Job summary
We are seeking to appoint a chaplain of any faith tradition, or person with equivalent skills and experience, to join our team and to have particular responsibility for supporting families of children who are palliative or who have been bereaved, acting as their keyworker when a child dies. The post holder will be based in the SWFT chaplaincy team but will work closely with the community children’s nursing team and will be part of their MDT. They will also work closely with the acute paediatric nursing team. .
They will support staff who care for very sick and dying children, and provide training for bereavement support, compassionate conversations, and staff wellbeing. They will help staff in the identification of spiritual and religious need.
We expect this unique post to be filled by a chaplain, however we recognise that there may be someone with similar skills and aptitudes, but different professional training, who may also wish to apply. We encourage all applications and welcome conversation before submitting your application.
This post will build on the foundations laid by previous post-holders and it gives opportunity for some truly creative and collaborative work to make a real difference to families who are going through very difficult and complex times.
Main duties of the job
The Team Chaplain is to work with the whole Chaplaincy team in the delivery of pastoral, spiritual and religious care to all patients, their relatives and staff.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent work or life experience) with demonstrable learning in a relevant field such as counselling, pastoral care, psychology, psychotherapy, religious studies or theology.
- Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognized/established sponsoring faith community or belief group.
- Evidence of annual continued professional development relevant to healthcare chaplaincy to UKBHC standards
Desirable
- Post-graduate qualification (or equivalent life or work experience or working towards) with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
- Registration, or ability to be registered with the UKBHC
- Qualification (or working towards) in pastoral supervision (such as those recommended by APSE), coaching, management or leadership
Experience
Essential
- At least 2 years full time experience, or equivalent, of working as a designated healthcare chaplain
Desirable
- Experience of supervising volunteers
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge of tenets of own faith/belief tradition
- Knowledge of and engagement with faith/belief traditions beyond own
- Evidence of proactive practice of CPD
- Knowledge of current research in healthcare chaplaincy
- Evidence of offering spiritual care beyond own faith/belief boundaries with evidence of commitment to an inclusive approach to chaplaincy
- Evidence of reflecting critically on the practice and experience of providing pastoral care, and on finding/searching for meaning through exploration of spiritual issues encountered in sickness, mental health, dying, death and bereavement
- Evidence of the ability to manage time prioritizing workload including a commitment to continuity of service provision
Desirable
- Engagement with safeguarding, information governance, audit, service evaluation or research
- Training in research, audit and service evaluation
- Ability to deliver training at a variety of levels
- Ability to adapt ritual (which can come from a variety of sources) in an appropriate style to context in clinical environments
- Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions
- Ability to lead reflective practice
- Act as an informed theological/philosophical and ethical resource in complex pastoral and clinical situations
- Evidence of self-care to enhance resilience or manage stress – e.g. meditation, prayer, exercise, journalling, reflective supervision
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Evidence of working collaboratively, contributing to team and sustaining positive working relationships with colleagues
- Evidence of establishing and sustaining relationships in pastorally complex and challenging environments, demonstrating empathy and compassion while taking personal responsibility and initiative
- Evidence of fluent and effective communication in speech and writing
- Evidence of practising professionally within recognised boundaries in [pastorally diverse settings (as set out in the Code of Conduct)
- Ability to create and lead ritual or other spiritual process in a way that is sensitive to the pastoral context and faith/belief traditions of those present
- Possession of a professional chaplaincy identity rooted in ones one religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and behaviours, skills and specialist knowledge
- Emotional availability, cultural humility, and a positive use of power and authority, within clear and responsible boundaries
- A high degree of personal stability and resilience to cope with significant stress on a sustained basis
- Ability to apply theoretical knowledge or ethical issues relating to health care
- Commitment to work within UKBHC Code of Conduct
Other
Essential
- Access to own transport
- Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral, out of hours, within 60 minutes
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 29 July 2026
