ABSTRACT
By exploring a framework for competence in spiritual care and examining practice through the preparation and analysis of a written reflective account of a significant event, the reader will be invited to engage in a process which will draw on their understanding and comprehension of the issues that have already been examined. Before the authors proceed to elucidate the concept of competency, it is useful to consider an analogy from a non-healthcare setting. In 2003, a multi-disciplinary group of healthcare professionals within the Marie Curie Cancer Care organisation worked on definitions of competency in the delivery of spiritual and religious care. In a healthcare culture in which competences are both familiar and well utilised for a range of healthcare professions, the logical progression leads to the production of a definable competency framework for healthcare chaplains. The expectation is that chaplains will have the confidence of the healthcare professionals who together form the healthcare team.
