The
role of the chaplain in the NHS
What
are Chaplains for?
NHS Chaplains offer a service of spiritual care to all patients,
their carers, friends and family as well as the staff of the NHS.
The spiritual dimension of life expresses purpose and meaning.
‘The spiritual dimension evokes feelings which demonstrate the
existence of love, faith, hope, trust, awe, inspirations; therein
providing meaning and a reason for existence. It comes into focus
particularly when an individual faces emotional stress, physical
illness or death’ – Narayanasamy, 1999.’
Healthcare
Chaplaincy Occupational Standards define the work as that
which ‘enables individuals and groups in a healthcare setting
to respond to spiritual and emotional need and to the experiences
of life and death, illness and injury, in the context of a faith
or belief system.’
The work of the Chaplain embodies the spiritual, pastoral and
religious care associated with these needs found in the healthcare
setting.
Chaplains
Chaplains are salaried NHS employees. They can be found working
in most areas of the healthcare provision, from Ambulance Trusts
to Hospices. Most often though, they work in small teams within
an acute healthcare provision and increasingly work in multidisciplinary
collaboration with other NHS healthcare providers.
Traditionally, the spiritual dimension of life has frequently
been expressed through religious values and beliefs. Professional
religious ministers are trained in pastoral care and it is from
the faith community base that most chaplains are currently recruited.
The vast majority are Anglicans, while others are from the Roman
Catholic, Free churches or World Faiths. They are recruited in
proportion to the belief patterns of the local population. However,
the cultural mix of our society offers great variety of expression
of spirituality and therefore healthcare chaplains require specialist
training and knowledge before they are considered suitable
for work within the context of a hospital
Entry Requirements
You will usually need a professional qualification, a specific
vocational degree or general degree, or the equivalent. You will
also require a satisfactory recommendation and authorisation by
your faith community to gain entry. Requirements may vary between
different employers.
Career Progression
There are at least four
levels of chaplain recognised within the NHS, viz, Entry Level
Chaplain, Chaplain, Senior Chaplain, and Chaplain Manager or Advanced
Practitioner/ Specialist. Entry level is considered as a transition
between work as a faith community minister and that of a healthcare
chaplain. A qualified chaplain will have proven additional skills
and experience. At senior levels there is opportunity to study
at post graduate level in Healthcare Chaplaincy. Each level of
progression will depend upon suitable growth
of qualification, experience and the opportunity of a vacant
post.
Job vacancies
Vacancies are normally advertised in the appropriate religious
press and on the NHS Jobs website (www.jobs.nhs.uk)
Key documents
Caring
for the Spirit - a strategy for the chaplaincy and spiritual
care workforce published in November 2003 by the NHS South Yorshire
Workforce Development Confederation.
NHS
Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients
and Staff - Guidance for managers and those involved in the
provision of chaplaincy - spiritual care published in 2003 by
the NHS South Yorshire Workforce Development Confederation.
Recommended books for background reading.
The
Hospital Chaplain’s Handbook, by Mark Cobb, Canterbury
Press, Norwich, 2005; pp; £14.99; ISBN 1 85311 477 4
Mark
Cobb is a well-respected figure in Hospital Chaplaincy. He straddles
the dual role of Clinical Director and Senior Chaplain at the
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, which makes him a unique commentator
on both bedside and boardroom manner. He is a sought after speaker
in Chaplaincy and champion in bringing a profession that started
for most of us in an ancient Cathedral into the high-tech of Intensive
Care or the ever changing Management Structures of our Hospital
Trusts.
http://www.canterburypress.co.uk/books/9781853114779/Hospital-Chaplains-Handbook
and
'Being a Chaplain' by the Revd Mark Newitt, Chaplain, Sheffield
Teaching Hospitals Trust, published in July 2011. The
first five parts of the book gather together stories of 22 chaplains
working in a wide variety of contexts (including several healthcare
chaplains) and the final part consists of four essays on key themes:
multi-faith issues; the core skills needed by a chaplain; models
of chaplaincy; and tensions that can arise in the work. Against
the sometimes negative stereotypes of chaplaincy we argue that
chaplains are a valuable resource to the Church and that our experiences
and expertise can be very helpful for thinking about ministry,
ecclesiology and the engagement with contemporary society.
http://www.spckpublishing.co.uk/shop/being-a-chaplain/
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