Job summary
The purpose of this placement is to provide spiritual, pastoral and faith-based support to service users, carers and staff across inpatient mental health services. The role will support effective links between Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, local churches and faith communities, particularly in relation to mental health and mental wellbeing.

Key Relationships
The volunteer chaplain will liaise with service users, carers, multidisciplinary teams, statutory and non-statutory mental health services, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich Councils where required, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust colleagues, churches and wider faith communities.

Role Summary
The volunteer chaplain will act as a pastoral and religious resource for community and inpatient mental health teams. They will provide support on referred cases, offer guidance on religious and pastoral matters, and signpost practitioners to appropriate churches and faith communities where further advice or support is required.

Main duties of the job

• Meet regularly with representatives from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.
• Maintain effective links with Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich voluntary sector partners in relation to mental health and community support.
• Contribute to staff education programmes, particularly in relation to religious belief, practice and pastoral support.
• Provide support to individuals under the care of inpatient mental health wards on a referred basis.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times in line with Trust policies and procedures.
• Seek appropriate external supervision from the Church or relevant faith body.

Specific Placement Activities

• Visit inpatient wards in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich, including Oaktree Lodge, in line with the agreed schedule below.
• Attend relevant meetings with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust representatives.
• Support effective communication between inpatient services and local faith communities.

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We're
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities
The purpose of this placement is to provide spiritual, pastoral and faith-based support to service users, carers and staff across inpatient mental health services. The role will support effective links between Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, local churches and faith communities, particularly in relation to mental health and mental wellbeing.

Key Relationships
The volunteer chaplain will liaise with service users, carers, multidisciplinary teams, statutory and non-statutory mental health services, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich Councils where required, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust colleagues, churches and wider faith communities.

Role Summary
The volunteer chaplain will act as a pastoral and religious resource for community and inpatient mental health teams. They will provide support on referred cases, offer guidance on religious and pastoral matters, and signpost practitioners to appropriate churches and faith communities where further advice or support is required.

Meet regularly with representatives from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.

Maintain effective links with Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich voluntary sector partners in relation to mental health and community support.

Contribute to staff education programmes, particularly in relation to religious belief, practice and pastoral support.

Provide support to individuals under the care of inpatient mental health wards on a referred basis.

Maintain patient confidentiality at all times in line with Trust policies and procedures.

Seek appropriate external supervision from the Church or relevant faith body.

Specific Placement Activities
Visit inpatient wards in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich, including Oaktree Lodge, in line with the agreed schedule below.

Attend relevant meetings with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust representatives.

Support effective communication between inpatient services and local faith communities.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• applicant must be on the UKBHC register

Qualifications
Essential

• The applicant should be a qualified chaplain with experience of mental health liaison work.

Knowledge
Essential

• Previous experience of providing chaplaincy services is required

Skills
Essential

• The applicant must have excellent communication skills, good people skills and a calm and patient nature

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details
Employer name
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address
Memorial Hospital, Queen Marys Hospital, Green Parks House
London
SE18 3RG
United Kingdom

Employer's website
http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Service Manager for Patient Flow
Praise Adejo
p.adejo@nhs.net

Details
Date posted
24 September 2026

Pay scheme
Other

Salary
Depending on experience

Contract
Voluntary

Working pattern
Flexible working

Reference number
277-8316369-VOL

Job locations
Memorial Hospital, Queen Marys Hospital, Green Parks House
London
SE18 3RG
United Kingdom

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