UK Board for Healthcare Chaplains (UKBHC) was established in 2009, as a register of healthcare chaplains, to demonstrate the accountability of healthcare chaplains to the public.
The primary aim of UKBHC is the safety and wellbeing of the public, which it achieves by setting high standards for the professional practice of healthcare chaplains. UKBHC hold a register of healthcare chaplains who have fulfilled its criteria admission as registrants.
In August 2017 the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) recognised UKBHC as an Accredited Register. PSA is the regulatory body for all registers of health and social care professionals including GMC and NMC.
Six representative directors (ex-officio) consisting of the most senior honorary office-holders/representatives of ACPG, AHPCC, CHCC, NIHCA, SPLG (Scottish Professional Leadership Group for Spiritual Care) and WCF (Welsh Chaplaincy Forum);
Eight professional directors
Six lay members
The Chair and Secretary are appointed by the Board.
The Board may also co-opt up to four non-voting members.
The UKBHC Recruitment policy can be accessed here.
Profiles for some board members can be accessed by clicking on individual names.
Professional Representative Directors (Ex-Officio)
ACGP – Sarah Giffen AHPCC – Jill Thornton CHCC– Sarah Crane NIHCA– Michael McMillan Scottish Professional Leadership Group for Spiritual Care (SPLG) – Dawn Allan Welsh Chaplaincy Forum (WFC) – Benjamin Tugwell
Lay Directors Linda Ross Lorna Jones Martin Garrity Michael Rowe Charles Kingdon Lay director – Vacant
Mark Evans – National Spiritual Care Strategic Advisor Operational Lead Scotland Andrew Todd – Academic Adviser Observer: Chaplaincy Forum Chair Observer: NPSRCH Chair
On 11th September 2015 The UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy was registered with Companies house as UKBHC Ltd, a Private Company Limited by Guarantee. The Articles of Association detail the format of the company and the Board has published Standing Orders (2015) that outline the workings of the Board. The Standing Orders are available to download below.
Chaplains/Spiritual Care Professionals have been caring for patients and staff in UK hospitals for over a thousand years. Today the chaplain/spiritual care professional is looked to as a professional figure with expertise to provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care. Chaplains/Spiritual Care Professionals come from many different traditions and faiths but are united by their common focus and participation in the health sector. The NHS along with hospices and private facilities all draw on the services of chaplains/spiritual care professionals to provide holistic care which recognises the vital relationship between spirituality and well-being. Being a chaplain/spiritual care professional in the 21st century requires both skill and knowledge. While much of the chaplain’s work will be with patients, there is also an important advisory and educational role. Excellent patient-centred care requires a nuanced understanding of diversity, difference and personal needs. Failure to provide effective spiritual care can lead to distress, malnutrition and the refusal to consent to life-saving interventions (e.g. transfusion). Each of the departments of health in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales recognise the importance of chaplaincy and advise health providers to ensure that patients have access to spiritual care services. Chaplains across the UK are recognised by the NHS pay structure, Agenda for Change, and are required to comply with the Knowledge and Skills Framework.
The conception of chaplaincy as a distinctive community of professional staff is a relatively new phenomenon. Sociological data describes the UK as a place of accelerating spiritual diversity, making more complex and exacting the practice of chaplaincy. In this context the need for open, inclusive and informed chaplains becomes a professional priority. To learn about the Journey to Professionalisation click here.
The UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy contributes to excellence in chaplaincy and serves the interests of all those providing or receiving spiritual care.
UKBHC exists to support the work of the four professional chaplaincy bodies in the UK, the Scottish Professional Leadership Group for Spiritual Care (SPLG), and the Welsh Chaplaincy Forum (WCF).
The board was formed through a Memorandum of Understanding which gave the Board powers to pursue the objects contained in its Standing Ordersand in particular to work towards professional registration of Healthcare Chaplaincy. The four professional bodies are as follows:
The Association of Chaplaincy in General Practice Primary Care Chaplaincy, is a body in the UK which complements the care given to patients and can reduce the demand on other services. The ACGP exists to:
Define and raise awareness of best practice in Primary Care Chaplaincy.
Enable the development of Chaplaincy in General Practice for the wellbeing of the public through providing advice, training, resources and research.
Support those involved with GP Chaplaincy.
For further information and links go to the ACGP web-site.
The Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains is the UK body which exists to promote good standards among chaplains/spiritual care professionals involved in the pastoral and spiritual care of people facing death from a life threatening illness, as they seek to:
Assess and address complex spiritual and religious needs
Discern and respond to the cultural, spiritual and religious needs, traditions and practices of all, including those of no faith
Ensure that all spiritual and religious care is person led
In so doing, the AHPCC:
Identifies and promotes good practice in religious and spiritual care
Is an agent of professional development
Provides professional support and fellowship
Promotes links with the constituency of palliative care and relevant church bodies and faith communities
For further information and links go to the AHPCC website.
The College of Health Care Chaplains is a multi-faith, interdenominational, professional organisation, which is open to all recognised healthcare chaplaincy staff, both paid and voluntary, and to those with an interest in healthcare chaplaincy. It is the largest professional membership body for chaplains in the UK. The College exists to promote the professional standing of healthcare chaplaincy and that of its members both nationally and within health and social care organisations;
By supporting members in their individual professional roles and aspirations
By representing chaplaincy in the wider context to employers and others
Most of this work relates to chaplains working in the NHS, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but the wider membership includes those working in hospices and the voluntary and private sectors, and those with an interest in UK health care chaplaincy, whether or not they are based in the UK.
For further information and links go to the CHCC website.
The Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains Association is the representative and consultative body for healthcare chaplains/spiritual care professionals in Northern Ireland. The values it promotes are:
The dignity and worth of all
Faith as an essential dimension of wholeness
Spiritual care of persons, communities, organisations and systems
Inclusivity and diversity
Justice and equality
Professional competency and ethical practice.
The aims of NIHCA are:
To support healthcare chaplains to carry out their responsibilities
To provide a forum for sharing opinions and increasing knowledge
To keep up to date with best practice and disseminate this information to chaplains
To facilitate and provide appropriate training and encourage appropriate professional and vocational development
To encourage theological and pastoral reflection
To establish and promote good working relationships with religious and other organisations involved with healthcare
For further information and links go to the NIHCA website.
19 September 2024 – Board Bulletin The directors of the UKBHC met on the 12th September and the following summary of the meeting is shared for information:
The interim registrar reported on progress working through the backlog of registration applications since her appointment in mid-June. Of 89 applications awaiting approval 44 have been processed. However, recently, further applications have been discovered stuck within the website email system. The Board continues to apologise for delays in processing applications. Working through the backlog is a priority. If you are awaiting a response, please check junk/spam boxes. Going forward, the Board intends to produce a timeline and flowchart of the registration process.
A change to the Standing Ordersof the Board was agreed to bring the total number of professional directors to 8. Yunas Dudhwala was appointed as lead director for EDI [see below for current Board structure].
Due to a lay director stepping down there is one vacancy for a lay director. Further details are provided below and with the accompanying Expression of Interest form. The Board would be grateful if registrants would circulate details of the vacancy within their own networks.
The Board is awaiting a report from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) regarding information the PSA requires from the Board to continue to accredit the UKBHC. A considerable amount of work has been done over the last few months in relation to PSA accreditation. As visible evidence of our professional registration with UKBHC, and as approved by PSA, all fully registered chaplains are encouraged to include both UKBHC and PSA logos/quality marks as part of their email signature and on other chaplaincy communication. This helps promote the profession and gives assurance of their standing and practice.
The Board approved a new Code of Conduct. A copy is included in the mailing that contains the bulletin and will be uploaded to the website. Brief details are included below. Please do read and familiarise yourself with it.
Current Board Structure
Role / Lead Area
Name
Notes
Interim Chair
Derek Fraser
Also Academic Standards Lead
Secretary
Derek Johnston
Interim Registrar
Allison Dean
Non-voting Board member
Treasurer
Claudia Francis
Non-voting Board member
Governance & Risk
Elizabeth Allison
PSA
Graham Bell
EDI
Yunus Dudhwala
ProfessionalRegistration
Janelle Kingham
Professional Conduct – Fitness to practice
Paul Nash
Communication & Engagement
Mark Newitt
Professional Advisors
Philip Wright
SPLGSC
Dawn Allen
CHCC
Sarah Crane
ACGP
Sarah Giffen
NIHCA
Michael McMillan
AHPCC
Jill Thornton
Wales Chaplaincy Forum
Benjamin Tugwell
Lay Director
Martin Garrity
Lay Director
Lorna Jones
Lay Director
Charles Kingdon
Lay Director
Linda Ross
Lay Director
Michael Rowe
Observer
Mark Evans
National Spiritual Care Strategic Advisor Operational Lead Scotland
Observer
Andrew Todd
Academic Advisor
Observer
Chaplaincy Forum Chair
Observer
NPSRCH Chair
Email addresses for Board officers & Professional Directors can be found on the website. Email addresses for Representative Directors & Lay Directors will be added soon.
Advert for Expressions of Interest in becoming a Lay Director
The UKBHC has an exciting volunteer opportunity for anyone who can demonstrate commitment to supporting the highest standards of safe and effective Chaplaincy – spiritual care in UK health and social care. If you care about the experience of patients, their families or of healthcare staff, this opportunity may be for you
Healthcare Chaplains promote pastoral, spiritual and religious wellbeing through skilled, compassionate, person-centred care. This is available to our patients, their families and carers, and to staff, volunteers and students. They enable people to celebrate according to their religion or belief within NHS and other healthcare settings, and support those facing very difficult situations such as the death of a loved one, psychosis, being diagnosed with life-threatening conditions and people who are receiving end of life care, as well as being alongside those who just appreciate having a listening ear or a time to chat.
The UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) was established in 2009. The Purpose of ‘the Board’ is to safeguard the wellbeing of the public by ensuring that healthcare chaplains deliver the highest standards of safe and effective care.
In August 2017 the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) recognised the UKBHC as an Accredited Register. PSA is the regulatory body for all registers of health and social care professionals.
The UKBHC wishes to recruit one voluntary Lay Director to assist with the work of the Board. While registrants are not eligible to apply, we ask you to raise awareness of this opportunity by distributing the advert more widely as appropriate. The Board would particularly welcome interest from applicants who have experience, knowledge and skills in PSA and/or EDI.
PSA registration – To support the Lead officer as a point of contact with PSA, respond to queries relating to UKBHC continued accreditation with the PSA and comply with the annual revalidation process.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – To support the Lead officer to oversee the practice and application of the UKBHC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and ensure it remains relevant, up-to-date and in compliance with PSA.
As visible evidence of our professional registration with UKBHC, and as approved by PSA, all fully registered chaplains are encouraged to include both UKBHC and PSA logos/quality marks as part of their email signature and on other chaplaincy communication. This helps promote the profession and gives assurance of their standing and practice.
At the June engagement event and in the June newsletter we acknowledged some of the challenges facing the Board, and set out a plan of action to address these.
Previously we had a structure of four representative directors, four professional directors, four lay directors, along with several co-optees and Board officers. This has now been increased to six, seven, and six respectively:
14 August 2024UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC)Registrar position
Invitation for Expressions of Interest for Registrar role:
The Board is seeking expressions of interest for the role of Registrar. If you know anyone who might be interested and have the requisite skills, knowledge & values, please pass this information on. The Registrar has the functions of:
Granting registration
Considering and determining applications for registration as against the published registration criteria. These will include:
Considering full registration applications and notifying applicants of the outcome
Considering provisional registration applications and notifying applicants of the outcome
Renewing registrations (if registration is finite)
Keeping the register up to date
Administrative removal of registrants for non-payment of fees or failure to return CPD
Overseeing compliance with CPD
Administer and facilitate the process of receiving complaints and liaising with relevant parties
The UK Board for Healthcare Chaplains (UKBHC) was established in 2009, as a register of healthcare chaplains, to demonstrate the accountability of healthcare chaplains to the public.
The primary aim of UKBHC is the safety and wellbeing of the public, which it achieves by setting high standards for the professional practice of healthcare chaplains. UKBHC hold a register of healthcare chaplains who have fulfilled its criteria admission as registrants.
In August 2017 the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) recognised UKBHC as an Accredited Register. PSA is the regulatory body for all registers of health and social care professionals including GMC and NMC.
