Volunteer Chaplain (Ref: 94)

Purpose

The Chaplaincy Service for Lincolnshire Police was introduced in 2015 and we are looking to expand the network of chaplains across the county to provide accessible and local chaplaincy services to as many officers and staff as possible.

This is one element of the Chief Constable’s focus on wellbeing by providing pastoral support to police officers and members of staff, who are routinely exposed to traumatic and stressful situations. 

Volunteer Chaplains, subject to the guidance of the Health and Care team at Lincolnshire Police, support the police service by providing impartial, confidential, spiritual, and pastoral support to officers and staff, regardless of their faith or belief. Volunteer Chaplains build relationships of acceptance, friendship, and trust with officers, staff, and volunteers by listening to their needs and offering a source of support.

What you will be doing

Volunteer chaplains will provide pastoral and spiritual support to officers, staff, and volunteers within the organisation.

Key accountabilities include:

• Build effective relationships with police officers and staff of all faiths or none in order to foster acceptance and trust to be able to offer support to teams and individuals.
• Develop an awareness national and local policing priorities and operational pressures in order to provide timely and appropriate pastoral support to police officers and staff.
• Provide impartial and confidential (subject to safeguarding parameters) pastoral support, in line with equality and diversity legislation, force policies and procedures to police officers, staff and their families in order to support individuals’ wellbeing.
• Be sensitive in providing appropriate corporate ritual and religious ceremonies in order to respond to organisational and individual needs especially at times of crisis and trauma.
• Support a coordinated chaplaincy response to major and critical incidents, in order to give pastoral care to police officers and staff and where appropriate to assist community recovery.
• Develop an awareness of resources from staff associations, staff support networks, internal departments and, external agencies to signpost as sources of assistance to individuals and teams.
• Maintain their own professional development and compliance with legislation and codes of practice to ensure standards are met.

Skills, experience and qualities needed

To get the most out of the opportunity, an understanding of the structure and work of Lincolnshire Police and criminal justice system would be advantageous.

Education and experience:

• Significant involvement within a faith or belief organisation.
• Experience of working with people in a caring role.
• Experience of effectively managing legal and ethical role boundaries.

Skills:

• Good communication skills with the ability to listen to others.
• Able to proactively develop effective working relationships with colleagues, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Caring with an ability to remain calm and understanding of the pressures and needs of stressful situations.
• Able to break down a straightforward problem into component parts and determine appropriate action.
• Able to interpret and apply guidance to a specific activity.
• Able to work effectively in a team to achieve shared objectives, demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support as required.
• Able to review own performance objectively and to take steps to maintain and enhance competence and professional standards appropriate to the role.
• Able to appropriately prioritise and plan own work.
• Open to using potential applications of new or improved technologies related to own area of work to improving chaplaincy provision.

Location and times

The role will be based in stations across the county, on days and times to be agreed as needed.

A regular commitment would be preferable, and days and times will be arranged in conjunction with the Health and Care and volunteer teams to meet the needs of the service.

Training and support available

Volunteers will be given a full induction by the volunteer team, and a role induction by their relevant local line manager within the Health and Care team. Further mandatory online training will be completed within the first few months of the role.

Volunteers are able to access a wide range of welfare and support networks provided by Lincolnshire Police and have continued support from the Health and Care team and volunteer team.

Other information

• Volunteers must be over 18.
• The role requires a security check (vetting).
• Volunteers are asked to sign an agreement to maintain confidentiality, as you may have access to sensitive material.

What to do if you are interested

Contact the Volunteer Team at: [email protected] or on Tel: (01522) 212498.