Job overview
Lead Chaplain
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is looking to appoint an experienced chaplain to lead and manage the Trust-wide Chaplaincy Team in meeting the spiritual, religious and pastoral needs of the Trust's patients, carers and staff. To be responsible for the ongoing strategic organisation, development, implementation and evaluation of the Trust Chaplaincy Services.
Main duties of the job
- To be the principal point of reference for spiritual and religious care within the Trust.
- To be the Trust knowledge expert, providing professional advice and training on all issues pertaining to faith and beliefs in relation to Health Care Chaplaincy quality standards that influence patient care. Support all levels of staff in providing spiritual care to patients, from the Trust Board to locally-based staff of all professions. To also support volunteers and carers in offering spiritual care.
- With support, to lead and manage the Trust-wide Chaplaincy Team in meeting the spiritual, religious and pastoral needs of the Trust’s patients, carers and staff, maintaining high standards. To be responsible for the day to day strategic organisation, development, implementation and evaluation of the Trust Chaplaincy Services.
- To act as key communications / interface link externally between the Trust and all faith communities within the community; local and national forums; the regional and national organisations for Chaplaincy in healthcare; public affairs relating to spirituality. To negotiate and implement service-level contracts external to the Trust in relation to the Chaplaincy Team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.
CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.
Disclosure and Barring Service:
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.
The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:
Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:
27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
Flexible working Scheme
NHS Discounts*
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*
Excellent opportunities for development*
Competitive NHS Pension scheme
Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems
*Subject to eligibility
Important Information
Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.
If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.
Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Leadership knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours
- Knowledge and understanding of NHS structures, systems and processes relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
- Cultural competence and religious literacy in diverse religious, spiritual and pastoral traditions
- Safeguarding policies and procedures
- Information governance and confidentiality policies relating to healthcare
- Teamworking and team management
Desirable
- Service improvement methodology
- Training in adult education and teaching
- Pastoral Supervision using a recognised method appropriate to healthcare chaplaincy
Experience
Essential
- Committed practice within own faith/ belief group
- Substantial and significant experience of professionally supervised clinical practice as a healthcare chaplain that must include working with adult patients, end of life care, and on-call duties in the acute NHS hospital setting
- Delegated management or team leadership responsibilities within a healthcare chaplaincy department
- Teaching, mentoring and training of health professionals, chaplains and students in spiritual and pastoral care
- Evidence of working with and respecting religious, spiritual and pastoral diversity and differences
Desirable
- Chaplaincy experience in emergency care, critical care, neonatology, oncology and palliative care
- Involvement in audits, service evaluations and surveys
Qualifications
Essential
- Accredited Faith Leader
- Recognised authority within appropriate faith/belief group
- Educated to degree level or equivalent in a subject relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
- Relevant postgraduate certificate or equivalent
Desirable
- Master's level degree with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
- Registered with Council for Professional Chaplains and Carers (formerly UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains)
Skills and Aptitude
Essential
- A professional Chaplain identity rooted in one's own religious/spiritual/pastoral heritage that integrates professional values and behaviours, skills and specialist knowledge.
- Capacity and commitment to learn, critically reflect and develop.
- Capability and emotional maturity to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgments, and take personal responsibility and initiative.
- Resilience and adaptability to complex, unpredictable and challenging operating conditions.
- Ability to demonstrate skills in providing pastoral supervision and reflective practice
- Self-assured, friendly and professional approach to working with colleagues; and the capability to work both independently and collaboratively. Fluent and effective communicator in speech and writing.
- Ability to build and sustain pastoral and professional relationships and effectively lead a department
- Ability to perform daily tasks using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
- Workload prioritisation, time management and the capacity to incorporate new challenges, to manage projects and to hold others to account
Personal Circumstances
Essential
- Good standing within own denomination or faith community
- Respect for differences including other faiths/beliefs
- Ability to adapt and flex to service needs out of hours and weekends on rota basis, including travelling between sites
- Ability to travel to sites across the Trust
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Lead Chaplain with North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in The Cumberland Infirmary. It is listed as a Estates and facilities role. The advertised salary is £49387.00 to £56515.00. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 28 Aug 2026.
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