Developing chaplains and the role of CPD

a CAAB discussion paper

The purpose of this paper is to take a critical look at CPD from the distinctive perspective of chaplaincy, to consider in what ways chaplaincy is developmental, to highlight inadequacies in the standard CPD model and to suggest characteristics of CPD for chaplains.

The practice and theory of chaplaincy is implicitly developmental

Chaplains want to promote the spiritual good of people, and to do this they need to ensure that they are not harming people, that they are able to understand and work with often ambiguous needs, and that they have the capacity to respond with sound professional practice based upon a critically reflected knowledge, understanding and experience. Consequently chaplains share a curiosity and commitment to consider the nature and practice of spiritual care, their role and their understanding both individually and in dialogue with the wider community of chaplains, other healthcare professionals, scholarship and faith traditions.

In simple terms this is a learning cycle which can be understood as a dynamic process of change that involves the learner and the context in which they are learning. The change might be in the learner’s knowledge and skill, the learner’s relationship to the context or the way that they understand themselves. This is represented in a number of models including Kolb’s cycle of learning[1] but is perhaps more familiar to chaplains as the pastoral cycle[2] which relates practice to theory, faith to action, and supports a critical and constructive engagement with experience.

Chaplaincy is more than expertise

The professions of healthcare are trusted to practice because they have acquired validated knowledge (usually through a university course), necessary technical skills and the ability to solve complex problems. In other words they have shown themselves to be competent practitioners committed to on-going learning and training in order to assimilate new experience, formal knowledge, improved techniques, and evidence from research. The language of competencies describes the knowledge and skills that need to be applied in a particular post and the learning needs of the individual in the post. Competencies provide a normative language but they are also problematic because they cannot represent dimensions beyond expertise that are fundamental to chaplaincy practice or accommodate critical engagement and creativity.

The primary tool of chaplaincy is the self nurtured and grounded within a spiritual discipline. In some faith traditions this is referred to as formation: a dynamic and creative process that enables chaplains to grow in their personhood, to reflect theologically and to deepen their spiritual wisdom. It is through the self that chaplains relate to the humanity of those in their care. However, these caring relationships are often subject to ambiguity and interpersonal dynamics beyond immediate introspection. For this reason chaplains should have regular supervision in order to develop their self-knowledge and self-awareness and to place their encounters in a critical dialogue with the theory, practice and experience of chaplaincy.

Chaplaincy shaped CPD

There are many ways to learn and develop, and different forms of CPD activities will achieve different purposes. At one end of the spectrum are the means of equipping people with the standard knowledge and skills required to perform their tasks, and at the other end are methods that inform practitioners, challenge them and provide them with the tools and capacity to critically engage with practice and bring about transformation. In moving towards the latter we increase professional autonomy, promote the formation of reflective practitioners who learn experientially, and foster contextual and social aspects of learning that enables the generation of knowledge and understanding through exchange and critical exploration.

Chaplaincy as a profession must engage critically with the existing concepts and methods of CPD to shape it from a blunt tool to an effective process for the development of chaplains. Chaplaincy must also clearly articulate what development means for chaplains and how this can be achieved in ways that foster its distinctive practices and wisdom. In particular this means ensuring the integration of formal knowledge, contextual experience, and the formation of the

relational and spiritual self. CAAB should therefore recognise and promote development activities that support educational learning, experiential learning and formation, including supervision.

Characteristics of CPD for chaplains:

  1. Contributes to the improved spiritual health and wellbeing of those who use chaplaincy services.
  1. Enables chaplains to foster their own spirituality, support their ongoing formation and develop them as reflective practitioners.
  1. Covers a wide range of learning opportunities relevant to practice including: educational and experiential, formal and informal, individual and collective.
  1. Promotes the highest professional standards of knowledge, skills, and behaviour expected of chaplains.
  1. Relates to an individual chaplain’s developmental needs and learning styles, the individual’s work context and priorities.
  1. Should be informed by service users, healthcare organisations, professional bodies, academic research and scholarship, educational providers, faith communities and spiritual traditions.
MC May 2006

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[1] Kolb, D (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience As The Source Of Learning And Development

[2]Graham E, Walton H, Ward F (2005) Theological Reflection: Methods. London: SCM