Spiritual and Pastoral Support

Job summary
The provision of specialist Spiritual and Pastoral Support at Southern Hospice Group, working as part of the multidisciplinary team to care for the pastoral, spiritual, and religious needs of patients, carers and relatives under the care of Southern Hospice Group.

Main duties of the job
To provide specialist Spiritual and Pastoral Care at Chestnut Tree House (part of the Southern Hospice Group) working as part of the multidisciplinary team to care for the complex pastoral, spiritual, and religious needs of children, young people and their families under the care of Chestnut Tree House.

About us
Southern Hospice Group is the largest group of hospices in Sussex and one of the largest in the UK. We are committed to providing exceptional and compassionate care to adults, children and their families across Sussex. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our people and patients and provide even greater opportunities for our workforce.

St Barnabas House provides specialist palliative care to adults in the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas through a range of services, including in-patient care and community living well services.

Chestnut Tree House is the childrens hospice for East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Martlets provides essential care to people affected by terminal illness in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. Our expert teams provide the very best care and support, helping patients and their loved ones to live life to the full during the precious time they have together.

Job responsibilities
Assess the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, their family members and carers using the services of Southern Hospice Group, and plan support and care accordingly, whilst keeping up to date clinical records.

• Develop and implement high quality spiritual support for people, using the services of Southern Hospice Group, as they come to terms with living with their own particular situations, supporting them as they find their own sense of meaning and purpose.
• Support and prioritise referrals to the Spiritual and Pastoral Care service of Southern Hospice Group.
• To be a resource to the multi-disciplinary team at Southern Hospice Group in their understanding of, and response to spiritual, religious and pastoral care needs; working in collaboration with chaplaincy services across the Southern Hospice Group.
• Provide and support appropriate training and support others in their provision of pastoral and spiritual care, including participation in internal and external training programmes.
• To offer pastoral, spiritual, and religious support to Southern Hospice Group staff and volunteers.
• To foster links, and work collaboratively, with other faith, belief and spirituality leaders in the community for the benefit of patients, families and carers using the services of the Southern Hospice Group.
• To manage and support the provision of religious services within Southern Hospice Group.
• To oversee and support Chaplaincy volunteers as well as, where appropriate, health care professionals and students on placement in the hospice.
• To supervise, where appropriate, health-care professionals and students on placement at Southern Hospice Group.
• To work with the multi-disciplinary team in the provision of bereavement care at Southern Hospice Group, including offering advice and information to families about funerals/memorial services and other related issues.
• To participate in other hospice events as required, and, working in collaboration with the Fundraising Team, to plan/participate/lead remembrance events.
• To maintain and develop knowledge and competency through regular line management, supervision, ongoing training and membership of national chaplaincy and spiritual care, hospice and healthcare networks.
• To receive regular external supervision for the work.

Qualifications
Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline with demonstrable outcomes of learning relevant to healthcare chaplaincy. Pastoral care training. Listening/communication training. Endorsement to practice as a healthcare chaplain by a recognised/established faith community or belief group.

Experience
Essential

• Extensive experience in pastoral work
• Experience of working with loss, dying, death and bereavement
• Experience of providing spiritual and pastoral care in a healthcare setting
• Experience of being accountable to and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of collaborative working across faiths and beliefs

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Southern Hospice Group is an equal opportunities employer.