Lots of things about my work at the West London Mission excite me but I am particularly excited about this new post of Chaplain that we are currently advertising. We are looking for someone who can offer prayer and spiritual support to users and residents of our services.
Although we are a fairly small organisation, we operate in a number of social care fields:
- West London Day Centre works with rough sleepers in Westminster, central London regularly seeing over 100 clients a day
- Big House is a hostel for ex-servicemen who have fallen into homelessness
- Katherine Price Hughes House is a hostel for men coming out of prison
- The Haven is a care home for men with chronic alcohol dependency
- Highbury Counselling Centre offers affordable counselling to the local community
Integrating faith
WLM has been running these kind of services for 125 years and we are proud of the high standard and effectiveness of our work. However, right at the core of our strategy is to maintain and develop our Christian distinctiveness.
It is not easy to integrate faith within professional social care work. There are so many factors and pressures which can push faith to the margins. Sometimes this happens by faith being relegated to the past, or removed to be just be something relevant to the trustees. Faith can easily become irrelevant and ‘dis-integrated’ from the work which it has developed. You see this in the huge number of social care organisations which have jettisoned their Christian basis.
West London Mission does not want to go this way. We are still very much part of the Methodist Church, and although the road is not easy or straightforward, we have a clear commitment to exploring how faith integrates within professional social work. Appointing a Chaplain is one of the key ways that we are seeking to do this.
Please check out the advert below and do pass on via email, facebook or twitter to anyone you think might be interested.
Social Work Chaplain
22 hours a week, based in central London, salary starting at £16,800
We are seeking to appoint a sensitive and skilled Chaplain who can work within a professional social work context. The successful applicant will be a confident and mature Christian who has the ability to work alongside a wide range of people and offer spiritual support and guidance.
Closing date: Friday 31st August 2012
Interviews will be held on 10th September 2012
Further details and application pack can be downloaded here
Find out more about WLM’s Christian ethos, Vision, Mission and Values and Our History
The Chaplain’s role will be working within the framework of The Charter for Christian Homelessness Agencies to which WLM is a signatory
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WLM is also looking to appoint two other roles at the moment which might interest you or other people you know:
Christian Community Intern
Do you want to live in a Christian community in the centre of London and put your faith into action whilst working with homeless people?
Are you able to live alongside students and help and support them? If so you could be the person we are looking for!
The West London Mission has an exciting role available at Methodist Chaplaincy House (MCH) – a student hostel in the heart of Kings Cross, for a Christian Community Intern who wants to spend a year gaining experience of the life and work of city centre churches and professional social work, and using their passion and skills to engage students at MCH in the life of the church.
Closing date: 17th August – for all details see website
Trainee Fundraiser
Can you communicate with passion and enthusiasm? Do you want to develop your skills in charity fundraising?
If ‘yes’ – you could be who we are looking for…
Full time: 36.5 hours a week, based in the West London Day Centre in Marylebone
Salary £20,130 (inc. ILW) p.a. Temporary contract for 12 months
We are looking for a Trainee Fundraiser who can work closely with our Fundraising Manager. Previous experience of fundraising is not necessary – but passion and enthusiasm for the work is essential. We need somebody who is able to work alongside different people, including businesses, and who will be a positive ambassador for our work.
Closing date: 31st August – for all details see website
Grace + Truth 