Band 7 Lead Chaplain-Bath

Job overview

The post holder will lead other chaplains and faith leaders, and faith leaders employed by the Trust. they will also liaise with community faith leaders to signpost discharged and community patients.

The post holder will facilitate access to chaplaincy and other faith services for service users and carers across AWP.

The post holder will ensure the Trust meets the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy standards, develop a workplan plan, deliver and maintain a comprehensive chaplaincy service which provides for the religious, spiritual, and pastoral needs of service users, carers, and staff throughout AWP.

The role necessitates flexible working, and may necessitate working extended hours.

P.S: The proposed interview date is 5th September 2025.

Main duties of the job

Principal duties and responsibilities - in inpatient areas:

The Chaplain shall:

• Line management, supervision and strategic management of the team
• Developing a strategy
• Reporting writing on activities
• ensure, when requested to do so, that patients and their carers receive support from their own clergy/faith leaders appropriate to their particular needs
• minister to those patients who are seriously physically ill, the dying and their carers
• support the multi-disciplinary teams in the development of patient care plans, which involves participating in the assessment, planning and evaluation of patients, taking an active part in ensuring that their religious and spiritual needs are an integrated part of their care plan
• act as a link between the Trust and local faith communities, both as a resource for the religious, spiritual and pastoral interests of patients and carers and as a point of contact for clergy, faith leaders and community organisations
• supervise the chaplains, chaplaincy volunteers, and any other ministerial students in their work for the chaplaincy department of the Trust. Provide training for these staff where appropriate and supervise their development and training needs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Chaplain shall:

• visit service users and/or their carers in the community to provide religious, spiritual and/or pastoral care and counselling (these service users and/or carers will be those people who are referred to the Chaplain)
• make notes on each appointment with a service user except where the matter discussed is of a confidential nature e.g. a confessional situation;  these notes to be entered onto RIO as appropriate.
• be a part of the multi-disciplinary team involved with each of these service users and to attend all Care Plan Approach meetings wherever possible, which will necessarily include participating in the assessment, planning and evaluation of service users, and taking an active part in making sure that their spiritual needs are an integrated part of the Care Plan
• liaise closely with the service user's key worker whenever the key worker or the Chaplain feel this to be appropriate
• provide religious, spiritual and/or pastoral care and counselling to staff working in the community as requested, and be available to discuss personal/spiritual matters on a confidential basis
• work closely with voluntary bodies and charitable organisations, such as housing providers and faith communities, in the support of service users
• enable service users to make links with their local faith communities, which will include going with service users to worship of their choice