Page 61 - 3.faith-ministry

61

meeting or a visit from another chaplain prior to entering police service. Existing
training for ministry was recognised as being sufficient.

Two chaplains stated they were given some formalised induction training that
included making them aware of issues relevant to the police service. For one
chaplain this involved a full range of training including unarmed combat!

Six chaplains identified that there was at least some ongoing formation by means
of annual training / conferences for chaplains. This training has been aimed at
addressing specific issues relating to policing. One key theme has been to
explore the ‘stresses at officer level’. Specific areas that have been examined
have included ‘firearms officers’ awareness, what’s involved, and also
communications staff. These are people who deal with the calls but are powerless
to do anything’.

There was some recognition that training has limitations, as one respondent put it;
‘being a chaplain is about just going and doing it’.

One chaplain stated there was no real ongoing development, other than advice
being provided as and when they had raised particular questions, although this
advice was sometimes unhelpful. Another respondent expressed surprise that the
chaplains within the constabulary had not heard of the National Association of
Chaplains to the Police (NACP), as this body offers national guidance with regard
to police chaplaincy.

Question 4 - Is there supervision for police chaplains?

Three chaplains stated there was no supervision for chaplains, although of these
one respondent did identify that he had a good contact with the local area
Inspector. The other four chaplains stated that supervision was provided by the
senior force chaplain. However this supervision is understood to be limited, with
two respondents identifying that supervision was more likely to come from within
their own church. Interestingly there appears to be no supervision at all within the
police service for the senior force chaplain.

Differences in the approach of chaplains is regarded as a significant factor with
regard to supervision with understandings of confidentiality varying between
individuals. There are some chaplains ‘who supported absolute confidentiality’,
and others ‘who could see circumstances where confidentiality could not be
guaranteed’. It is recognised that chaplains are mostly self-supervising, being
‘distinctly outside of the job’.

Question 5 - What do you consider are the aims, or the purpose of police
chaplaincy?

In response to this question four chaplains identified explicitly that their role was
to ‘support officers and staff, and their families’. This support was not to be limited
but had to be ‘interpreted to each situation’. Supporting officers and staff was
about ‘just being there, letting them know you are there’, providing spiritual