The Paediatric Chaplaincy Network meets once a year to review the development of the Network and particularly for the next year’s annual gathering
We are open to new members of the group and the current members are:
Revd Dr Paul Nash
Chaplaincy Manager
Birmingham Women’s
and Children’s Hospital
I am the Chaplaincy Manager and Spiritual Care Lead for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHSFT. I have always been committed to supportive Communities of Practice, and as we did not seem to have one within the World of paediatric Chaplaincy in GB&I, I initiated a conversation. Jim Linthicum and I started the PCN for GB&I in 2008 with some of our wonderful peers. I am passionate about the establishment of the vocation and profession of paediatric chaplaincy; especially appropriate spiritual care and assessment for poorly children and young people, common held standards and values and a robust theology, academic qualifications and evidenced based research for our field.
I would encourage anyone involved or interested in paediatric chaplaincy to join the PCN as it is a place where you don’t need to explain how you find this type of work life giving and enjoyable, we get it, we are your tribe, welcome home!!
Revd Claire Carson (Covenor)
Head of Chaplaincy-Spiritual Care – Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
My passion for paediatric chaplaincy started when I first worked at the Royal Free Hospital in 2007 when I worked closely with a young boy who was dying and his family. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team was key. I loved working creatively and engaging with staff in order to offer the best possible spiritual care. From this, a highlight for me was celebrating Christmas in July for this family who happened to be Hindu. From this experience my interest in paediatrics, end of life care, supporting patients and their families grew. I continued my work with paediatrics at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, where I worked closely with the team in Paediatric Intensive Care, as well as in the hospital school and wards. I’ve been back working at the Royal Free London since 2018 and have continued to be on the steering group for the PCN. The PCN is made up of a lovely group of chaplains who are creative, enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. It’s a great support to talk with others about their work in paediatrics.
Deacon Deborah Wilde
Chaplaincy Team Leader at Furness General Hospital – part of the University of Morecambe Bay Trust
For 12 years I specialised in Paediatric chaplaincy at Oxford University Hospitals Trust. I have a passion for understanding more about children’s spirituality, the impact of long term illness during childhood and bereavement during childhood.
Why I think others might want to be involved in the PCN
The PCN enables those working in paediatric chaplaincy to share their experiences, offer support to each other, research mutual interest areas together and see the breadth of current national and international work of paediatric chaplains.
Revd Jo Jones
My job history includes teaching in a primary school, nursing in oncology and palliative care, leading on spiritual care in a hospice, and being a Clinical Site Matron. God has been knocking on my door for more years than I care to admit! I was Priested this year, and am 60 in September! I felt God give me a real kick in the pants when I was a matron, and happened to glance at the vacancies in Leeds – there was one for a chaplain, that I overlooked initially. It was two bands lower than I was on, and I didn’t think I’d fit the bill anyway, but God had other ideas, and I found myself in an office with the Head of Chaplaincy discussing my calling and whether I should apply for this post. God got his way, and here I am – within a year, I got the deputy head post, sometimes things are just right aren’t they?! My background of working in primary schools meant that I had a massive interest in, and love of, children and families, and felt drawn to working with them. I still have lots to learn, and the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network is one of the best places I have found to learn, and to share experiences and hear what best practice looks like. I heartily encourage anyone who is working with children and families in hospital to become a part of this amazing, welcoming and affirming network.
Revd Dorothy Moore Brooks
Acting Lead Chaplain and Head of Spiritual Care
I first arrived at Great Ormond Street NHS Foundation Trust in 2002 as a trainee Chaplain. Each day since then the children, families and staff I am privileged to work alongside teach me more about what good spiritual care can be in a paediatric setting. From marrying parents across the bed of their child in our NICU, to celebrating festivals of many faiths and traditions with our hospital community, that sense of privilege has never left me. I left GOSH in 2008 and worked for two years in an adult hospice where I learned important new things about multi-disciplinary working and palliative care. This experience gave me a special interested in palliative and end of life care which has developed since returning to GOSH in 2010.
I am now Acting Lead Chaplain and Head of Spiritual Care. As well as the core pastoral work, I find creative writing a good way to express some of the joys and sorrows we bear witness to as specialist paediatric healthcare chaplains. I have written a chapter on funerals and memorial service for children and young people, as well as a chapter on spiritual care within neonatal palliative care (links below). In 2022 I gained an MA in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care from Anglia Ruskin University. My dissertation was a piece of qualitative research focussing on how paediatric chaplains use reflective practice, and the benefits to their ministry. As a result I am passionate about embedding reflective practice in our work as paediatric chaplains.
The PCN is a fantastically supportive network of chaplains who seek to share, develop and articulate best practice in this specialist area of ministry.
