Christmas Greetings to you all

It’s that time of the year when we begin to reflect on a year gone by, to look forward to remembering the events in Bethlehem a long time ago and onwards to a new year.

It’s been a busy year in the Chaplaincy world. The Chaplaincy Leadership Forum and the Network for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious care have formed a new group - Healthcare Chaplaincy Forum for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care launched on December 1st 2017.

The new procurement system for NHS Chaplaincy Project funding has been changed, and tested – now we await the outcome of the bidding process. Once known the work streams for the next 2 years will be announced. This we hope to do before Christmas.

Changes are ever present and on the committees we have some vacancies. The Free Churches Group needs to recruit the following –

·         A Free Church Chaplain to join the Network for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care in Health (The faith and Belief Group). The Network meets 3 – 4 times a year in London, and the nominated individual has the responsibility of bring news and concerns, ideas and proposals from their sending faith community and sharing the work of the Network back into the sending community.

·         A Free Church Chaplain to share in the work of the Health Care Chaplaincy Steering Committee that has responsibility to promote Chaplaincy from a Free Church perspective, support Free Church Chaplains and support the work of the Secretary for Free Church Chaplaincy. This group meets twice a year face to face with audio calls as necessary.

Do get in touch if you would like to explore these opportunities further.

Another key change is in my working pattern. From January 1st I will be working half time. I have some interesting opportunities I want to follow up and to enjoy both my work and these new things I need to make space in the diary. To facilitate this change the Free Churches Group have engaged Red Meg Burton to cover the ‘other half’ of the week – although in reality we will be job sharing and ensuring that all work is covered. Some of you will know Meg already, and I am sure you will make her feel welcome and benefit from her knowledge and expertise especially in End of Life Care.

Over the past few weeks I have been reminded about the challenges to individuals and their families and friends when serious illness strikes, particularly at this time of the year, and was minded to write the following:-

Holy Child of Bethlehem, you started your earthly life in a borrowed manger,

Your arrival noted by the isolated and the weary.

Yet with your arrival the world was opened to new possibilities of hope, love and peace.

This Christmas we pray for those who are sick, at home or in hospital,

those whose pain cannot be seen,

those who fear the night and those for whom  the day is too long.

Let us also pray for  those who will care in homes and in hospital,  those who will acknowledge the pain that cannot be seen,

 those who will share the dark of the night and the  length of the day.

May they all be reminded of the gift of hope, love and peace that came down at Christmas.

And for those of us who are well enough to share time with friends and family, let us be thankful, mindful of the needs of others and willing to play our part to share Gods love. Amen.                                                                                                                   

May you all be richly blessed this Christmas time,

Debbie

debbie.hodge@freechurchesgroup.org.uk

December 2017

This Christmas Newsletter 2017 is available to download here. 

Merger of Healthcare Chaplaincy in England

We are delighted to announce an exciting new development for Healthcare Chaplaincy in England through a merger of the two main bodies in Healthcare Chaplaincy in England.

The Network for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care in Health (NPSRC) and the Chaplaincy Leadership Forum (CLF) have agreed to merge the two groups in order to create a new one-group structure for the strategic development of Healthcare Chaplaincy in England.

The new name of the group will be the Healthcare Chaplaincy Forum for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care.

The new forum will be made up of representatives of the Chaplaincy Bodies - CHCC, AHPCC and UKBHC, Faith and Belief group members of the NETWORK, NHS England, a Project Officer for NHS England projects and an Independent Chair of the Forum. It is planned for there to be, at some time in the near future, user representatives included as members of the forum.

Its purpose and function is supporting strategic development, monitoring work projects, being a forum for consultation for future policy and making recommendations for the development of good practice in Healthcare Chaplaincy in England.

The new body will serve to enhance healthcare chaplaincy and enable greater cohesion and development in England, which will be good for patients and staff in the NHS and other healthcare settings.

The work of the Forum will start on 1st December 2017.

Sarah Sewell, Keith Munnings, Derek Fraser, Debbie Hodge, Catherine Thompson and Paulette Johnson – members of the Merger Group.

24 November 2017

This press release is available to download here.

‘Learning from deaths’ – guidance development day for NHS trusts

Thursday 2 November, 10.00am - 4.30pm – Kia Oval, London

NHS England is holding an event in November 2017, which may be of interest to staff working in chaplaincy services in trusts across England. It will be of particular interest to chaplaincy staff who have supported families and carers who have lost a loved one in NHS commissioned care, whose death has been subject to a review or investigation.

The event is part of the Learning from Deaths’ programme, which was established to ensure that the recommendations contained in the CQC’s ‘Learning, candour and accountability’ report are implemented in a clear and structured way. 

The event is one of two that will inform the co-production of new guidance for trusts to improve engagement with families and carers, so that they know what to expect from the investigation process. The aim of the guidance will be to ensure timely, transparent and compassionate contact with families and carers who’ve lost loved ones in NHS commissioned care.

The event, on 2 November, will primarily involve people working in trusts who are involved in the investigation process and supporting families/carers in these circumstances - some family members and carers with lived experience will also be present.  The day will focus on the key issues already identified in the CQC report. It will also highlight feedback from families and carers gathered at an event held on 1 November. It will examine what good practice should look like; how we can embed it across NHS Trusts; and what support and/or training would be needed.

If you would like more information about the event for staff working in trusts or to sign up for a place please go to the NHS England website or email england.nhs.participation@nhs.net.

Free Church Chaplains Study Day

‘Meeting the challenge of a Major Incident’

 

Tuesday 7th November 2017, 10:30-15:30,

10:00 am for Coffee/Tea

Free Churches House, 27 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HH

The study day and lunch provided is at no cost to attendees.

Free Church Health Care Chaplains are invited to join the study day at Free Churches House on 7th November 2017.

The theme of the day is ‘Meeting the challenge of a Major Incident’, and we have been asked if we would share insights from the arena of Health Care with those from Higher Education and the Prison Service, as Chaplains in public institutions are often called upon to support and care for individuals, and institutions at the time of major incident or crisis.

We will spend the morning sharing updates and concerns in Health Care, colleagues from Higher Education and the Prison service will join us for lunch.

The aim of the afternoon is to explore processes and practices in the different sectors with a view to sharing best practice and developing a dialogue of support and ongoing development.

 Please find click here for details programme. I would be very grateful if you could register with Thandar (thandar.tun@freechurches.org.uk) so that we can ensure we have enough lunch and enough chairs!

 We look forward to seeing you on 7th November.

Debbie Hodge

Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy, Free Churches Group

 

 

Hymns of Hope and Healing

An exciting, diverse and compassionate new hymn collection has recently been compiled, published by Stainer & Bell. This is an excellent and thought-provoking resource for your church. 

Words and music to refresh the church’s ministry of healing. Edited by Jan Berry and Andrew Pratt, with Janet Eldred and Anne Sardeson.

Order a copy here: https://stainer.co.uk/shop/b954/ 

Acknowledging the impact of medical science in vastly expanding the range of the possible in every aspect of our living and dying, eighty-three texts tackle a rich diversity of themes: infant death, illness and suffering, ageing and dementia, the genome, mortality and bereavement, grief and lament, pain and despair – including pain and despair from the failure of healing – but also wisdom and resilience, healing as part of a spiritual holism of mind and body, and as a metaphor for social and political justice and care for the environment. The wealth of music includes new tunes and familiar ones, and the anthology concludes with a section of twelve short or repetitive texts to be used in conjunction with prayer.

Hymns of Hope and Healing is the product of many voices, from those of widely experienced authors to others taking their promising early steps in the form (including a hymn by our very own FCG Education Assistant, Sara Iles!).

It will provide a vehicle for worship and reflection for those involved in chaplaincy, in therapies and counselling, and all in the wider church with an interest in this ancient ministry. Witnessed through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, it is refreshed and re-imagined here for a time both of breathtaking scientific advance, and of an urgent need to affirm our wholeness and faith while embracing the momentous challenges to our traditional understanding of health and healing.