Community Chaplaincy Listening

Abstract

This article reports the first stage of a national programme instigated by the Healthcare Chaplaincy Training and Development Unit of NHS Education for Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government. In the first stage Chaplains were invited to join an action research project with the purpose of designing listening services in GP surgeries. Some of the chaplains were already offering listening services. Chaplains and researchers worked together to co – create and design a spiritual listening intervention based on prior experience and research evidence which was then introduced into four Health Boards in Scotland. Qualitative data about the intervention was then gathered by the researchers from chaplains, patients and referrers, usually GPs. This data shows that the intervention, in its first incarnation, was well received. The findings are reported and the next two phases outlined.

Primary care chaplaincy: an intervention for complex presentation

“…The demographic information collected covered the same areas as previous studies in PCC with age, ethnicity and employment status being subdivided into pre-defined categories (with tick box), in the same manner (Mowat et al ., 2012; Bunniss and Mowat, 2013; Kevern and Hill, 2015). The presenting issue(s) were also derived from the results of previous PCC studies (Mowat et al ., 2012; Bunniss and Mowat, 2013). This questionnaire was created for the service evaluation; patients could select more than one presenting issue.…”

“…PCC has taken two main forms: community chaplaincy listening (Mowat et al ., 2012; Bunniss and Mowat, 2013) or this ‘Human Givens’ bio-psycho-social model utilised by several practices (Bryson et al ., 2012; Macdonald, 2017b). Both iterations are gaining traction with service expansion and an increasing evidence base.…”

The efficacy of primary care chaplaincy compared with antidepressants: a retrospective study comparing chaplaincy with antidepressants

“…Such provision in primary care is somewhat behind the curve of secondary care. However, there are signs of growth with the development of the Community Chaplaincy Listening Service (Mowat et al ., 2012; Bunniss, 2013) and Sandwell and West Birmingham Chaplains for Wellbeing project (Bryson et al ., 2012) along with other smaller projects.…”

‘Chaplains for well-being’ in primary care: analysis of the results of a retrospective study

“…So far, primarily qualitative data have been gathered and analysed (Mowat et al, 2012;Bunniss et al, 2013), but a PROM (Patient-Recorded Outcome Measure) is in the process of development and testing Snowden et al, 2013a;2013b). The Community Chaplaincy Listening Service is being developed by NHS Education for Scotland.…”