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Contents Soundings:12

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Rev Peter Speck

SACH  Soundings
 No 12 December 2002

Page 5

Scratchings 
from the Training & Development Officer.

On 28th October I was invited to attend a “Faculty” Study Day in London hosted by Rev Edward Lewis , Chief Executive of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council and Tim Battle, Training and Development Officer in England. By “faculty” is meant generally those who are involved, interested and committed to improving educational opportunities and standards for chaplains.

The Inaugural “Norman Autton” Memorial lecture was given by Rev Peter Speck, currently :Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, and Hon Senior Research fellow, King’s College, London.

Norman Autton was a pioneer in health care chaplaincy. Having worked in hospitals in Cheshire and London he was appointed Director of Training for the Hospital Chaplaincies Council and then to the University Hospital of Wales. He wrote several books and worked for the recognition of chaplaincy as part of the multi disciplinary team with competent professional standards. He was referred to as the “father” of modern health care chaplaincy.

Peter Speck began with a brief description of Norman Autton and his work. Words like sacramental, professional and Anglo Catholic were used of him. His books on the pastoral care of the dying and on pain were seminal. He continued by describing some of the many roles and pictures used for chaplaincy - vulture, para cleric, etc. Many changes had taken place over the past 55 years in chaplains’ associations, in the ecumenical and multicultural scene and in the health service. There is a real need to develop proper evidence based research as to the value of spiritual care. As much of this as possible should be in collaboration with other health care professionals.

He asked 5 main questions:
1. What are chaplains appointed to do ? Spirituality while being virtually indefinable was clearly about integration and relationships. The search for meaning had been emphasised by Frankl and others. It was spiritual more than religious, and involved spiritual distress, troubled relationships etc. The spiritual assessment question is basically : “Do you have a way of making sense of 
things ?”

2. How should we be providing this spiritual care? 
Books, the sharing with colleagues, and accepted practice often give us the best idea.

3. How do we know and show what we have achieved? 
Those who employ us (and others) wish to be able to see and measure something. “The answer lies partly in audit and statistics”. He mentioned how chaplains, like medics, often avoid the difficult questions and moments. Sometimes chaplains hide behind the religious invitation “Shall we pray” as doctors hide behind the medical one “show me your tongue”.

4. How do we know that what we do is best practice? 
How can we best research the relationship between beliefs and outcomes? Various people are trying to do this. The efficacy of prayer; belief studies, etc have produced different answers - strong belief is sometimes associated with poor clinical outcome. The belief system is challenged and the person is especially vulnerable. Moderate believers when bereaved often appear to have more depression. Those with strong belief often resolve their grief more rapidly and more completely.
He asked how feasible was this sort of research and stressed the need for more collaborative work.
5. How do we let each other know what we have discovered ? Publications and training are important. Articles in health journals with multi professional readership are the most effective areas.
Nurturing can be costly as chaplains know. The work they do is vocational as well as professional. We need occupational standards and levels of competence.

It was a stimulating day and good to share the issues which we share throughout the UK and beyond.

Chris Levison
Training and Development Officer

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