Spiritual and pastoral care

It is the philosophy of the Trust that while religion may be personal, spirituality is universal.

All people need to:

  • feel valued, loved and understood
  • be listened to with empathy
  • express their feelings honestly
  • be aware of forgiveness
  • experience hope
  • find meaning and purpose in life
  • explore their ultimate values, their capacity for wonder and issues of good and evil

In certain circumstances, people may require support with these needs. These could include (but not be limited to) times of loss, sickness, mental illness, major change and at the end of life.

Our spiritual and pastoral care policy (PDF, 288 KB) underlines the responsibility of all staff to support spiritual care in its broadest sense. Respecting the dignity, humanity, individuality, independence and diversity of the people whose cultures, faiths and beliefs are represented in the Trust population.

The policy also underlines that support that should be offered to all staff at times of need. The roots of stress and burnout may be found in spiritual issues of meaning and purpose at work, as well as self-worth and self-care.

What we offer

The Chaplaincy Service exists to offer specialist care in 4 broad areas.

Pastoral care

Covers all conversations covering emotional or personal needs, including matters of relationships and personal wellbeing.

Existential care

Covers issues of meaning, purpose, personal worth and values regardless of any particular religious framework. It may include matters of transcendence and human becoming without specific religious beliefs.

Ethical care

Covers discussions, religious or otherwise, of the nature of good and evil and how our choices in human behaviour impact on others, on the wider community and the environment. It will support patients, clients and staff with decision-making, especially in cases where ethical questions are complex in relation to patient care.

Religious care

Includes provision or loan of religious artefacts and literature, support to engage in rituals and liturgies, and making contact with leaders or members of a person’s own faith group. It may include discussion of religious beliefs, especially as they interact with lived experience of mental ill health or community health care.

Volunteers

We are supported by volunteers in our community hospitals. All volunteers with the department are recruited, trained, and managed by the volunteers in Partnership manager. Volunteers must have specific training from the Chaplains Service to ensure high quality spiritual and pastoral care.

Volunteers are provided with a local contact in the area they work in. They also have contact with a nominated chaplain who works in that area. Responsibility for the supervision and care of team volunteers’ rests with the lead chaplain.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining our Volunteer Team, email the Volunteers Office.

What we ask of our volunteers

  • Visit patients to provide reassurance, encouragement and comfort.
  • Discuss things of existential value in a non-judgemental context open to people of all religions and none, for example meaning of life, life after death, personal worth, nature of good and evil.
  • Talk about religious matters, being open about their own tradition and beliefs but not dogmatic about different beliefs.
  • Read from holy books, and know how to access these.
  • Pray in own tradition and try to be open to the patient’s tradition, or to help to find someone who can assist.
  • Offer appropriate assurance with shared traditions
  • Carry out religious liturgies according to licence or permissions from your own religious tradition and explain the permissions to the patient.
  • Know how to contact someone from another faith tradition than your own.
  • Support patients and staff to access their own place of worship or a worship leader.
  • Contribute to the ethos of the centre or ward.
  • Listen and respond to requests from staff on duty.
  • Be respectful of other people’s opinions and beliefs, especially if they are different from your own.
  • Discuss patient queries or concerns with staff or supervisors.
  • Pass on concerns about patients to staff on duty.
  • Notify staff of any difficulties which may mean that you cannot fulfil previously agreed volunteering roles.
  • Complete and submit expenses and activity forms at the end of each month.
  • Comply with the Trust’s policy on confidentiality.
  • Attend supervision and training when requested, and to seek out supervision should it be needed between planned supervision appointments.