Band 5 - Chaplain, Chaplaincy | West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
| Posting date: | 30 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £32,602 - £39,686 pa pro rata inc. HCA |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 29 January 2026 |
| Location: | Watford, WD18 0HB |
| Company: | West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7708109/360-E-10851 |
Summary
To provide holistic support by offering comprehensive, pastoral, religious, spiritual, and emotional support to patients, their relatives/ carers, staff, volunteers, respecting diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
To communicate clearly, empathetically and professionally with patients, relatives, staff, volunteers, placement students and visitors always.
To use effective communication and inter-personal skills to provide and receive complex information in particularly sensitive circumstances, such as following the receipt of bad news where there may be barriers to understanding or acceptance.
To handle and document chaplaincy records in accordance with Data protection and information governance policies.
To positively cultivate and maintain good relationship with local faith and belief communities /spiritual groups to enhance the support network available to our service users.
To cooperate with staff at all levels of the Trust.
To offer advice on all aspects of bereavement both before and after death particularly per Faith-specific tradition in supporting patients, relatives, and staff.
You will visit various wards consistently to be accessible to patients, staff, relatives and visitors in need of spiritual, religious, and pastoral support including End of Life care.
The post holder will ensure that the pastoral spiritual or religious needs of patients, their relatives or carers, staff, volunteers, and visitors are met compassionately, through their own ministry and/or that of the team (including volunteer chaplains).
Ensuring opportunities for prayer and worship are readily available for patients, relatives and staff, catering to diverse spiritual practices.
You will be expected to sensitively identify the needs of individuals from all faiths, beliefs and those with no faith and ensure everyone receives appropriate support.
You will be expected to uphold chaplaincy standards and quality of care in line with the new NHS Chaplaincy – guidelines for NHS managers on pastoral, spiritual and religious care 2023, and standards of professional practice agreed by the Trust.
To advise staff, patients, and carers on spiritual and Multicultural issues, especially but not uniquely those relating to own denomination or faith/belief community.
With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us.
We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.
Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.
Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.
We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance.
www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking
If you have a disability or long-term health condition and should you require support or guidance please contactwestherts.recruitment@nhs.net
If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form.
We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
As a Chaplain within our NHS Trust, you will play an essential role in providing compassionate pastoral, religious and spiritual care to a diverse range of patients, relatives and /or carers, and our dedicated staff and volunteers.
This role offers you the opportunity to engage with individuals from all faiths, beliefs and none, ensuring everyone receives equal and inclusive care and support.
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a team that represents the wider community that we serve.
We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and aim to create an environment where everyone feels valued with a sense of belonging.
Building on your training and experience as a Healthcare Chaplain, are you enthusiastic and passionate about delivering good quality pastoral, spiritual and religious care to people in a busy hospital environment?
We seek a qualified Healthcare Chaplain to join the Trust's Chaplaincy team which provides pastoral, spiritual and religious care to patients, relatives, visitors, staff, and volunteers, whatever their faith, beliefs, culture, or lifestyle.
You will have responsibility for providing appropriate pastoral and spiritual care for all, irrespective of faith or belief and for facilitating the provision of religious needs of patients, relatives, and staff as per their respective faith tradition and as part of the team, you will be expected to support the delivery of Multifaith and Belief Chaplaincy support to people of all faiths and none, and therefore, you will have a good working knowledge of the theories underpinning pastoral, religious and spiritual care from faith, belief / non-faith perspectives.
You will work with the Lead Chaplain and colleagues in providing faith and non-faith support to all.
The post is open to all Chaplains registered with UKBHC or are eligible for registration with UKBHC.
The post holder is expected to participate in the On-Call service provided by the Trust on a shared rota basis.
This advert closes on Tuesday 6 Jan 2026