Building 5 Level 1 Canberra Hospital Yamba Drive, Garran ACT 2605
PO Box 11 Woden ACT 2606
Phone: (02) 6174 5272
Website: www.health.act.gov.au
ABN: 82 049 056 234
Area of Volunteering:
Function:
Pastoral Care
Responsible to:
The Mission of the Canberra Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral
Care Department is to provide spiritual care, comfort and emotional support to patients, their families, carers, and friends.
Team Leader in Pastoral Care: _______________________________ and Clair Hochstetler, Manager of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Dept
_____________________________________________________________________________
Role Description:
 attend the hospital volunteers’ orientation program within a reasonable time of starting pastoral care duties at TCH, and complete the mandatory refresher sessions annually
 come to the hospital during the agreed upon days and times to offer pastoral care under the coordination of one’s team leader, utilising standards of care based upon healing, compassion and mutual respect
 keep organised while seeking to make personal contact with the various patients listed on one’s respective census, using the correct protocols and taking special note of the newly admitted, the critically ill and those going to surgery
 make an initial assessment of the individual patient’s situation with regard to the spiritual comfort and emotional support they desire or need, and follow up as appropriate, completing documentation of one’ actions and referrals according to the team’s protocols and practice
 be prepared to let the patient be the focus at all times by maintaining a strong sense of
“presence” and listening with respect and interest to their story – or supporting them in any other way – taking great care to maintain good boundaries for pastoral/spiritual care
 collaborate with one’s team leader and the entire interdisciplinary health care team, referring situations as needed (e.g. social worker, clinical nurse manager, other nursing or allied health staff) in the provision of holistic and interdisciplinary patient care, and making appropriate progress notes in patient charts (after training) to promote good communication
 be available to families and friends of patients in time of crisis, offering spiritual and emotional support, especially among the critically ill or dying – e.g. offering prayer or other support, as may be requested or after permission is granted
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 respond to calls from one’s team leader for spiritual assistance to any patient upon request or referral - or to requests from other members of the pastoral care department, as needed
 refer patients to one’s Team Leader or the Department Manger when a need for special attention and expertise is indicated (e.g. counselling, specialised spiritual assessments and other consultations such as pastoral care participation in medical/ethical or end-of-life care consults)
 distribute sacraments upon request, if permitted by one’s faith tradition and as negotiated with or assigned by one’s supervisor (i.e. be committed to the faith community and tradition of the team one represents when making visits) – unless serving on the General Team whose members offer pastoral care without representing a particular faith or belief group and will refer patients to the appropriate religious leader if a particular ritual in a religious tradition is requested, such as Anointing, Holy Communion, Confession, etc
 contribute to and maintain good relationships and communication with fellow colleagues, encouraging and supporting one another in the larger department (Chaplaincy & Pastoral
Care Team) and among the other hospital staff and members of the public, taking care to maintain the standard of patient confidentiality
 assume personal responsibility for self development through participation in continuing education opportunities via selective participation in various spiritual programmes, workshops, seminars, and department meetings that become available
Selection and Training Requirements:
 See the attached document “Selection and Training Requirements to Become a Pastoral
Care Volunteer at the Canberra Hospital” which includes:
 Attendance at ACT Health Corporate & Volunteer Orientation initially
 Area/job specific training by the Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Dept Manager and the volunteer’s team leader
Reporting Relationships:
 The Pastoral Care Volunteer is accountable directly to one’s team leader for the day-to-day visitation of patients, but ultimately to the hospital via the Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Dept
Manager with regard to adherence to department policies, standards of performance and accountability for the annual essential education requirements
Condition Requirements:
Volunteers are not paid and have no expectation of employment.
It is a condition of volunteering that:
 you agree to adhere to hospital policies and procedures.
 you satisfactorily pass referee, police record checks and interview.
 you acknowledge that either party can terminate this agreement at any time.
 you agree to abide by the Health Directorate Code of Practice for Volunteers.
 you observe confidentiality and privacy laws and not disclose any information, contracts, documents, resources or personal details to any third party whilst I am volunteering or at any time thereafter unless required to do so by law.
Certification: I acknowledge that:
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 I understand the requirement of, and am prepared to undertake the duties and responsibilities stated in this role description.
 I will be subject to a three month probationary period from commencement of my first shift and yearly thereafter.
While working within the Health Directorate as a volunteer you are expected to:
 Be reliable in your commitment to the organisation and its clients;
 Work within departmental guidelines and meet the standards of behaviour expected of paid workers;
 Maintain confidentiality in respect of all information gained in the course of your duties
(Privacy Act 1988);
 Follow the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct and ethical standards;
 Observe the requirements of the Work Safety Act 2008;
 Accept and follow directions from your supervisor;
 Ensure that you understand direction given to you and seek clarification if uncertain;
 Ensure that you are capable of performing all tasks given to you;
 Provide feedback to your supervisor on your progress;
 Report problems as they arise; and
 Disclose any relevant charge or conviction.
As a volunteer you also have the right to:
 Be advised of departmental standards, guidelines and expectations;
 Be given a clear statement of tasks to be performed;
 Receive sufficient training to enable you to carry out your duties;
 Guidance and direction from your supervisor;
 Speak to, and be heard, by a person in authority if you have queries or complaints;
 Be treated as a bona fide co-worker of the regular staff;
 Be listened to by staff and colleagues;
 Receive feedback on your work;
 Be provided with equipment necessary to do the job;
 Be informed of information regarding proposed changes in the workplace.
I have read the Volunteer Conditions of Placement, understand my role and agree to abide by the
Volunteers’ Code of Practice.
________________________________________ _______________
Date Signed
(Print name) ____________________________________
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 Forward a letter of reference from the leader of your Faith Group.
 Complete and clear a Police Check.
 Required: completion of an Introductory (40 hrs) Course in Clinical Pastoral Education with recommendation by the supervisor to advance – or providing documentation demonstrating having completed equivalency training elsewhere.
 The 400-hr BASIC CPE course which involves patient contact and close clinical supervision is also strongly recommended for all volunteers, but one can join a pastoral care team at the
Canberra Hospital beforehand if approval is granted after the interview (see next step) i.e. one’s involvement on a team can be incorporated into the clinical work required in CPE.
 To officially become a member of a pastoral care team one must have a formal interview with both the appropriate Team Leader and Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Department
Manager; outcomes will be documented and shared with the Volunteer Dept Manager.
 It is a requirement to participate in an Orientation session conducted on the first Monday of each month February through December. There are five elements to this Essential
Education package including:
Infection Control
Workplace Safety
Fire and Emergency Awareness (annual refresher required)
Child Protection Level 1 (& Level 2, as well, if going to work directly with children)
Manual Handling (annual competency required)
 The first half of the day is the ACT Health Corporate Orientation taking into account the first three topics. The 4 th and 5 th essential elements are covered during a 2.5 hour Volunteer
Dept-specific Orientation conducted in the afternoon of the same day. (If a whole day can’t be taken in, the first half can be done one month and the second half of training done on a subsequent month.)
 The volunteer’s ID & Swipe Pass will not be authorised by the Volunteer Dept Manager for issue by Security until both Orientations are completed and a cleared Police Check is received.
 Absorbing the general guidelines and learning the specific team procedures and protocols listed in the Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Department Orientation Booklet will be accomplished by “shadowing” the leader of the team one has joined (and possibly another team member) until the volunteer gains sufficient confidence to go on one’s own.
 The volunteer’s role and placement will be mutually reviewed with the team leader no later than the three month mark in regards to personal satisfaction and good fit with the position.
 An annual satisfaction survey will be conducted by the Volunteer Department; and a separate performance review by the appropriate supervisor/team leader in Pastoral Care utilising the Standards of Practice for Pastoral Care as a basis. These standards were developed by the ACT Pastoral Care Council, endorsed by the ACT Health Directorate, and can be found online or downloaded at: http://pastoralcareact.org/standards/default.html
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Reviewed & Updated Dec 2012 by Clair Hochstetler, Manager of Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Dept of Canberra Hospital
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