Lead Chaplain

We are looking for a compassionate leader to join our team of highly skilled chaplains. Together this team will ensure appropriate spiritual, pastoral and religious care is extended to all patients, their families and our staff across hospitals in Northumberland and North Tyneside.
We are looking for someone who can steer the development of our multi-faith chaplaincy service, provide day-to-day leadership to a busy team of paid and volunteer chaplains and play an active role in delivering care at the bedside.
Managing a trust-wide Chaplaincy Service providing spiritual, pastoral and religious care to patients, their families and staff.
Responsible for a team made up of paid chaplaincy staff and volunteers based at a variety of hospitals sites in Northumberland and North Tyneside.
Must maintain endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by being authorised by an appropriate faith or belief group
Will be required to liaise closely with other managers, service leads and clinicians.
Will undertake appropriate financial management to ensure the department is managed within budget
- The post holder is required to provide spiritual, pastoral and religious support to patients, relatives, carers and staff.
- The Chaplaincy Team Leader leads a trust-wide team of chaplains who provide a 24-7 service. The team work flexibly across a variety of trust locations and many of the team work on a part-time / voluntary basis. Highly developed communication skills are required to lead this team
- The post holder will be required to build and maintain positive working relationships between the trust and the local community and in particular the different faith communities and belief groups.
- There is a regular ongoing need to communicate with distressed patients, relatives and carers, therefore the ability to empathise, listen, communicate and respond sensitively and appropriately in emotive, sometimes hostile, circumstances is required.
- Providing support to front line staff who seek the support of the hospital chaplains sometime in distressing circumstances is also a requirement for this post.
- Liaises with colleagues in multi-disciplinary teams regarding the palliative care of patients.
- Is required to anticipate barriers to effective communication and take action to improve communication. Barriers may occur when for example, the patient has a hearing impairment, aphasia due to stroke, dementia, cognitive impairment or when English is not a first language.
- Needs to be able to respond effectively to complex issues when answering questions regarding suffering or the purpose of life and death.
- As a manager, there is a requirement to demonstrate skills in negotiation, persuasion and motivation in dealing with colleagues, health care professionals and senior managers.
- Ability to contribute to written reports and departmental policies.
- Effective communication skills are needed to explain and implement changes to service delivery, operational procedures and policies which can be contentious and require agreement and co-operation with individual staff and staff groups.
- Skilled communication is required to reach agreement/consensus in implementing service changes arising from a response to local and national guidance, organisational policy, legislative and regulatory changes.