Healthcare Chaplain (Maternity Cover) | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust; Truro; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A major healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Healthcare Chaplain to join their Chaplaincy Team for a one-year maternity cover. The role requires providing spiritual and pastoral care to patients, visitors, and staff of diverse beliefs and cultures. Ideal candidates will have strong collaborative skills and the ability to manage challenging situations. This role offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to the well-being of individuals in a busy healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Open approach and collaborative work style.
• Ability to cope with challenging pastoral situations.
• Experience in liaising with local faith communities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct religious/non-religious rites of passage as required.
• Offer staff support as requested by the Lead Chaplain.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to provide accessible services.

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Healthcare Chaplain to join the Chaplaincy Team on a fixed term (twelve months) maternity cover.

The chaplain will have an open approach and will work collaboratively to provide a flexible, responsive service of spiritual, pastoral, and religious care to patients, visitors, and staff, whatever their beliefs, culture, or lifestyle.

Responsibilities

• Conduct relevant religious/non-religious rites of passage as required.
• Maintain the emotional strength to cope with challenging pastoral situations.
• Offer staff support as a vital component of chaplaincy, both on an individual basis and to teams/groups.
• Collaborate in an interdisciplinary health setting with other healthcare professionals to provide an available, accessible service based on choice.
• Cooperate and work with medical, nursing and management staff.
• Liaise with leaders of local faith communities, fostering and maintaining effective links.
• Organise and participate in acts of worship/study days, etc., when required.
• Promote and model good working practices and relationships.
• Be available to offer pastoral care to staff individually or in groups as requested by the Lead Chaplain.

About the Trust

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people — a figure that can increase significantly with visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million. We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School. The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles. Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.

Application notes

Please note: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

• Identity Checks
• Professional registration and qualification checks
• Employment history and reference checks
• Work health assessments
• Criminal record check standards
• Right to work checks

For further information please visit:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation

Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us at interview about any flexible working arrangements you would prefer or require. While we may not be able to fully accommodate all requests, such requests will not be referenced during the interview scoring process, and we will fully consider and try to accommodate them for successful applicants.

We reserve the right to close this advert early, or when the allocated number of applications has been reached. Please submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

This advert closes on Wednesday 15 Oct 2025