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Pastoral and spiritual care
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About the service
The Pastoral and Spiritual Care service offers a person-centred approach to supporting people at all times but especially when dealing with difficult and challenging circumstances by encouraging them to work with their own value and belief system to find hope, healing and spiritual wellbeing. It provides a range of services for service users, carers and staff, from all backgrounds, across each of the trust’s localities. Anyone can access support at any point, whether spiritually minded or not. Services and activities offered by the Pastoral and Spiritual Care team include:
- Chapel and quiet rooms at Fieldhead and other sites
- Multi-faith rooms at Fieldhead
- Pastoral counselling, support and advice
- Faith specific ministries and religious services
- Bereavement support including individual bereavement counselling and psychotherapy
- Muslim chaplaincy
- Befriending project
- Canine befrienders
- Information on spiritual, religious and related issues
- Training and education for staff
- Residential retreats
Resources
Lina Clerke meditation – Download sessions for free for a limited time
Why would someone choose the service?
The service is run by a highly motivated and compassionate team of chaplains, trainers, counsellors and volunteers, who are willing to support those from different faith backgrounds or none.
Staff you may meet
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.
- There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.
- Therapy is a broad term and can range from occupational therapists to behavioural therapists. Our therapists are trained in their specialist area and type of therapy to make sure we can offer the very best care.
Why a professional should choose the service
- Effective and sensitive pastoral care is at the heart of enabling and supporting people through critical episodes in their lives. As such it is an essential component in the overall Trust service offer
- All ward referrals are contacted within 48 hours
- Referrals for counselling are offered assessment appointments within 20 working days
- Referrals for canine befriender support are responded to within 5 working days
Support offered
- Chaplaincy services
- Bereavement support and counselling service
- Befriending service
- Canine befrienders
- Chapel and quiet rooms at Fieldhead and other sites
- Multi-faith rooms
- Pastoral counselling, support and advice
- Psychotherapeutic group work
- Information on spiritual, religious and related issues
- Training and education for staff
- Residential and day retreats
- Promotion of holistic practice in mental health care through research, networking, seminars and mentorship
- Collaborative work wit h faith and community support
Outcomes
- To support people of faith and of no faith, to understand their own existential beliefs and to help them find healing and wellbeing
- Deepened spiritual understanding for staff of spiritual and holistic dimensions to care
- Provide support to people who are going through the bereavement process and help them come to terms with loss
- Alleviate loneliness and social isolation through befriending
Referrals accepted from:
Carers/family, CMHTs, Consultants, Drug/alcohol agencies, GPs, Hospital staff, Other NHS services, Other Trust services
Referral criteria:
Bereavement Counselling: Ability to benefit from short to medium term counselling support in the absence of longer-term complicating MH conditions.
Pastoral Counselling: A willingness to engage in reflection on existential and/or spiritual or religious issues in relation to current concerns.
Befriending service: A willingness to commit to a befriending relationship with a trained mental health volunteer and ability to engage in a befriending relationship in a purposeful and safe manner.
Canine Befrienders: Provides opportunity for short term individual contact with a registered befriender dog, this may be particularly helpful for people who have resistances to engagement with other therapies.