Job summary
- Main area
- Chaplaincy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent: On-call rota for out of hours
- Hours
- Part time - 18.75 hours per week (Additional on-call requirement on a pro-rata basis.)
- Job ref
- 321-CORP-7530247-B6
- Employer
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- All Sites
- Town
- Oxford
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 10/11/2025
Employer heading

Roman Catholic Chaplain
NHS AfC: Band 6
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.
The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
Many of our recruitment programmes use Value Based Interviewing to identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values
Job overview
The post holder will be responsible for the continuing development of a high standard of religious, pastoral and spiritual care for Roman Catholic patients, their relatives, Roman Catholic staff and visitors in the OUH NHS Foundation Trust.
The post holder will work with the Lead Chaplain in the provision of chaplaincy services. The duties and responsibilities of the post holder require a substantial commitment to an on-call rota (on a 1:3 basis) and to ensure continuity of service during periods of leave.
The Chaplaincy Team are made up of different denominations and faith communities. We are deeply committed to the spiritual and pastoral wellbeing of one another and those who access the hospitals and hospices as well as those who work across the Trust. We laugh and cry together.
Main duties of the job
- To be responsible to the Lead Chaplain for the day-to-day provision and development of Roman Catholic pastoral, religious and spiritual care for patients, staff, visitors in what are sometimes very highly complex situations and to confidentially record their activities as part of the chaplaincy data system.
- To work collaboratively with other members of the chaplaincy team, attending regular team meetings and playing a full part in the development of chaplaincy policies and implementation across the Trust.
- To conduct services of Roman Catholic public worship regularly in the hospital chapels and other places of worship and to assist in the administration of the sacraments.
- To ensure appropriate sacramental and pastoral support for dying Roman Catholic patients and their families and to respond, when requested, to the need of the recently bereaved.
Working for our organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view OUH At a Glance by OUHospitals - Issuu
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To be responsible to the Lead Chaplain for the day-to-day provision and development of Roman Catholic pastoral, religious and spiritual care for patients, staff, visitors in what are sometimes very highly complex situations and to confidentially record their activities as part of the chaplaincy data system.
- To work collaboratively with other members of the chaplaincy team, attending regular team meetings and playing a full part in the development of chaplaincy policies and implementation across the Trust.
- To conduct services of Roman Catholic public worship regularly in the hospital chapels and other places of worship and to assist in the administration of the sacraments.
- To ensure appropriate sacramental and pastoral support for dying Roman Catholic patients and their families and to respond, when requested, to the need of the recently bereaved.
- To prepare and deliver high quality training, development, and information for clinical colleagues on the nature of spiritual care of Roman Catholic patients and the contribution of the chaplaincy services.
- To be fully conversant with NHS and professional protocols, guidelines, and competencies for NHS chaplaincy services.
- To advise the Lead Chaplain on resources required to ensure that the spiritual, pastoral and religious needs of Roman Catholic patients are met.
- To take an active role in promoting understanding and application of spiritual care of Roman Catholic patients across all ages within the OUH NHS Foundation Trust and maintain a stock of religious resources such as rosaries, Bibles, prayer books, holding crosses for Roman Catholic patients.
9. To provide pastoral (and spiritual resources when requested) for Roman Catholic parents and families experiencing the expected and unexpected loss of a child.
- To participate fully in the 24 hour chaplaincy on-call service. It is expected that the chaplaincy work will be of irregular hours, so that flexibility of working hours and practice is required which requires holding and responding to a pager and mobile phone for on call duties.
11. To provide (when requested) pastoral and spiritual support for Roman Catholic relatives making visits to the mortuary to view a deceased adult or child and to pray as appropriate.
12. To provide staff support following very complex and demanding clinical situations.
13. To be available to church and faith community leaders in order to support them in their care for community members when in hospital, always remembering NHS and professional guidelines for patient confidentiality.
14. To work collaboratively with key allied professionals to develop learning and working practise together.
15. To have a commitment to one’s own professional and spiritual growth and development.
16. To be accountable to the Lead Chaplain and team colleagues who manage the Chaplaincy charitable funds for any donations received in the course of ministry within the OUH hospitals.
Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria
- Achieved Experience
- Rooted in a faith or belief community
- Degree in theology/pastoral studies or equivalent
- Knowledge of all aspects of spiritual care and how this is applied in diverse faith and cultural traditions.
Desirable criteria
- Counselling qualification
- Experience of healthcare settings
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ruth Fitter
- Job title
- Lead Chaplain
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01865 857921
List jobs with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors