conjunction with the Head of Chaplaincy.
• To develop the vision for chaplaincy services in conjunction with the Head of Chaplaincy. This vision will be in line with the Trust’s strategic direction, and ensure this is underpinned by appropriate up-to-date policies and procedures.
• To ensure the chaplaincy team establishes and maintains strong links with local community groups, particularly with representatives of local faith and belief groups.
• To participate as agreed in internal service-focussed groups and committees, to promote cultural, spiritual, and ethical care and to raise the profile of the chaplaincy service. These groups currently include Patient Experience Group (PEG), End of Life Steering Group (EoL), Race equality and Cultural Heritage (REACH) network, Ward MDT, etc.

Working for our organisation

Our Organisation

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.

We employ 3,500 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

Our Values

The Princess Alexandra Promise to our patients as identified by our 3 values which will contribute to improving our patient experiences:

Patient at heart – Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts

Everyday excellence – Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both

Creative collaboration – Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care

The Trust believes in investing in all our staff and rewarding high standards of care whilst building for excellence and in return we expect our staff to uphold the Trust values to the highest level.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Previous applicants need not apply.

Please see the attached Job description and person specification. This is available to download at anytime.

Person specification

Application

• Educated to Masters level in healthcare chaplaincy, or equivalent learning experience in theology or other area relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
• Significant proven experience in a full-time healthcare chaplaincy post.
• Knowledge and understanding of national policies and procedures relevant to the provision of an acute healthcare chaplaincy service, including knowledge of the NHS, its structures and services.
• Further studies relating to chaplaincy, bereavement support, counselling, pastoral care, pastoral supervision, mentoring or spiritual direction.
• Experience in leading, managing, and motivating people.
• Excellent organisational skills and oral and written communication skills, including an ability to teach and share ideas.

Application

• Ability to think analytically, and to manage the development of an active chaplaincy service in partnership with the Head of Chaplaincy
• Recent experience of leading reflective practice using recognised tools e.g. Values Based Reflective Practice.

What we can offer you:

• Full induction and onboarding process in our organisation
• Free car parking for our staff
• Structured pay scheme, including additional living supplement to your basic salary
• Minimum 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time staff)
• Access to our Alex Lounge, our staff only rest area with free tea and coffee
• Access to NHS Pension scheme
• Flexible working options available, in line with our flexible working policy
• Onsite creche facilities
• Annual appraisals with career pathways
• In-house training courses
• Discounted hospital restaurant
• Staff health and wellbeing health services and complimentary health provision
• Our Trust is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all its employees. We welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can also be made for any candidates with a disability
• All new colleagues joining PAHT will be subject to a probationary period of six months
• The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions where we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment
• Our Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and vulnerable adults. Offers of employment are subject to pre-employment NHS screening checks
• Providing false or misleading information or unsatisfactory pre-employment checks may result in the offer of a post being withdrawn

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.