If you’re tired and you know it, clap your hands

It is just over two years since the first patients to be treated for Covid-19 in England were admitted to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. It wasn’t too many weeks before other hospitals were admitting their first patients and words like shielding, social-distancing and lockdown started to enter into our vocabulary.

Nobody knew what to expect at nor how long things might last. As cases began to rapidly rise, a metaphor that I sometimes heard was of being in a 100 metre sprint. Over time, as cases did not rise quite as sharply as initially thought, but nor did they rapidly drop off either, that metaphor changed to one of being less a sprint but more a 10km race. As cases began to rise again in the later part of 2020, the distance was upped again to that of a marathon. Two years on and we must now be in the territory of ultra-distance racing!

I recently asked health and social care chaplains to send me three words that sum up a little of how they are feeling. The vast majority included the word ‘tired’ or some related synonym. Experienced staff, both chaplains and those in other professions, talk about how they have never known anything like it. There have always been busy times, particular during winter, but they say that they feel like they have been responding to a major incident for the best part of two years. A colleague recently wrote about how they hated the description of the NHS working ‘tirelessly’ as it plays down the reality of how shattered people actually are.

Throughout the time of the pandemic, even though Covid pressures have risen and fallen, the pressure on staff has not. Each time Covid infection rates fall, there is the pressure to catch up with postponed operations, tests, appointments, etc. Patients are often coming into hospital, or seeing GPs, later than they might have done previously and consequently may have more complex medical, emotional and spiritual needs. Alongside the exhaustion, there are also high levels of anxiety, guilt, and moral injury. The danger of burnout is very real with some modelling suggest that there could be as many as one in six doctors and nurses off sick throughout 2022.

Chaplains are not immune to this, as the frequency of the choice of the word tired shows. However – to finish on a more uplifting note – many chaplains also included positive words such as hopeful, grateful and blessed. It is the privilege of health and social care chaplains to minister to a community of patients, visitors and staff who face some of the most profound human experiences. The good news of the gospel is that our exhausted and fragile reality is bound up with the nature of God, distinctively revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, who shared our weakness and vulnerability. In paying attention to the meanings and stories of people’s lives, hopes, beliefs and doubts we affirm the dignity and value of people, whatever their circumstances, and are a tangible reminder of a transcendent dimension to life.

Revd Dr. Mark Newitt

Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy

Note: This reflection is written for the Churches Together in England

Allied Health Professionals Day 14th October

Allied health professionals make up the third largest clinical workforce in the NHS. There are 15 different roles working across a range of sectors from emergency response and diagnosis to mental and physical rehabilitation. On the 14 October, the many and varied workers who are allied health professions (AHPs) will be celebrating the 4th annual AHPs’ Day. This is very much driven by local ideas and opportunities. Follow #AHPsDay on Twitter you’ll be able to see examples from last year as well as plans starting to take shape for this year. You can also find out more about last year from the WeCommunities.

From Art Therapists to Osteopaths,

from Paramedics to Occupational Therapists,

from Dietitians to Podiatrists,

we pray for and give thanks for the work of those in allied health professions. Amen

Started in 2018, by Rachael Brandreth, a dietitian and Carrie Biddle, a speech and language therapist, AHPs’ Day is an annual opportunity for AHPs to come together and celebrate being part of the AHP family.

The day gives an opportunity to showcase to others the impact they make to the delivery of high quality care and is for all AHPs as well as anyone who wants to celebrate them and learn more about the work that they do.

(cover photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography @ Unsplash)

'Beginning Chaplaincy' - residential courses in Oct and March 2022 at St Padarn's, Cardiff

Are you a new or recently appointed health / social care chaplain? Then this course may be of interest to you…

Beginning Chaplaincy (residential) Course, St Padarn’s Institute, Cardiff
Saturday 9th October - Wednesday 13th October 2021 (inclusive)
Saturday 5th March - Wednesday 9th March 2022 (inclusive)

Beginning Chaplaincy is a five-day induction course for chaplains engaged in health or social care. It has been designed around the experience and needs of newly and recently appointed chaplains. Beginning Chaplaincy complements in-house induction programmes and local management. The course supports chaplains in being safe and effective practitioners, able to make a distinctive contribution. Beginning Chaplaincy is built upon the UKBHC Competencies Framework. All chaplains and volunteers are welcome to apply, regardless of their religion or belief.

More information, including contact details, can be found here and the application form here.

You can also find out about St Padarn’s postgraduate chaplaincy courses here.

(cover photo courtesy of Matheus Ferrero at Unsplash)

Bonded by Blood - A Mother's Story... Important campaign and webinar 29th September

We are sharing news of this important campaign, on behalf of the NHS Blood and Transplant services, which includes the opportunity to attend a webinar on 29th September.

NHS Blood and Transplant are pleased to announce our latest Black donor recruitment campaign - Bonded by Blood.  A Mother’s Story. This campaign is brought to you by ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust), Unsickle My Cells, SickleKan and The Richard Okorogheye Foundation and is supported by NHSBT and is in memory of Richard Okorogheye, the 19-year-old young man who first appeared in the national news in April 2021 after disappearing from his home in London.  Richard had sickle cell and needed regular blood transfusions to stay well.  Sadly his body was found 2 weeks later, 20 miles away from home in Epping Forest.

To remember Richard, Bonded By Blood, a coalition of mothers (including Evidence Joel, Richard Okorogheye’s mother) who have seen the lifesaving power of blood first hand and blood charities are urging our Black communities to step forward and donate blood. The number of Black people donating in recent years has grown but to meet hospital demand and to provide the best blood match to patients, we still need more. This year we need 16000 new donors of Black heritage to help treat the majority of 15,000 sickle cell patients in the UK. We will be running Blood Donation Sessions in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and London over the next 3 weeks coinciding with both World Sickle Cell Awareness Month (September) and Black History Month (October).

Zoom Stakeholder Webinar – Bonded by Blood Campaign Briefing

We would also really like to encourage you to join a Zoom Stakeholder Webinar.  This campaign call will give you an insight into Bonded by Blood and outline the ways that you and your organisation can support the campaign: Wednesday 29th September at 5 pm.  You register to join using the following links (also featured in the toolkit). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Topic: Stakeholder Campaign Call - Bonded by Blood.  A Mother’s Story

When: Sep 29, 2021 05:00 PM London

Register in advance for this webinar:

Campaign Toolkit

 To access more information about the campaign and get involved by sharing our campaign assets – please access our Bonded by Blood Toolkit here.

(cover photo courtesy of Amir Esrafili at Unsplash)

Free Churches Group Health and Social Care Chaplains Study Day

There is a Crack in Everything: reflecting on grief, trauma and resilience in light of chaplain’s experience during the pandemic.

This Study Day will provide chaplains with an understandings of recent developments in the theory related to these themes as well as offering the opportunity to reflect on their experiences through the pandemic. With input from Nigel Fawcett-Jones, Pete English and a specially recorded poetry set from Harry Baker.

Cost:

• £6 for chaplains who belong to a denomination/organisation that is a member of the Free Churches Group

• £18 for all other chaplains

Date: Thu, 4 November 2021, 08:45 - 16:30

Programme

08:45 – digital doors open

09:15 – 09:45 welcome, introduction and opening prayer/reflection

09:45 – 11:00 session one – Grief (Pete English)

11:15 – 12:30 session two – Trauma (Nigel Fawcett-Jones)

Lunch –links will be provided for those who would like to chat over lunch with others

13:30 – 14:00 session three – recorded poetry set from Harry Baker

14:15 – 15:30 session four – Resilience (Nigel Fawcett-Jones)

15:45 – 16:30 Plenary followed by closing prayer/reflection

Speakers

Nigel Fawcett-Jones

Prior to his retirement in 2019 Nigel served 30 years as a police officer with West Yorkshire Police. His experience in his specialised role of Roads Policing saw him develop additional responsibilities as Road Death Family Liaison Officer, Casualty Bureau and Road Death Senior Investigation Officer. He also completed a post graduate diploma in Disaster Victim Identification at the University of Dundee.

Nigel works as a Chaplain Manager for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association which provides crisis trained chaplains who respond to community crises. He and his team have provided chaplain support to the church response at events as diverse as terrorist incidents (Westminster, London Bridge, Manchester), the Grenfell Tower fire and numerous flooding events across the UK. Internationally, Nigel has worked in a chaplain role in Haiti in response to the cholera outbreak, wildfires in the US and terrorism in Belgium.

Since 2019 Nigel has fulfilled the role of Chaplain within the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, Major Collision Enquiry Team and Counter Terrorism Unit. He has also developed training resources for the broader chaplain team of West Yorkshire Police.

Pete English

Pete has worked as a church youth worker & school counsellor for over 25 years. He is project lead for ListeningPeople - from AtaLoss.org. He counsels children and young people in 5 schools in the West Midlands and provides training and support to those who work with young people impacted by loss and bereavement.

Harry Baker

World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker published his debut anthology ‘The Sunshine Kid’ with Burning Eye in December 2014. The subsequent show of the same name was voted ‘Best Spoken Word show’ of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015. Now a fully-fledged maths graduate and full time poet, His work has been shared on TED.com and viewed millions of times worldwide, as well as being translated into 21 different languages.

(cover photo courtesy of Aaron Lee at Unsplash)