Spiritual Care Chaplain

Job summary

Spiritual Care is an important aspect of the holistic care that we provide at Pilgrims Hospices. Our Spiritual Care Chaplains work within our Multi-Disciplinary team to deliver patient centred care on our inpatient units, in our therapy centres or in the community.

Spiritual Care Chaplains provide a calm, non-judgmental presence where patients can explore spiritual, emotional and existential needs that often arise at the end of life. This care is not limited to religious practice; Spiritual Care Chaplains support people of all faiths, spiritual traditions, and those who identify as non-religious. Our care is tailored to what brings each individual comfort and strength. When desired, Spiritual Care Chaplains may offer prayer, sacred readings, rituals, or connections to faith communities, while always respecting personal beliefs and autonomy. Ultimately our Spiritual Care Chaplains strive to help foster peace and a sense of meaning during one of lifes most profound transitions.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

• 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.
• To facilitate appropriate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to carer and families of hospice patients 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

About us

About us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families both in the community and in-patient units.

Of a community where people with a life-limiting illness, and their family and friends, are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our charitable behaviours and values.

To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

• CompassionateWe treat everyone with compassion and care
• OpenWe communicate openly, honestly and effectively
• DynamicWe are dynamic, improving and developing our service
• EmpoweredWe empower people to achieve their outcomes

Details

• Date posted: 28 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £22,871.21 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: B0497-26-0041
• Job locations: Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet, Ramsgate Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 4AD, United Kingdom

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.