Job Description

The closing date is 28th Jan 2026

Job summary

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This is an exciting bank post for an experienced practitioner who wants to take the next step in delivering spiritual, pastoral, and religious care in a hospital environment.



Are you a faith representative looking to work in a supportive values-based environment and job role?

Do you want to join a team of spiritual care practitioners who are ambitious and committed to developing best practice and delivering best care within a modern healthcare environment?

If you answer yes to each of the above questions, please read on and refer to the attached job description and consider joining the team here in Somerset.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

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Working as a bank Chaplain at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust you will seek to establish relationships of trust and support with all those in the post-holder's care, identifying SPaRC needs and responding to them. You will:

Engage in the assessment, delivery, enablement, monitoring and recording of person-centred SPaRC which addresses the individual and collective needs of the hospital community. Provide safe, effective, compassionate, and responsive care and interventions that address the identified holistic SPaRC needs of people to support healing and wholeness, within the parameters of the role and in accordance with professional codes of conduct and clinical governance. Respond to people in spiritual distress including those who may show challenging behaviours or have complex needs by using professional and pastoral knowledge, skills, and practice. Take active steps to work with, involve and support people in addressing their own healthcare needs, maximising their potential healing and wholeness within the limits of their illness. Provide or enable, within the limitations of the post-holder's religion/belief and faith authority, religious rites as may be requested or required. To include prayer, baptism, blessing, naming, and other rites at times when patients, including children and babies, may be facing complex surgery, approaching the end of life, after death, or following baby loss during pregnancy or soon after.

This is a cross-county role and own transport is required.

About us

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As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, and not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.


We work hard to make sure that inclusion is part of everything we do. We know that true inclusion means we're able to provide the best care for our patients and provide a fulfilling career for all our colleagues.


We have six active and impactful colleague networks. These networks provide a safe space for colleagues to share their experiences and learn from one another, but also influence change across our trust:


Multicultural Network


Women's Network


Armed Forces' Network


LGBTQ+ Network


Lived Experience Network, for colleagues living with disabilities


Autistic Colleague Network


We offer a form of weekly pay via Wagestream. Bank Pay is an easy way to automatically get paid a percentage of the money you've already earned from any bank shifts completed the previous week. It means you don't have to wait until the end of the month for your bank shift pay, giving you more flexibility.


Don't worry - the remaining portion of your pay is set aside to make sure your tax contributions are paid in full and if your tax contributions amount to less than the money set aside you'll receive it all back at the end of each month.

Job description

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An autonomous, qualified practitioner whose role is to seek out and respond to the spiritual, pastoral, and religious needs of individuals, their carers and staff while remaining accountable to the Spiritual Care Leads for all aspects of their duties and decisions.


Engage in the assessment, delivery, enablement, monitoring and recording of person-centred Spiritual, Pastoral and Religious Care (SPaRC) healthcare chaplaincy which addresses the individual and collective needs of the hospital community.


Providing safe, effective, compassionate, and responsive care and interventions that address the identified holistic SPaRC needs of people to support healing and wholeness, within the parameters of the role and in accordance with professional codes of conduct and clinical governance.


Respond to people in spiritual distress including those who may show challenging behaviours or have complex needs by using professional and pastoral knowledge, skills, and practice.


Take active steps to work with, involve and support people in addressing their own healthcare needs, maximising their potential healing and wholeness within the limits of their illness.


Provide or enable, within the limitations of the post-holder's religion/belief and faith authority, religious rites and ceremonies as may be requested or required. This may include prayer, meditation, contemplation, baptism, naming, recitations, and other rites at times when patients, including children and babies, may be facing complex surgery, approaching the end of life, after death, or following baby loss during pregnancy or soon after.


Some sites offer a 24/7 on call service for SPaRC emergences and you may be required to participate in the on-call rota if working at those sites.

Provide SPaRC support as required during any Major Incidents subject to separate or prior agreement.


Arrange, conduct, or advise on emergency marriages in hospital according to national, legal, endorsing faith body, and Trust guidelines.


Facilitate any religious need that is outside the scope of the post-holder's belief or authority.


Please see the attached detailed for further information.

Person specification

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Qualifications

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Essential

Comprehensive theological/spiritual education to at least diploma level or equivalent. Meets the Network for Pastoral, Spiritual, and Religious Care in Health (NPSRCH) endorsement and appointing criteria for faith group.

Experience

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Essential

Evidence of SPaRC healthcare chaplaincy that embraces the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda with openness and respect. Evidence of pastoral work responding to complex needs in a diverse community. Evidence of personal standards that support Trust values: Kindness, Respect, Teamwork, Everyone, Everyday.. Please see the attached and Person Specification for further Essential and Desirable criteria.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

For help with your application, contact:

Andrew Robins



07833236314

Pay scheme

Agenda for Change

Band

Band 5

Salary

15.88 Hourly

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Part-Time

Reference number

184-OL-BA-4005

Job locations

Trustwide

The Crescent

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 4DY