Location
Sutton

Salary
£55,631 per annum

About the Role
This is a management position providing leadership and enabling religious and pastoral care to prisoners and staff within HMP Downview. The role involves line management of a multi-faith and belief chaplaincy team, ensuring chaplains are accessible to prisoners and staff, and that chaplaincy services comply with HMPPS policies including PSI 05/2016 Faith and Pastoral Care for Prisoners. The Senior Chaplain will lead worship, meditation, and pastoral activities, support prisoners’ spiritual welfare, and develop relationships with support and volunteer groups. The role requires managing chaplaincy administration, training, and development of chaplains and volunteers, and contributing to the establishment’s strategic plans and compliance with audits and inspections. The post holder will also act as a liaison for Official Prison Visitors where appropriate and maintain their own spiritual health through reflection and study.

Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a multi-faith chaplaincy team, ensuring effective service delivery and adherence to HMPPS policies.
- Oversee administration including prisoner event lists and record keeping.
- Manage prisoner complaints related to chaplaincy and conduct investigations into discrimination incidents.
- Provide pastoral care and spiritual welfare support to prisoners and staff.
- Arrange and lead worship, meditation, hospital visits, weddings, funerals, and memorial services.
- Deliver faith and non-faith based courses and awareness programs including bereavement and lifer programs.
- Collaborate with Safer Custody teams on death in custody procedures, ACCT, and violence reduction.
- Support prisoner resettlement by liaising with faith communities and external agencies.
- Manage chaplaincy budget, policy development, and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Contribute to establishment-wide strategic and business planning.
- Ensure delivery of actions from audits, inspections, and quality assurance reports.

Experience
- Proven experience in managing a multi-faith chaplaincy or similar pastoral care team.
- Experience in delivering faith and non-faith based pastoral care and spiritual support.
- Ability to manage complaints and conduct investigations related to discrimination.
- Experience working within a secure or custodial environment is desirable.

About You
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse faith groups and stakeholders.
- Commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, decency, and safety.
- Resilient and able to maintain personal spiritual health and wellbeing.
- Confident in delivering pastoral care and spiritual guidance to a varied population.

Qualifications
- Formal recognised qualification in theology or religious studies.
- Endorsement from the relevant HMPPS Faith and Belief Adviser and faith/belief community.
- Completion of specific training required for area of specialism as outlined in the job description.
- Ability to communicate fluently in English (or Welsh where applicable).