Professional Standards

An explanation of the Chaplaincy Standards

The range of standards in use can cause some confusion over which to follow. This short explanation will hopefully clarify why several versions exist, and which one(s) to use.

Why are there several different sets of Standards?

The AHPCC pioneered professional standards for chaplains working in hospice / palliative care in 2003, revising them in 2006. In 2007, NHS Scotland adapted the AHPCC standards, altering them to meet the requirements of hospital chaplaincy departments rather than individual hospice chaplains. In 2009, the UKBHC (UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy) adopted the NHS Scotland version. In 2010 NHS Wales also adapted the NHS Scotland version, altering some of the terminology, and linking them to wider national healthcare standards.

Which Standards should I use?

For hospice/palliative care chaplains working anywhere in the UK, the AHPCC standards remain a relevant and key document, geared specifically to a hospice/palliative care context, while the later developments are designed for a more general base; in particular, they leave out the original Section 3 on multidisciplinary team-working. However, the other versions may also apply to you, particularly if you work in Scotland or Wales, or are registered with the UKBHC. As many hospice chaplains are single workers, often part-time, you may need to agree with your line manager the extent to which additional aspects that have been drawn up with a hospital chaplaincy department in mind, are practicable. Even so, please note that because all the sets of standards derive from the AHPCC original, most of the content - and wording - is common to them all.

How do the Standards relate to the Spiritual and Religious Care Capabilities and Competences? (See under ‘Competences’)

The Chaplaincy Standards address the nature and quality of the service that chaplains should be providing, while the matching Competencies relate to the individual chaplain's role and ability to provide these services. In each section of the Competencies, there are links that show which standards each competency applies to.

   AHPCC (2006) Standards for Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplaincy.
   AHPCC (2006) Standards - Self assessment tool in MS Word.
   AHPCC (2006) Standards -Self assessment tool in .pdf format 

   Standards for NHS Scotland Chaplaincy Services 2007, including self-assessment tool 
   Standards for Spiritual Care Services in the NHS in Wales 2010 
   Standards for the UKBHC (UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy) - The UKBHC has adopted the ‘Standards for NHS Scotland Chaplaincy Services 2007’ for its members.