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Job summary

Main area
Chaplaincy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
432-HR666-24
Employer
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Colchester General Hospital
Town
Colchester
Salary
£43,742 - £50,056 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/07/2024 23:59

Employer heading

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust logo

Deputy Head of Chaplaincy

NHS AfC: Band 7

We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.

Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits

Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole.  The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.

 

Job overview

We are looking for an innovative, experienced, highly motivated person to work as full time Deputy Head of Chaplaincy, predominately based on the Colchester Hospital site, but available to work across other Trust sites across East Suffolk and North Essex when necessary.

You will work closely with the Head of Chaplaincy to ensure the provision of high quality pastoral, spiritual and religious care to ESNEFT patients, visitors, volunteers and staff of all faiths and beliefs.

You will have a high degree of self-awareness and a real aptitude for sensitively coming alongside all those who use and provide our Trust services. You will be a reflective chaplaincy practitioner who constantly strives to improve your own practice and that of the chaplaincy team.

You will be able to work collaboratively as part of a team of Trust chaplains, bank chaplains, honorary faith and belief group chaplains, and chaplaincy volunteers. You will be able to encourage and develop those under your leadership. You will deputise for the Head of Chaplaincy in their absence.

You will relate well to the wider Trust and community, building and maintaining excellent working relationships with Trust colleagues, multi-disciplinary healthcare teams and community partners.

You will share in maintaining a 24/7 on-call service and weekend working.

Endorsement from your faith community or belief group is essential.

Main duties of the job

  • To provide visible leadership for the provision of high-quality pastoral, spiritual and religious care to patients, carers, relatives, visitors, volunteers and staff. You will ensure all care is sensitive to their needs, culture, background, faith and belief, including where people do not think of themselves as being religious.
  • To co-ordinate and participate in the rota for 24 hour on-call cover. You will address the urgent pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, relatives and staff and be flexible in dealing with an unpredictable work pattern due to unexpected requests.
  • To provide leadership, line management, and development of the Chaplaincy Team on the Colchester Hospital site. You will also ensure the visible pastoral presence of the chaplains at Colchester, Clacton and Harwich hospitals.
  • To co-ordinate and enable team-working. You will work within a multi-faith, multi-belief, ecumenical chaplaincy team of both ordained and lay people, including chaplaincy volunteers. 

Working for our organisation

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes. 

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. 

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options. 

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services. 

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.   

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients. 

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.   

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to Masters level in healthcare chaplaincy, or equivalent learning experience in theology or other area relevant to healthcare chaplaincy
  • Ordained, licensed or endorsed and in current good standing with own faith or belief community.
Desirable criteria
  • Further studies relating to chaplaincy, counselling, pastoral care, pastoral supervision, mentoring or spiritual direction.
  • UKBHC Registered Chaplain
  • Debrief trained e.g. Psychological First Aid
  • Trained Mental Health First Aider

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant proven experience in a full-time healthcare chaplaincy post.
  • Substantial experience of providing pastoral, spiritual and religious care.
  • Experience of supporting individuals through difficult and/or distressing circumstances.
  • Experience of working with multi-faith or belief groups and ecumenical teams.
  • Specialised healthcare chaplaincy experience (e.g. mental health, end of life care, care of older people etc.)
  • Experience of providing chaplaincy advice within a Trust and externally.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in creating and delivering training programmes.
  • Experience in leading, managing, and motivating people.
  • Previous experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Experience of managing and training chaplaincy volunteers.
  • Experience of supervising students on placement.
  • Experience of undertaking research, service evaluation, and audit.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge and understanding of national policies and procedures relevant to the provision of an acute healthcare chaplaincy service, including knowledge of the NHS, its structures and services.
  • Understanding of the dynamics of large NHS organisations, and the opportunities and challenges experienced by chaplaincy services in such healthcare settings.
  • Extensive knowledge and insight into pastoral, spiritual and religious care and the work of healthcare chaplaincy.
  • In depth knowledge of own faith/belief group teaching, traditions and practices; and the ability to apply this knowledge in a healthcare context – particularly in relation to birth, death and illness.
  • Working knowledge of faith and belief systems, rituals and practices other than one’s own; and the ability to apply this knowledge working in a secular multi-cultural, multi-faith and belief context.
  • Specialist knowledge relating to the provision of pastoral, spiritual and religious care i.e. mental health, end of life, bereavement.
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of how to line manage one or more members of staff and undertake their development, including through the use of HR policies.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

No smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveInvestors in PeopleArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.NHS Pastoral CareDisability confident committedStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Linda Peall
Job title
Head of Chaplaincy
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07923 241334
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