ABSTRACT
Senior management in institutions have a great opportunity to help to build a stronger, better, and more inclusive pastoral, spiritual, and religious care service. Pastoral, spiritual, and religious care provision is starting to change in terms of both culture and practice as the care needs of non-religious people are better understood and skilled non-religious pastoral carers play an increasingly significant role in care provision. Gradually, the concept of multi-faith 'chaplaincy' was accepted, recognising the religious care needs of people with non-Christian beliefs. In general, the other non-Christian religions continued to be under-represented, and the institutions did relatively little to help build their capability or ensure that their voice was properly heard. Meanwhile, the National Secular Society maintained a campaign calling for the end of the state funding of chaplains, contending that state institutions should have no religious role. Humanists UK has developed a well respected training course for non-religious pastoral care volunteers and has trained about 200 volunteers to date.
