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Managing Chaplain

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

HMP Northumberland are currently recruiting for a Managing Chaplain. You will be responsible for leading and managing the Multi Faith Chaplaincy Team.

You will provide the religious and pastoral care of residents and staff in their own faith tradition.

HMP Northumberland is the newest addition to the SJS estate. Our aim is to introduce the technology and initiatives that have been so successful in our other prisons whilst providing real work opportunities for prisoners which match those available in the community.

Sodexo Justice Services delivers custodial and community rehabilitation services that challenge offending behaviour, protect the public and offer individuals the opportunity to change their lives for the better. We deliver the total operation of five prisons within England, Scotland and Wales and own six Community Rehabilitation Companies in partnership with crime reduction charity Nacro.

Role Responsibility

  • To lead and manage the prison Multi Faith Chaplaincy Team ensuring Chaplains are available and accessible to residents
  • Ensure Chaplains receive training and development opportunities as appropriate
  • Provide pastoral care and seek to ensure spiritual welfare of residents and staff
  • Be responsible for arranging and leading worship for their own faith community
  • Provide expert faith advice within the establishment and be responsible for supporting the establishment in ensuring faith groups observe their religious holy days and festivals
  • Acquire and distribute appropriate religious literature, supplies and materials.
  • Responsible for leading on developing relationships with various support and volunteer groups
  • Responsible for the contact strategy with outside faith based agencies to help with the resettlement of offenders
  • Responsible for planning and leading workshops and prayer/faith specific meetings
  • Responsible for ensuring input into and contributing to safeguarding, allocations, referrals, inductions and Diversity Equality Action Team (DEAT), as appropriate
  • Responsible for ensuring and delivering awareness programmes for residents, including bereavement programmes and other as appropriate and local Faith awareness training for staff
  • Work closely with Safer Custody to ensure issues such as deaths in custody procedures, ACCT and Violence Reduction are delivered in line with NOMS standards
  • Responsible for ensuring and contributing to, supporting prisoners in dealing with bereavement by liaising with families/prisoners and other third parties e.g. hospitals, coroners offices, and arrange  memorial services, where appropriate
  • Initiate and oversee the Application process for residents wishing to visit a critically ill relative or attend their funeral.
  • Responsible for ensuring and contributing to the delivery of daily statutory duties which include interviewing all newly arrived residents, visiting residents in the Healthcare and Separation and Care Units, responding to resident applications and being available prior to discharge.
  • Responsible for ensuring the involvement of the Faith team in resettlement issues as appropriate, and build contacts with their own faith community towards aiding the resettlement of offenders
  • Responsible for ensuring and contributing to resident’s reports including Lifer reports and Parole reports as appropriate
  • Responsible for the use of the chaplaincy facilities and maintenance of the equipment used
  • Ensure appropriate training for Faith Volunteers; nurture Volunteers in their contribution
  • Responsible for  the Official Prisoner Visitor scheme
  • Ensure effective administration of Chaplaincy, including resident lists for events, records updated etc.
  • Provide mentoring and personal support for the other Chaplains and Volunteers following incidents
  • Take responsibility for your own spiritual health and development, allowing time for private prayer, study and retreat
  • Contribute to the work of the Senior Management Team and specific pieces of work as appropriate

The Ideal Candidate

  • Appropriate experience in the delivery of religious services, ideally in a custodial environment that reflects the necessitation’s of the predominant faiths of the resident  populations
  • An outstanding communicator with highly developed influencing skills
  • Innovative and forward thinking
  • Have a proven high level of professionalism and competence in religious leadership to bring to the role
  • Will have proven experience and skills in pastoral care and pastoral leadership, including crisis events
  • Must have working knowledge of other faiths represented within a prison to enable them to work in a multi faith environment.
  • A focused and dynamic team player, who can adapt very rapidly to changing priorities and circumstances
  • Promote, understand and ensure compliance with all Sodexo Justice Services policies and procedures
  • Meet NOMS specified minimum faith eligibility requirements of their faith tradition
  • Education to NVQ Level 4 or equivalent

Package Description

Up to £32,000 - £39,000 per annum plus excellent benefits including free parking, group discount schemes and pension with 20 days holiday (plus bank holidays).

Some weekend and evening work will be required

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.

Please note all roles within Sodexo Justice are subject to security and recruitment checks which may include a Social Media Check. You will also be asked to provide 3 years’ worth of references and request employment history details from the HMRC.

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