Growing Faith Chaplaincy Specialist

The role of Chaplaincy Specialist is key to the spiritual growth of children and young people in the Growing Faith intersections of households, school and church. We are seeking an experienced and dynamic team player to support, connect, encourage, inform and develop chaplains and chaplaincy in schools and colleges and to be an advocate for educational chaplaincy across the church and education system in the Church of England. We will be particularly interested in someone who is able to continue working as a school or college chaplain alongside this role. Please note this role is focused on educational chaplaincy at primary, secondary, and further education levels, not on other forms of chaplaincy. 

About the Growing Faith Foundation 

The Growing Faith Foundation (GFF) started on 1 February 2022, building on the previous two years of Growing Faith work in dioceses. The Foundation is central to the Church’s overall aim in its emerging Vision and Strategy to be ‘Younger and More Diverse’, such that we double the number of children and young people who are active disciples in the Church of England by 2030. 

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Listening to, advising, informing and connecting educational chaplains 
• Contributing to existing networks for chaplains and working with the Networks Lead to develop and facilitate new ones where required.  
• Encouraging more diversity within chaplaincy through a posture of awareness, by means of coaching, discernment and encouragement of potential chaplains of all ages especially from marginalised backgrounds. 
• Encouraging vocations, young and adult, to chaplaincy 
• Informing existing training and developing new training for and with chaplains  

About you

The Church of England is for everyone and we want to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve across the whole country. Therefore, while of course we welcome all applications from all interested and suitably experienced people, we would particularly welcome applicants from UK Minoritised Ethnicities (UKME)/Global Majority Heritage (GMH) and other under-represented groups. 

To be successful in this role, you will need to have:

• Recent experience as an educational chaplain, connected to a church, deanery or diocese, including in a primary or secondary school 
• Recent strategic leadership experience in an educational, diocesan, national role or similar  
• Understanding of and passion for the aims and work of the Growing Faith Foundation 
• Passionate about the value of chaplains in the spiritual nurture of children, young people and the adults surrounding them 
• Strong verbal and written communication with skills - a persuasive and competent presenter and collaborative team player 
• Personal attributes: A communicant member of the Church of England – this post is subject to an occupational requirement that the holder be a communicant Anglican under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

Please note this is a permanent, 14 hour per week position.

Interviews are expected to take place on 15th October 2024.

About the NCIs

The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.

We Include. You Belong.

Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.

Living out our values in all that we do, we:

• Strive for Excellence
• Show Compassion
• Respect others
• Collaborate
• Act with Integrity

We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience, we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.

Your Salary

A salary of £18,630.80 per annum (£46,577? FTE) plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.

Your Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
• We welcome all flexible working arrangements requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department’s needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
• We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships
• Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abby with a plus-one guest.
• Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
• Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.