Muslim Chaplain

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust; Tooting; On-site; GBP 9,000 - 12,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health trust in London is seeking a dedicated Male Muslim Chaplain to provide spiritual, pastoral, and ethical support to service users and staff. The role involves leading faith-specific duties and delivering compassionate care in a challenging environment. Candidates should possess specialized knowledge of their faith and excellent communication skills. The position offers a salary of £9,283 to £11,009 annually.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Authorisation from a recognised body within faith community.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a spiritual and ethical resource.
• Collaborate in multidisciplinary meetings.
• Conduct and administer rites and practices.

Skills

Specialized knowledge of faith traditions

Excellent communication skills

Pastoral care experience

Ability to navigate sensitive situations

Education

Degree level or equivalent in management

Counselling qualification/training

Job description

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

The closing date is 30 September 2025

We are seeking a dedicated and professional Male Muslim Chaplain to join our team at South West London & St George's Mental Health Trust. At this time, we welcome and encourage male applicants for the role in order to support all our service users and staff of Muslim faith with a focus on male service users working alongside our Muslim Female Chaplain.

The role includes supporting vulnerable service users, responding to incidents, and ensuring compliance with safety protocols. The Chaplain will join the Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care, supporting the pastoral, spiritual, ethical and religious needs of service users, staff visitors and students across the Trust. Working under the Team Leader as part of a diverse team, you will lead your own faith community while also providing general spiritual and pastoral support as required.

The role involves discerning and responding to emotional and spiritual needs, delivering care across the Trust sites, and supporting both general and faith specific Muslim chaplaincy duties in line with departmental priorities. You will work collaboratively with colleagues, volunteers and external faith representatives to provide compassionate, inclusive support throughout the Trust.

Main duties of the job

1. To serve as a spiritual, pastoral and ethical resource for service users, staff and the wider Trust community. Conduct rites and practises of the postholder's faith, support those unable to access their faith communities, and advise on spiritual dimensions of care, including bereavement.
2. Provide expertise in own faith tradition and awareness of others, liaising with healthcare staff to integrate spiritual care. Contribute to training and orientation of students and staff, deliver faith specific and multi-faith training and advise, and advocate for service users and staff from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
3. Build relationships, navigate sensitive situations, and exercise independent professional judgement. Collaborate in multidisciplinary meetings and liaise with local faith leaders. Maintain high service standards, supervise trainees, volunteers and support service development and innovation. Attend mandatory training, supervision, study days and appraisals, promoting ongoing professional and spiritual growth.
4. To support as a spiritual, pastoral, ethical and religious resource, particularly for members of the postholder's own faith community, but also for the wider Trust community as needed.
5. To conduct and administer rites and practices of the postholders own faith tradition for patients on wards, and to provide for individuals unable to maintain contact with their own faith communities. To offer guidance or seek advice on the spiritual dimensions of bereavement care, and to participate in or lead memorial services and other corporate/public events as required by the Trust.
6. To provide specialised knowledge of their own faith tradition, with awareness of other religious and spiritual perspectives. This includes understanding the cultural, ethical, and religious issues that relate to healthcare, especially within the context of mental illness. The postholder will liaise with healthcare staff to ensure spiritual assessments and activities are integrated into the continuum of care.
7. To contribute to the education and orientation of students and new Trust staff, helping them understand the role of the Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care. The postholder may also deliver training on their specific faith tradition and undertake further development to provide specialised training in spiritual, ethical, cultural, and multi-faith matters. They will serve as an advocate for patients, staff, and visitors from their religious and cultural background and act as a faith resource or refer appropriately within the department.
8. To demonstrate excellent communication skills, building relationships in challenging pastoral environments. The postholder must be able to navigate complex and sensitive situations, providing or signposting spiritual support and guidance. They should be capable of making independent professional judgements in matters of spiritual care and adapt to unpredictable and sometimes distressing working conditions.
9. To collaborate with medical, nursing, and managerial staff in multidisciplinary meetings, training sessions, and departmental discussions where spiritual care is relevant to patient wellbeing.
10. To liaise with local religious leaders regarding the pastoral and spiritual needs of patients, visitors, and staff, maintaining NHS confidentiality standards. The postholder may also receive information from external religious representatives and act as a resource on local and national multi-faith matters. Patient engagement and liaison regarding the chaplaincy service is also encouraged.
11. To maintain high standards of service in accordance with national, Trust, and Team expectations. This includes keeping records of chaplaincy work, supervising trainees and volunteers, and participating in service development. The postholder will help implement chaplaincy policies such as those governing unauthorised visitors and the conduct of faith groups and contribute to innovation in the service.
12. To attend all required training sessions as outlined by the Trust, including PADR reviews, mandatory training, and induction. This also includes monthly supervision (up to 1 hour per 1.0 WTE), regional and national study courses (up to 6 days WTE annually), and participation in the Annual Study Day and Team meetings. The postholder will also engage in annual appraisals and any additional relevant professional development.
13. To support and lead innovation and change within the Department, contributing to audits, research, and responsive service improvements.
14. To demonstrate an ongoing commitment to professional and spiritual growth. The postholder is expected to arrange regular supervision or mentoring, attend annual study and team meetings, and take responsibility for continuing education and training. They are entitled (pro-rata) to one week of retreat leave and one week of study leave annually for development and reflection. All professional conduct should align with the CHCC Code of Conduct.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in relevant management/ professional qualification
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Authorisation / accreditation from a recognised endorsing body within candidate's own faith/belief community
• To undertake appropriate professional training, including being informed of national developments within spiritual healthcare.
• Counselling qualification/training

Knowledge and Experience

• Specialised knowledge of own faith community religious traditions and some knowledge of other faith traditions and religions and spiritual, cultural and ethical issues relating to healthcare, particularly when applied to mental health.
• Proven pastoral, spiritual and religious experience in emotional and distressing situations, with particular reference to mental health
• Pastoral care in a voluntary or paid capacity minimum 300 hours
• To have understanding of spiritual direction and institutional chaplaincy issues.
• Experience of working as a trainee hospital chaplain or equivalent, and to be up-to-date with current developments in spiritual healthcare and ability to carry out own tradition spiritual assessments and care.
• To have experience of working in NHS organisation .
• Ability to work in an ecumenical and inter-faith team
• Ability to lead Friday prayers
• Previous experience of working in Mental Health

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.

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

£9,283 to £11,009 a yearPer annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs