Area Support Chaplain (ASC) Area 1

Area Support Chaplain (ASC) Area 1

Available Hours: Part Time - 12 Hours per week

Homebased with travel across a designated area

Interview - 1 May 2025

About Us

As the UK's largest charity care provider, MHA enables people to live later life well through the commitment of 7,000 colleagues and dedication of 4,000 volunteers. Through specialist care homes, thriving retirement living and vibrant community groups and befriending, we inspire the best care and wellbeing at every stage of later life.

Employing over 100 chaplains, MHA has a long history of providing excellent spiritual care to older people through a dedicated chaplaincy service. Our chaplains* work is at the heart of our mission to help people live later life well. They act as a focal point for the spiritual life of their home or scheme and ensure that the spiritual needs of residents, staff, and families are supported.

We are a committed and visible advocate for spiritual care in social care and seek to be at the forefront of developing chaplaincy best practices. As a significant employer of chaplains, we recognise that we have a unique opportunity to support the continued development of the chaplaincy sector and ensure that spiritual care is recognised as a vital part of living well in MHA and beyond.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join MHA as an Area Support Chaplain (ASC). This key role within the Department of Chaplaincy & Spirituality works with the Head and Deputy Head of Chaplaincy as part of a team of 8 area support chaplains to deliver an effective national chaplaincy service.

ASCs provide specialist advice to leaders and managers on pastoral, spiritual and religious care. They also support chaplain recruitment, training and development within a designated area.

ASCs support MHA relationship with the Methodist Church and other faith and belief groups. They represent MHA at Methodist District Synods, deliver training to churches, and support our MHA Circuit Reps.

The sites included within the area are:

Care Homes

Retirement Living Schemes

Aigburth (Leicester)

Alexandra Court (Harwich)

Alexandra House (Harwich)

Edina Court (Wisbech)

Cromwell House (Norwich)

The Maples (Peterborough)

Norwood (Ipswich)

Welland Place (Market Harborough)

Queens Court (Cambridge)

Rushden Park (Rushden)

The Martins (Bury St Edmonds)

Stones Place (Lincoln)

About you

You will want to make a difference in the lives of older people and be in a role where you can see your impact every day.

You will have significant spiritual care and chaplaincy expertise and a proven track record of developing others.

You will demonstrate an empathetic understanding of the spiritual aspects of ageing and dementia through your experience providing pastoral care and leading services.

ASCs work with partners across MHA, including chaplains, managers, and senior leaders. You will be able to communicate credibly to these groups about the significance of spiritual care for living well later in life and chaplaincy best practices.

A significant proportion of our chaplains are in roles which require them to lead regular acts of Christian worship. You may not be a practising Christian, but you will be able to support their work through a detailed understanding of the Christian faith, its breadth of worshipping traditions, and experience with theological reflection. You will be sympathetic to MHA ethos and values.

Why join?

You will join an organisation with strong values, a highly supportive culture, and a commitment to the safety and well-being of employees. In addition, you will work alongside highly motivated colleagues in an environment of strong teamwork while also having fun. This is a hugely rewarding role and a career to be proud of. Every day, you will go home knowing you made a positive difference to the lives of older people.

We also offer a great staff membership scheme, including training, pension, life assurance, access to high street vouchers, and much more.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Sam Cowling-Green, Head of Chaplaincy