The Case for Paid Humanist/Non-Religious Chaplains in the NHS

 

Currently the only way for Humanists to fulfill a chaplaincy role in hospitals is as a volunteer, and very few NHS trusts provide for this. There are no paid Humanist chaplains.

 

The statistics

 

100% of tax payers pay for religious chaplains,

17% to 23% of the population is non-religious (2001 census),

36% of the population prefers Humanist views to religious ones (MORI 2006),

65% of 12-19 year olds are not religious (DfES 2004),

 

and yet …

 

0% of paid chaplains are non-religious.

 

In other words, a large proportion of the population is paying for NHS staff that cannot provide them with the chaplaincy service they require.

 

 

The following arguments will show that:

 

·                Humanist chaplains perform an equivalent service to religious chaplains

·                There is a need for Humanist chaplains

·                Equality and Human Rights legislation requires parity for the non-religious

·                The NHS Equality and Diversity Agenda requires parity for the non-religious

·                The NHS Chaplaincy Guide demonstrates the need for non-religious chaplains

·                The West Sussex NHS Spirituality Strategy demonstrates the need for non-religious chaplains

 

 

Humanist chaplains perform an equivalent service to religious chaplains

 

One of the few volunteer Humanist chaplains working in the NHS told the BHA about their activities and how they compare with those of the religious chaplains:

 

·                Being there for a patient, being friendly, someone from a similar philosophical background. (“This is especially important to very ill people as confirmation that they are not alone.”)

·                Conducting funerals for hospital patients, as well as baby-naming ceremonies. “People are most grateful that they can have a non-religious funeral with dignity and that it is acceptable to be non-religious.”

·                Advising about various support services that can be offered to the patient, and perform simple tasks, e.g. contacting a relative.

·                “Most of the paid chaplains spend their time doing what I do. Very few patients want to pray with a chaplain. They perform other superficial tasks, such as arranging flowers in the chapel, organising a Xmas service, etc.”

 

Anglican chaplains acknowledge that they have difficulty meeting the needs of the non-religious:

 

·                “Patients often don’t welcome my visits; many think my dog collar approaching their bed means they’re going to die; most are too polite to send me away – although some do; very few want me to pray with them – I rarely pray with them; the visits consist mostly of superficial small-talk.” 

·                A Church of England chaplain told the BHA of the difficulty of meeting the needs of non-religious people and how inappropriate they often find it. For example, dealing with the naming (not the baptism) of a very sick new-born baby or arranging the funeral service for such a child.

 

 

There is a need for Humanist chaplains

 

A large proportion of the population is non-religious. Their “spiritual” needs cannot be satisfied by religious chaplains.

 

Humanist chaplains, officiants and visitors have evidence that their services are in demand (or would be if patients were made aware of them):

 

·                Humanist visitors to hospices help meet the needs of people who are terminally ill, or who work with the terminally ill.

·                Humanist funeral officiants are sometimes involved in assisting terminally ill people in planning their funerals, and often find themselves providing more general support and “spiritual care”.

·                “As a Humanist officiant and NHS chaplain, I often meet hospital staff whilst attending or conducting funerals. They say that some of their patients would really like to have a Humanist visit.”

 

Whereas religious chaplains are often free to wander around the wards and visit whoever they like, Humanist chaplains are restricted to those patients who have responded Humanist, Atheist or Agnostic on their admission form. “I pointed out that most people don’t know what Humanism is, and that they are unlikely to state “Atheist” for fear of offence. It would be simpler to have a Non-Religious response, but this suggestion was rejected.”

 

If patients were made aware of Humanist chaplains, demand for their services would greatly increase. “Patients are unaware that there is a Humanist chaplain.”

NOTE:   Some of the quotes from NHS and government publications below refer to “faith”, “faith communities”, “faith leaders”, “world faith”, “religious diversity” and “religious needs”. The Human Rights Act and other legislation require public bodies to use the term “religion or belief” instead of simply “religion”. The use of the term “faith” undermines this, and should be replaced by “religion or belief”, which is how I have interpreted the following extracts.

 


Equality and Human Rights legislation requires parity for the non-religious

 

The Human Rights Act outlaws discrimination by public authorities on grounds of religion or belief - a phrase which (as case law has firmly established) includes non-religious beliefs such as Humanism.

In relation to services, Part 2 of the Equality Act 2006 makes it unlawful for a public body involved in providing goods, facilities or services to discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief through:

·                providing goods, facilities or services of an inferior quality to those that would normally by provided, or in a less favourable manner or on less favourable terms than would normally be the case.

 

The NHS discriminates against non-religious patients by failing to provide them with a non-religious chaplaincy service.

 

 

The NHS Equality and Diversity Agenda requires parity for the non-religious

 

Here are a few extracts from the NHS Equality and Diversity Agenda, all of which support parity for the non-religious:

 

·                Equality and diversity are at the heart of the NHS strategy.

 

·                NHS Employers is already supporting around half of all organisations in the NHS to undergo a change management process whereby equalities and diversity are mainstreamed, through the 'Positively Diverse' initiative. This over-arching programme is intended to facilitate the recruitment, development and retention of a workforce that reflects the community it serves.

 

·                In addition, NHS Employers is now spearheading a project across the NHS which offers both a rationale and working definition of 'Positive Action', case studies and practical guidance. This aims to support a range of lawful actions among targeted groups that have previously experienced disadvantage, or that have been subject to discriminatory policies and practices, or that are under represented in the workforce.

 

 

The NHS Chaplaincy Guide demonstrates the need for non-religious chaplains

 

The Department of Health (DH) has published a best practice guide for managers and chaplaincy-spiritual care managers. It sets a framework for the context and provision of chaplaincy-spiritual care services throughout the NHS and offers guidance about providing spiritual care that is equal, just, humane and respectful.

This explains why board level action on equality, fair treatment and social inclusion is important for staff and patients. It provides information about supporting NHS frameworks and policies, as well as legal obligations and a checklist of priority areas for action.

Here are some extracts that, directly or indirectly, support the need for non-religious chaplains:

·                The cornerstone of the modern NHS is the ability to respond sensitively to the diverse nature of the communities it serves; all services, including spiritual ones, should be delivered appropriately to service users and NHS staff. One of the key aims of this guidance is to enable chaplaincy services to meet the needs of today’s multi-cultural and spiritually diverse society.

 

·                [This guide] offers guidance about providing spiritual care that is equal, just, humane and respectful, and should be discussed with the chaplaincy spiritual care department in order to highlight areas where provision can be improved.

 

·                In order to respond in the most appropriate way to the distinctive religious needs of patients and staff, each member of the chaplaincy-spiritual care team retains the religious responsibility for his/her own faith community.

 

·                Adequate arrangements are made for the spiritual, religious, sacramental, ritual, and cultural requirements appropriate to the needs, background and tradition of all patients and staff, including those of no specified faith.

 

·                All appointments are made in partnership with the appropriate faith communities (some open posts involve more than one community).

 

·                Volunteers may also be useful in supporting patients and visitors with no specific religious faith.

 

·                Chaplaincy-spiritual care is central to providing support and assistance to the bereaved. All NHS Trusts should ensure that the dying and recently bereaved are able to access chaplaincy services at the appropriate time.

 

 

The West Sussex NHS Spirituality Strategy demonstrates the need for non-religious chaplains

 

Here are some extracts that, directly or indirectly, recognise the need for non-religious chaplains:

 

·                NHS Chaplaincy guidance (9) validates the evolving role of chaplains within health and social care. It mandates NHS Trusts to employ sufficient chaplains to provide a reliable and sufficient response to the diverse spiritual and religious needs of the population they serve.

 

·                ... appoint, with clear job descriptions, a lead chaplain and chaplains representing the religious diversity of the local population.

 

·                This strategy acknowledges that more research remains to be done in order to build the evidence base for spiritual interventions, nevertheless it envisages mental health services that are attuned to people’s values, aspirations, and stories, which form part of their spirituality. It seeks to build a culture of care where people can feel safe to disclose their spirituality, knowing that we will make every attempt to understand their beliefs, accommodate their values and facilitate their practice.

 

·                There are 8 priorities to which we will work over the next 5 years:
4) Employ an appropriately skilled chaplaincy service.

 

·                NHS chaplains are employed in health and social care to support individual service users with complex spiritual or religious needs, and to support and advise staff and carers.

 

·                We will seek to employ chaplains that possess the ten essential qualities for mental health workers and who represent the diversity of world faiths in our community.

 

·                We recognise that different faith groups hold different expectations of chaplains, and that faith leaders are differently qualified. We will seek to be innovative in our approach to chaplaincy, and fair to all faith communities. We will seek to become a centre of excellence in chaplaincy, and have trainee as well as experienced chaplains.

 

Andrew Edmondson

(www.MidSussexFreethinkers.org.uk, December 2008)