Heart and Soul Mental Health Chaplain - Fulbourn Hospital

Over the past 20 years, this role has evolved into the Heart and Soul service, a vibrant community of volunteers, specialist chaplains, and peer workers. In 2018, Heart and Soul: Being Human Together was launched as both a strategy and a rebranding of the chaplaincy, emphasizing that spirituality, holistic care, and treating one another with humanity is a shared responsibility. It reinforced the belief that we all play a role in creating a culture of care that mirrors the standards we would want for ourselves. When Fulbourn Hospital's new Resource Centre opened in 2023, the Heart and Soul approach was at its core, offering public spaces, a community café, and group rooms that foster inclusion, belonging, and therapeutic social connections.

This appointment marks the next strategic chapter for Heart and Soul. With the impending retirement of the Heart and Soul Lead chaplain, we have separated the 'boots on the ground' tasks of a local chaplain. Thus, leaving the higher-level, managerial and strategic tasks with the Lead role. This shift has become even more crucial since the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the opening of the new Resource Centre. There is more rebuilding of links and relationships to be done.

In this role, you will provide compassionate, pastorally-rich support to individuals in CPFT's wards at Fulbourn Hospital and in local community settings, with a focus on holistic care that honours spirituality, religion, and the diverse beliefs and backgrounds of those you serve.

You will work closely with colleagues, accepting referrals to support individuals with their existential, spiritual, or religious needs, ensuring that spirituality is thoughtfully integrated into their overall care when appropriate. By collaborating with staff across the wards, Resource Centre, and local community, you will help foster a culture of care that respects the whole person, including their spiritual and cultural identity.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development., 1. In this role, you will provide compassionate, pastorally-rich support to individuals in CPFT's wards at Fulbourn Hospital and in local community settings, with a focus on holistic care that honours spirituality, religion, and the diverse beliefs and backgrounds of those you serve.

2. You will work closely with colleagues, accepting referrals to support individuals with their existential, spiritual, or religious needs, ensuring that spirituality is thoughtfully integrated into their overall care when appropriate. By collaborating with staff across the wards, Resource Centre, and local community, you will help foster a culture of care that respects the whole person, including their spiritual and cultural identity.

3. Incorporating people's diverse cultural and spiritual beliefs into their care plans using the Systm 1 electronic record [Spiritual Wellbeing tab] will be a key part of this role.

4. Building strong, positive relationships with colleagues across the hospital and community will help you contribute to the vibrant life of the Resource Centre and the wards.

5. You will also extend your support to families and caregivers, guiding them through the challenges of mental health care with empathy and understanding.

6. Engaging with the Heart and Soul community, you will co-produce and participate in activities like the weekly Wednesday afternoon Coffee Club and Sunday morning's Reflection, Music, Prayer & Coffee Chat alongside the Heart and Soul Peer Worker.

7. In addition, you will attend monthly online team meetings and have regular supervision with the Heart and Soul Lead. You will also play a key role in supporting and supervising the Resource Centre Peer Support Worker, along with Heart and Soul volunteers, as they carry out their important work in and around the Resource Centre, hospital site, and local area.

8. Training will be an essential part of your contribution. You will help healthcare staff understand the value of holistic care, spirituality, and religion in mental health, working alongside CPFT's Muslim Chaplain to provide cultural and religious literacy training.

9. While accepting referrals from across the south of the Trust, you will prioritize maintaining strong connections with the Resource Centre, Fulbourn Hospital wards, and the local community.

10. Finally, you will manage and coordinate the use of Still Point in the Resource Centre, creating a welcoming space for prayer, meditation, quiet reflection, and restorative conversations for staff and clinical teams during difficult times.