The Mandate of the Council is to provide oversight and coordination as a forum for a network of organisations within the ACT, in the setting of standards and support in the provision of pastoral care.
The scope of this network may include such areas as health, aged care, education, correctional, community, or any other aspect where there is an intentional provision of pastoral care.
The Board is the executive arm of the Pastoral Care Council in the ACT Inc.
» More info
This year marks a sense of establishment of The Pastoral Care Council of the ACT. Now we have funding from ACT Health for an office and a part time Executive Administrator. Through the work of our Board, now there has also been government funding for a Chaplain Coordinator established at the new correctional facilities at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in Hume, with Simon Wooldridge. As well the position of Chaplain Manager with Clair Hochstetler at The Canberra Hospital has, as of February, been developed into a full time position.
It is perhaps salutary to remind ourselves why there is this council. It has been established to coordinate the tasks of provision of pastoral care within the institutions of our community. In our contemporary society institutions such as health care, education, corrections, and service, indiscriminately involve people from a diversity of backgrounds and spiritual orientation. People can thus find themselves separated from familiar or supportive environments and thus in need of special attention such as can be provided by a pastoral care service.
The challenge within such institutions comprising such diversity is to provide ways to firstly identify and support individuals who may need pastoral care; and secondly to link them with appropriate spiritual support. It is the provision of pastoral care that offers emotional support and spiritual care to people in the community, and assists them to connect with their own inner and community resources.
Now the Board, in conjunction with national discussions, is addressing issues relating to standards for pastoral care. So look forward to more discussions involving Council member organisation in that seeking to identify what needs to be done next.
Rev. Geoffrey Hunter {Chair of the Board for the Pastoral Care Council of the ACT}
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The Council promotes pastoral care as an essential element of general care and seeks the extension of pastoral care services where it deems needed. |
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The Council develops cooperative multi-faith strategies and a respect for the varieties of spirituality within the provision of pastoral care. |
» About Pastoral Care
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The Council plans to invite pastoral carers to affiliate with the Council and become registered as an "Accredited Pastoral Carer". |
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A certificate of "accreditation" will be issued subject to identification of appropriate training and recommendations. |
» Standards for Pastoral Care
Clinical Pastoral Education or equivalent training has provided an Australian wide standard for pastoral carers.
» Training courses
The Council acknowledges the historical contribution in the development and provision of pastoral care by religious traditions and seeks to incorporate the pastoral care by particular religious bodies as an essential provision of spiritual care within the overall provision of pastoral care.
The Council seeks to evolve cooperative multi-faith strategies and a respect for the varieties of spirituality in the provision of pastoral care.
The Council has co-sponsored a training project evaluating ways of providing training using CPE for pastoral carers who have differing faith traditions, and yet are able to offer care to people of different faith traditions.
This program provided training that would enable people from different faith traditions to train and work together within a shared philosophy of pastoral care.
» Report on Multifaith pastoral care training
The Pastoral Care Council in the ACT represents a cross-section of pastoral care providers: 
