Pastoral Practitioner - Hawkesbury

Pastoral Practitioner

Closing date: Monday, August 10th COB

Uniting Hawkesbury – Richmond NSW
Permanent Part-Time | Casual | Flexible work patterns – let’s discuss what could work

Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can give someone is your time, your presence and the feeling that they have truly been heard.

Uniting is seeking a compassionate Pastoral Practitioner to provide pastoral and spiritual care at Uniting Hawkesbury, based in beautiful Richmond NSW.

Set in the heart of the Hawkesbury region, Richmond offers a wonderful combination of country character, open spaces and a strong sense of community, while still being connected to Greater Sydney. With the Blue Mountains as a backdrop and the Hawkesbury’s historic townships and natural surrounds close by, it is a beautiful part of NSW in which to live and work.

This is a role centred on people – their stories, relationships, beliefs, culture, experiences and the things that give their lives meaning.

Spiritual care can look different for every person. For some, it may be grounded in faith, prayer or religious tradition. For others, connection and meaning might be found through family, music, culture, nature, a much-loved hobby, memories and life stories, or simply having someone beside them during a difficult time.

As a Pastoral Practitioner, you will take the time to understand what matters to the individual and provide care that respects who they are, what they believe and how they choose to find meaning, comfort, hope and connection.

What you’ll be doing

Working as part of Uniting’s Mission team and alongside our care and support teams, you will provide a trusted pastoral presence for residents, families, carers, staff and volunteers.

You will:

• Build genuine, trusting relationships through attentive presence, active listening and empathy.

• Provide compassionate pastoral, spiritual and emotional support during times of illness, grief, loss, loneliness, transition, uncertainty and end-of-life.

• Take the time to understand each person’s life story, culture, beliefs, relationships, values and the things that are meaningful to them.

• Provide inclusive spiritual care for people of all faiths, spiritualities and worldviews, including those with no religious belief.

• Support people to connect with faith communities, traditions, rituals or other sources of meaning where this is important to them.

• Work collaboratively with families, carers and multidisciplinary teams to contribute a pastoral and spiritual perspective to holistic, person-centred care.

• Support families and those close to residents through times of change, deterioration, grief and bereavement.

• Provide a compassionate pastoral presence for staff and volunteers when they may also need someone to listen.

• Contribute to memorial services, pastoral gatherings and other meaningful occasions where appropriate.

This is not about having all the answers. It is about knowing how to be present, how to listen and how to recognise what matters to someone at a particular moment in their life.

What you’ll bring

You will be someone who connects naturally and respectfully with people and is comfortable supporting individuals from many different backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences.

You will bring relevant pastoral, theological, ministry, spiritual care or related study, together with one or more units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), or demonstrated equivalent pastoral formation and relevant life or work experience.

You will also bring:

• Experience providing pastoral, spiritual, emotional or relational support to people experiencing vulnerability, illness, grief, loss or significant life transition.

• Empathy, compassion and the ability to build safe and trusting relationships while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

• Respect and genuine openness towards people from different cultures, faith traditions, spiritualities and those with no religious belief.

• An ability to work collaboratively with families, carers, care teams and other professionals.

• Strong listening, communication and interpersonal skills.

• An understanding of confidentiality, safeguarding and duty of care.

• A commitment to ongoing reflective practice and professional development.

• An alignment with Uniting’s values of being imaginative, respectful, compassionate and bold.

Qualifications or additional training in areas such as pastoral or spiritual care, theology, ministry, counselling, social science, health, aged care, grief and loss, dementia, mental health, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety or palliative care will be highly regarded.

Flexible work arrangements – let’s talk

We know the right person for this work may be looking for flexibility.

This opportunity may be available on a permanent part-time or casual basis, with flexible work patterns open for discussion.

If this sounds like meaningful work you would value, we would be very happy to have a conversation about the arrangement that could work for you and for our service.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Louise Massie via email at [email protected]

Why Uniting?

At Uniting, pastoral and spiritual care is about the whole person.

We welcome and support people of all faiths, spiritualities, cultures and worldviews. Our approach respects each individual’s beliefs, identity, choices and life story while creating opportunities for meaning, purpose, hope, belonging and connection.

As part of the Mission team, you will join an organisation whose purpose is to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice, and whose pastoral care is grounded in compassion, dignity, inclusion and respect.

If you are someone who understands the value of simply being present – listening without judgement, recognising what matters and supporting people through some of life’s most significant moments – we’d love to hear from you.

Mandatory Reporters are employees who deliver services directly to children and young people, or who supervise employees who deliver these services. However, all employees are responsible for applying the Protecting Children and Young People Policy.

Employment with Uniting will require background checks, including a Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check, Police Check and references.