Overview
An exciting opportunity to join an NHS Trust which has embedded spiritual and religious care for its people at its heart. Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust provides mental health, learning disability and integrated children’s services, offering specialist forensic, learning disability and autism services across inpatient, community and day clinics, covering approximately 50 sites. You will be part of a multi-faith team and will assist in the continued development and provision of religious, spiritual, and pastoral care in imaginative and creative ways for our clients, relatives and staff.
Role
You will be a generic chaplain for the Trust and to represent your own faith/denomination/belief where necessary and undertake such duties as directed by the lead Chaplain as needs demand. You will be an informed, active, visible presence representing Chaplaincy throughout CWPT, visiting hospitals, units, out-patients facilities, supporting colleagues, and ensuring that pastoral, spiritual and religious needs are met.
Responsibilities
* Provide 1-1 spiritual counselling to service users and colleagues who may be experiencing bereavement, loss, or distress.
* Ensure suitable religious services, rites, and ceremonies are available to all who require them, without prejudice or discrimination, in consultation with referrals from colleagues.
* Offer sensitive, respectful, empathetic, compassionate, efficient, and appropriate spiritual care; contribute to educational training programmes to enhance understanding of spiritual, cultural and religious needs.
* Supervise chaplaincy volunteers; participate in reflective practice with the lead chaplain, volunteers and wider chaplaincy teams; attend clinical supervision regularly; keep up-to-date records.
* Participate in multidisciplinary team working within CWPT, including engagement with faith communities, charities and educational establishments; apply communication skills across settings from children’s services to elderly care; adapt communication to enable spiritual care planning and delivery.
* Assist with audit, service development, and stay up to date with research; comply with Trust policies and procedures; act as an advocate; practice in line with professional standards and national codes of conduct.
* Take responsibility for managerial and professional supervision to support well-being and CPD; provide supervision to volunteers; ensure statutory and mandatory training requirements are met and CPD is recorded with UKHBC.
* Maintain good standing with own faith tradition; deputise in the absence of the lead chaplain; manage own time/activities to support the role; review and adjust to changing demands; liaise with departments to assess clinical risk when providing care.
* Work with faith communities/third sector organisations to support discharge planning and community integration; have IT skills; make community visits with another healthcare provider; note that this post will not include an on-call provision.
* Be prepared to facilitate acts of worship across faith traditions (e.g., Christmas, Easter, Eid, Ramadan, Diwali, Sikh festivals); deliver training in spiritual assessment, loss and bereavement, spiritual & religious care, and volunteer training in conjunction with the lead chaplain.
* Share clinical skills and knowledge; support the development of others; reflect on values and effectiveness to continually improve practice; facilitate activities for colleagues to reflect on spiritual matters; provide mentoring for volunteers; delegate appropriately.
* Gather, store and communicate information relevant to the role; ensure information governance and data protection; access records only as appropriate; contribute to spiritual care plans in electronic records where applicable.
* Contribute to research and development; support research and audit within Chaplaincy services and external educational agencies; evidence CPD through UKHBC portfolio.
* Support service users and colleagues experiencing bereavement or distress and be mindful of safeguarding procedures; maintain infection control practices; expect to use a computer regularly; be prepared for challenging environments and aggression; work in an agile manner to meet service needs.
* Have access to appropriate transport; participate in annual performance appraisal; adhere to No Smoking Policy and Trust Health & Safety policies; contribute to a respectful, diverse, and compassionate working environment.
* Note: The post holder will be an active member and lead, when necessary, of the staff support faith network “It’s okay to Pray?” and be prepared to provide care across mixed secular contexts, including non-religious memorials where appropriate.
Requirements/Qualifications
* Practise in accordance with the UK Board of Health Care Chaplaincy Code of Conduct, Spiritual & Religious Care Competences for Healthcare Chaplains, and Standards for Healthcare Chaplaincy Services.
* Undertake routine management and organisation of own time/activities; participate in reflective practice; engage in supervision and professional development; comply with UKHBC professional standards; understand data protection and information governance requirements.
* Be able to use IT systems and electronic records appropriately; maintain confidentiality and report safeguarding issues per protocol.
* Willingness to work across a broad age range (children to elderly) and diverse faiths; ability to facilitate acts of worship in line with various traditions; readiness to liaise with colleagues and clinicians to resolve spiritual or religious issues.
* Be prepared for light physical duties and occasional demanding conditions; annual appraisal and CPD review; extent of travel across CWPT sites; adherence to Trust policies and safety guidelines.
* Hold or work towards appropriate professional standing within own faith tradition; demonstrate personal commitment to spiritual and pastoral care in health settings.
Benefits and About CWPT
We deliver a wide range of physical, mental health, learning disability and autism services and are proud to serve communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond. We put people at our heart and offer a range of benefits and development opportunities, including generous annual leave, learning and development opportunities, salary sacrifice schemes, discounts, wellbeing support, staff networks, and more.
Additional Information
This post will not include an on-call provision. The advert closes on Friday 10 Oct 2025.
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