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society were not being fully considered.

Chaplaincy is considered a valuable tool by the church as it affords ‘presence’. It
was felt that within the church context people should be able to share in
confidence things of concern that relates to police staff and their families.

Question 13 – What benefit does the chaplaincy ministry bring to the
service?

There was a degree of consensus among those interviewed that chaplaincy did
bring positive benefits to the organisation. It was proposed that ‘chaplaincy brings
a fresh presence, a neutral presence’ to the service that is unique and is ‘wholly
supportive of people’. Other respondents picked up on this theme highlighting that
chaplaincy makes the service different by bringing a ‘human side of society into a
service that polices it’, and ‘challenge(s) and remind(s) the service of the faith and
belief systems of the people we deal with’. To this end chaplaincy brings
‘something about otherness’ into the police. This ‘otherness’ is picked up by other
respondents who put it in plainer language. As one chaplain stated; ‘There are
mental, physical, (and) spiritual parts to all of us. We deal with the spiritual aspect.
We help the service to be more rounded’. Another chaplain agreed that ‘chaplains
provide something outside the box of the police experience or belief
systems.....chaplains provide a different level, a spiritual level’.

One chaplain felt that due to a lack of feedback to chaplains then it is impossible
to state what benefit if anything the chaplains brought to the service. Another felt
that any benefit could only be determined by each individual case, depending on
which staff member, chaplain, was involved and which particular need was
addressed.

Question 14 – What tensions or barriers exist within the chaplaincy
arrangements?

In responding to this question those interviewed produced a variety of responses.
One key area identified concerns the limited profile that the chaplains have within
the constabulary. It is felt that the chaplains are ‘not publicised enough’ and that
‘there is a lack of understanding about the fact that we are there and are waiting
to be used’. Another chaplain supported this view stating that ‘there is a tension
around recognising the service that chaplains provide. The main barrier is a lack
of publicity’. One chaplain stated that the lack of a profile for chaplains is ‘not a
barrier but a challenge’.

Another tension that was raised is the culture of the police service with one
chaplain referring to the ‘macho attitude’ that can be a barrier to helping people.
Another chaplain also stated that ‘personality’ came into it and that ‘sometimes
you are not going to fit in’. The police service however was identified as becoming
more supportive, but ‘lacking in communication’. A further issue raised concerned
a certain amount of tokenism with regard to chaplaincy. An example from one
respondent highlighted how they had been called to a meeting in the aftermath of
an incident, but then sidelined as ‘irrelevant’ after that initial discussion. A certain
amount of ‘resistance to anything religious’ was perceived as being to blame.