Board Members

Board Members

There are 14 voting members of the board made up as follows:

Four ex-officio directors consisting of the most senior honorary office-holders/representatives of AHPCC, CHCC, NIHCA and SPLG (Scottish  Professional Leadership Group for Spiritual Care); 

Four appointed professional directors

Four lay members

The Chair and Secretary are appointed by the Board. 

The Board may also co-opt up to four non-voting members.

Profiles for board members can accessed by clicking on individual names.

Current Board Membership

Mark Stobert (Chairperson)

Simon Betteridge (Chairperson from June 2021)

Derek Johnston (Secretary)

Professional Associations ex Officio Officers

Karen Murphy  – Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains (AHPCC)

Simon Harrison – College of Healthcare Chaplains (CHCC)

Robert Sloan  – Northern Ireland Hopital Chaplains Association ( NIHCA)

Paul Graham – Scottish Professional Leadehsip Group for Spiritual Care (SPLG)

Lay Members

Ed Carpenter  (Treasurer)

Maura Devlin

Jane Davies               

Professional Members

Derek Fraser

 Paul Nash 

Simon Betteridge (Chairperson from June 2021)

Cameron Langlands

Co-opted Members
Iain Macritchie (NHS Education for Scotland)

Meg Burton (Healthcare Chaplaincy Faith and Belief Group)

Registrar
Mark Rodgers
Please Note: The Registrar is an officer of the board, reports to the Board and is in attendance at Board meetings but does not have voting rights.

Anthony Brookes (Registrar from June 2021)

Articles of Association and Standing Orders

On 11th September 2015 The UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy was registered with Companies house as UKBHC Ltd,  a Private Company Limited by Gurantee.  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.

Attachment                                                                         Size

Standing Orders of UKBHC Ltd September 2020

Articles of Association UKBHC Ltd.  

Professional Associations

UKBHC exists to support the work of the three professional chaplaincy bodies in the UK and the Scottish Proferssional Leadership Group for Spiritual Care (SPLG).

The board was formed through a Memorandum of Understanding which gave the Board powers to pursue the objects contained in its constitution and in particular to work towards professional registration of Healthcare Chaplaincy.  The four professional bodies are as follows:

The Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains is the UK body which exists to promote good standards among chaplains 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 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.

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.