Are you passionate about making a meaningful difference in people's lives at some of their most vulnerable moments? Do you believe in the power of compassionate listening, spiritual support, and human connection to promote hope, recovery, and wellbeing?
We are looking for an inspiring and compassionate Healthcare Chaplain (Band 6) to join our dynamic community Spiritual Care Team, delivering exceptional spiritual, pastoral, religious, and cultural support across our community and mental health services.
This is a unique and rewarding opportunity to work at the heart of holistic healthcare, supporting patients, families, carers, and staff across a diverse range of settings. You will play a vital role in helping people navigate mental health challenges, illness, recovery, loss, and life-changing transitions, while contributing to a culture of compassionate, person-centred care.
Whether supporting someone through crisis, facilitating moments of reflection and hope, or helping staff build resilience in demanding environments, you will be part of a service that recognises the profound impact of spiritual wellbeing on recovery and overall health.
The role is for Mental Health Chaplaincy based in Dorset Healthcare and line managed by the head of Chaplaincy Dorset County Hospital.
We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.
At DCHFT/DHC, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.
Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.
What You'll Do
As a valued member of our multidisciplinary teams, you will:
Provide compassionate spiritual, pastoral, and religious care to patients, carers, families, and colleagues.
Support individuals from all faiths, beliefs, cultures, and those with no faith affiliation, ensuring inclusive and personalised care.
Work alongside mental health and community healthcare professionals to deliver truly holistic care.
Facilitate worship, prayer, sacramental ministry, religious observances, and spiritual resources where appropriate.
Contribute to recovery-focused care by helping people find meaning, hope, resilience, and connection during difficult times.
Provide pastoral support for staff, including reflective practice, wellbeing initiatives, and critical incident response.
Build strong partnerships with local faith leaders, community organisations, and voluntary sector networks.
Help shape understanding of spiritual care through education, training, and support for staff and volunteers.
Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.
We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.
All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced chaplain who can demonstrate:
Essential Criteria
Recognised endorsement, authorisation, or good standing with a faith community or belief organisation.
Relevant theological, religious, pastoral, or chaplaincy qualification.
Experience providing spiritual or pastoral care within healthcare, community, social care, or similar settings.
Excellent communication, listening, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to work confidently within multidisciplinary teams.
A strong commitment to equality, inclusion, and supporting people of all faiths and none.
