The Government supported Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org) to work with Muslim community organisations and others to develop guidance on the role of chaplains working in public institutions, such as prisons, universities and hospitals
The guidance that has been produced (and which can be found on this site and on www.faith-matters.org) recognises the valuable work being done by Muslim chaplains across the public sector and has been designed to spread that good practice to support consistently high standards in chaplaincy throughout our public institutions.
The guidance is focused on ensuring that public sector chaplains have the necessary skills and support to respond to the needs of those using or working in public institutions and to deliver the highest standards of care.
The document draws on the experience of Muslim chaplains and communities to identify benchmarks of the skills, knowledge and competencies of chaplains. It recommends way to recruit and employ chaplains working in public sector institutions that may not have existing processes in place
By highlighting and disseminating examples of existing best practice, the guidance is intended to give employers and the public, confidence that chaplains, working in challenging circumstances, possess the expertise, experience and understanding needed.
The guidance builds on the excellent work that is already been undertaken by public sector institutions and faith based organisations to strengthen and support the chaplaincy role. It is designed to supplement existing processes and structures and help address gaps in existing provision.
Chaplains are often called upon to deliver support to individuals in particularly vulnerable situations e.g. students away from their home and communities, prisoners and those experiencing sickness or bereavement. It is important that they are able to support these individuals effectively, particularly those in a situation where they may be exploited by others, including violent extremists.
The Government has supported this project as part of its wider programme ofsupport to community-led initiatives to empowering faith leaders to play a leading role in building strong and cohesive communities and ensuring they have the skills to meet the particular needs and challenges of their communities.
