Roman Catholic Chaplain

Serco: Derwentside IRC, DH8 6QY

Permanent, Part Time 10 hrs p/w (working 2 days p/w, will include a Sunday)

£6,000 per annum + Excellent Corporate Benefits Package

Ready to impact a better future?
As a Catholic Chaplain in our Justice and Immigration team, you’ll provide vital pastoral and spiritual care to detainees, helping them find hope, purpose and direction during a challenging time in their lives. Your work will directly support wellbeing, dignity, and positive outcomes for individuals and communities.

In this role, you’ll be part of a vibrant, multi-faith chaplaincy team, creating a compassionate environment where individuals feel supported and respected. From leading services to offering one-to-one guidance, your contribution will play a meaningful role in rehabilitation, resettlement, and building trust.

What you’ll do as a Catholic Chaplain
You’ll be entrusted to:

• Provide pastoral care and support the spiritual welfare of detainees and colleagues


• Deliver Catholic services and facilitate access to religious observance, holy days, and festivals


• Offer faith-based advice and guidance within a multi-faith environment


• Support detainees through bereavement, crisis, and resettlement challenges


• Work collaboratively with colleagues across security, healthcare, and safer custody teams


• Build relationships with community groups and external partners to support reintegration

Does this sound like you?
You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have:

• Formal endorsement from a Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop (or delegate) to minister in this setting


• Relevant theological qualifications (or equivalent such as Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies)


• Experience delivering pastoral care and religious services, ideally in a secure or institutional environment


• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to support people from diverse backgrounds and faiths


• A compassionate, professional approach with resilience in challenging situations

Vetting and checks
An Enhanced DBS check is required for this role. This includes spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and any relevant information held by local police, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and safeguarding requirements. You will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire to allow us to provide any support needed for you to succeed in the role.

Discover all you need to keep growing
We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.

What we offer

• Competitive annual leave entitlement


• Free on site car parking


• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme


• Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (including L3 Team Leader and L5 Operations Manager apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression


• Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service


• Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel


• Paid volunteering day, tax-free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity


• Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.