Spiritual Care Chaplain

Job description

Job responsibilities

Pastoral, Religious and Spiritual Care

• To act as a lead for the practice of pastoral, religious and spiritual care
• To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to patients living with life limiting conditions and at the end of their life, in the in-patient unit, therapy centre and in the community and to carers and families both pre and post bereavement. To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to hospice staff and volunteers. To undertake holistic person centred assessment of individual pastoral, religious and spiritual needs, and support the exploration of issues of spirituality where required.
• To provide advice and support to patients and families around funeral planning and arrangements, including conducting funeral services if requested and as appropriate.
• To facilitate appropriate sacramental ministration at patient bedside if requested.
• To recognize diversity and promote inclusivity and equity across services for people of all religions or with no religious belief.
• To support the provision of spiritual care out of hour needs, establishing appropriate connections within the community to ensure the diverse needs of patients and families are met.
• To keep clear and accurate patient records in accordance with Pilgrims clinical record keeping guidance.
• To regularly attend spiritual care chaplaincy team meetings and support the work of the team across all hospice sites as required.

Multi-Disciplinary

• To regularly attend multidisciplinary meetings and contribute to multidisciplinary team discussions to ensure the individual pastoral, religious and spiritual needs of patients and families are identified and addressed as part of holistic care planning.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of hospice bereavement services, working collaboratively with counselling and social work colleagues.
• To contribute to the development and provision of holistic psychosocial and wellbeing services.
• To lead on the development and delivery of memorial and remembrance services and work collaboratively with fundraising and marketing teams where required.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of spiritual care awareness and bereavement training for staff and volunteers.
• To support new staff inductions.

Other

• To assist in the recruitment of spiritual care volunteers and to provide appropriate support and supervision to spiritual care volunteers.
• To provide support and supervision to students on placement in the hospice as required.
• To actively engage with faith leaders and other appropriate groups in the local community for the benefit of patients and families.
• Take responsibility for maintaining appropriate CPD, staying abreast of contemporary themes and evidence based practice in pastoral, religious and spiritual care in palliative and health care generally, to inform ongoing service development.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• An understanding of hospice and palliative care philosophy.
• An understanding of the appropriate use of counselling/listening skills in pastoral work.

Other requirements

Essential

• A broad-based spirituality; deeply rooted but open to all faiths and traditions.
• Able to manage the emotional demands of the post, using support and supervision appropriately.
• Flexible and positive in managing volunteers with varying knowledge, experience and views
• Car driver/ability to travel across sites

Qualifications

Essential

• Appropriate authorisation if a representative of one of the major faith traditions.

Desirable

• Relevant professional training/qualification in healthcare chaplaincy or similar.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with bereaved people.

Desirable

• Experience in palliative and hospice care.
• Experience of health care chaplaincy or similar.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to relate to people of all faiths or none without any urge to proselytise or persuade.
• Demonstrable ability to work effectively as part of a multi-professional team.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent

Address

Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet

Ramsgate Road

Margate

Kent

CT9 4AD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.pilgrimshospices.org/jobs

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