Saturday 27 April 2024
Internal Reference Number: FOI_6559
Date Request Received: 19/04/2022 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 06/05/2022 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Chaplaincy Provision
Request Category: Companies
| Question Number 1: Are you: a. an acute Trust b. a specialist centre / Trust c. a community Trust d. a mental health Trust e. other, please specify: | |
| Answer To Question 1: Acute | |
| Question Number 2: In total how many beds do you have in your hospital(s)? | |
| Answer To Question 2: Our available beds fluctuate day to day due to additional beds being open for escalation reasons and beds closed for infection control, or other, reasons however our core General and Acute bed stock is reported currently as 374 beds (as per Daily Winter SITREP definitions). | |
| Question Number 3: How many staff by whole-time equivalent and headcount do you have in your hospital? | |
| Answer To Question 3: headcount 4939 whole-time equivalent 3542 | |
| Question Number 4: Please confirm the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) and headcount of substantive Chaplaincy Team members by faith/belief demographic broken down below: Faith or Belief: Anglican Baptist Buddhist Christian (other than listed) Eastern Orthodox Hindu Humanist Islam / Muslim Jewish Methodist Pentecostal/Charismatic Presbyterian Quaker Roman Catholic Salvation Army Sikh United Reformed Church Other (please specify): Unknown | |
| Answer To Question 4: No of WTE substantive Chaplains: 2.8, plus access to our RC chaplain who, under separate arrangements, provides 24/7 on call cover for RC patients and is on base for approx 4 hours per week. We have an ecumenical Team of (mostly) part-time chaplains with representation, currently, from the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, URC and Methodist traditions but we work as a team and are here for those of any faith, denomination, cultural background or philosophy of life, including those who identify as atheists, agnostics or humanists. | |
| Question Number 5: Please confirm the number (Head Count) of bank / temporary / zero hours contract Chaplaincy staff by faith/belief demographic broken down below: Faith or Belief: Anglican Baptist Buddhist Christian (other than listed) Eastern Orthodox Hindu Humanist Islam / Muslim Jewish Methodist Pentecostal/Charismatic Presbyterian Quaker Roman Catholic Salvation Army Sikh United Reformed Church Other (please specify): Unknown | |
| Answer To Question 5: We currently have 4 bank chaplains upon whom we can call for emergencies or essential cover for other reasons. They happen all to be Anglicans at the moment but this is coincidental and changes as and when suitably qualified individuals offer to help out. | |
| Question Number 6: Please confirm the number (Head Count) of of honorary Chaplaincy Team members by faith/belief demographic broken down below: Faith or Belief: Anglican Baptist Buddhist Christian (other than listed) Eastern Orthodox Hindu Humanist Islam / Muslim Jewish Methodist Pentecostal/Charismatic Presbyterian Quaker Roman Catholic Salvation Army Sikh United Reformed Church Other (please specify): Unknown | |
| Answer To Question 6: We have one honorary chaplain, who is a Baptist. | |
| Question Number 7: Does the Trust have Trainee Chaplain / Entry Level Chaplain (Band 5) roles? | |
| Answer To Question 7: We have no Band 5 trainee chaplains at present. | |
| Question Number 8: If so, how many of the Chaplaincy Team are at this level (whole-time equivalent, headcount and religion/belief)? | |
| Answer To Question 8: We have no Band 5 trainee chaplains at present. | |
| Question Number 9: What is the rationale for Trainee / Entry Level chaplains within your Trust? | |
| Answer To Question 9: The rationale for entry level chaplains is unchanged. When requested, we contribute to the training of potential or newly qualified chaplains by accepting ordinands in training on placement, or on a voluntary basis over a longer period, offering opportunities for individuals to see practice, to gain experience in the environment and to explore a possible vocation to the role. whether part-time or full-time. The number varies, of course. | |
| Question Number 10: Over the last 3 years has the Chaplaincy Team: a. increased in size b. remained the same in size c. decreased in size If there is a change, please give the whole-time equivalent that has been reduced or increased. | |
| Answer To Question 10: The size of the Team has remained unchanged over 3 years, though one post has been vacant since May 2021 and we have had to rely on bank chaplains to help plug the gap. The pandemic has significantly affected the chaplaincy role and the demands for chaplaincy support of staff, in particular, as well as patients and families has increased. The pastoral element of that support is probably the largest proportion but many people in hospital or hospice still seek spiritual and/or religious input on a regular basis. | |
| Question Number 11: What steps or initiatives has the Chaplaincy Team taken to increase the diversity of service provision within your Trust? | |
| Answer To Question 11: We constantly seek to widen our range and diversity of faith leaders from outside the Trust. Our Team cares for 'all faiths and none' and, we have found, this seems to work most of the time. Those who need support from faith traditions other than the Christian ones have been gracious in accepting our ministry, at least until we can make arrangements for someone of their own tradition to be called. Where non-religious input is requested, we can accommodate that without difficulty. (We are constantly reviewing how we can improve the care we offer and there are plans under discussion, for example, to provide better facilities for the still small but increasing number of Muslim staff to do their ablutions before they pray in the Chapel.) | |
| Question Number 12: What spaces do you have for prayer, meditation or worship within your Trust? Pls confirm from the list below if you have this space (Yes or No), number of these spaces within the Trust (if yes) and what activities regularly take place in this space Chapel Multifaith space Single faith prayer space Designated Muslim prayer space Quiet room / reflection space Meeting room space Counselling room space Other (please specify): | |
| Answer To Question 12: We have a Chapel with an open plan arrangement, so its use is flexible according to need. All are welcome - so it is multi-faith, to that extent - to use the space in whatever way is helpful - to pray, reflect, be quiet, take time out, seek support from chaplains or just to be. It is open all day and is accessible at night by staff. There is no separate, designated 'single faith space' or 'Muslim prayer space', though the layout of the Chapel provides screened booths for Muslim staff and patients to pray with a little more privacy than was possible a few years ago. There is a small office which doubles as a break-out room when needed for more private conversations about sensitive or confidential matters. The Chapel is used regularly for seasonal services, public prayer and worship (both Muslim and Christian), meditation sessions, occasional training sessions and recording sessions for broadcasting services to bedsides on Hospital Radio. Occasional events such as memorial services for staff who have died are also accommodated when requested. Obviously, the schedule of regular events has been affected by restrictions arising from the pandemic but we are hoping to restore most of them in a planned, gradual and safe way. | |
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Our staff at Salisbury District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.
