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NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
The use of the term “Senior” or “Junior” in this post refers only to the level of experience and responsibility required for this post rather than age. As such, applications from people of all ages are welcomed, subject to meeting the relevant criteria.
Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.
We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.
Band 7 Senior Healthcare Chaplain (Team Leader)
Following a service review, an exciting opportunity has arisen within NHS Lothian’s Department of Spiritual Care. We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Senior Registered Healthcare Chaplain as our Team Leader. To excel in this role, the post holder must have experience of managing staff, complex workloads and relationships and a proven track record of effective leadership.
This post holder will be based within the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as part of NHS Lothian’s Department of Spiritual Care providing specialist spiritual care within NHS Lothians Acute Sites (Little France, Western General and St John’s Livingston) and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital as the exigencies of the post demand. The post holder must hold a relevant driving licence and be able to drive; the ability to work across sites, work out of hours and to participate in a 24/7 out of hours service is essential.
The Senior Registered Healthcare Chaplain will be responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day management of the Spiritual Care Team (a team of 8 Registered Chaplains) and for developing and supporting professional development. The Senior Registered Healthcare Chaplain will work with a high degree of autonomy making complex decisions and judgments and delivering appropriate spiritual interventions when faced with highly complex and contentious situations.
We are looking for an individual educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant discipline with (e.g. theology, religious studies, spiritual care, healthcare) with experience of delivering specialist spiritual care within health care settings. In addition, the successful candidate will hold a Post-graduate qualification Healthcare Chaplaincy (or related qualification or working towards such a qualification) and be registered with the UKBHC (www.ukbhc.org.uk) or be working towards registration within two years.
The successful candidate will have:
- Experience of managing staff, managing complex workloads, relationships and a proven track record of effective leadership.
- Experience of providing professional leadership and developing and managing services and applying quality improvement methodology.
- Have experience of developing and delivering training / education internally and externally which supports the development and delivery of spiritual care.
- Demonstrate competence in supporting people in loss and bereavement with a working knowledge of current theories, governance and policy in relation to Bereavement Care.
- Have a detailed knowledge of the 2023 Scottish Government publication “Spiritual Care within Health and Social Care in Scotland: A National Framework” and NHS Lothian’s “Spiritual Care Policy”.
- Demonstrate continuous professional development and demonstrate personal resilience and habits of self-care that ensure sustainable working in a challenging role.
This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.
Informal enquiries regarding the post will be welcomed by Mark Evans, Head of Spiritual Care and Bereavement Services: mark.evans59@nhs.scot
If you have any queries regarding the application form or recruitment process, please contact nhsscotland@jobtrainsupport.co.uk
As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.
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