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Human Resources

  1. How shall we communicate that professional Human Resources advice is supportive and positive and enabling, not prohibitive and disabling?

  2. Would an out-sourced HR facility have sufficient understanding of the culture and ethos issues of the Church? Would an in-house shared service have a better prospect of recruiting the right people?

  3. How distinctive will the practice of professional Human Resources advice for clergy be? Or will it be an importing of secular practice of professional Human Resources advice? How to achieve the best balance?

  4. Why does every diocese have to do this in the same way?

  5. Consideration of grievances has, in the case of hospital trusts, ended up consuming a vast quantity of Human Resources time. How can this be avoided in a Church context?

 

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1. How shall we communicate that professional human resources advice is supportive and positive and enabling, not prohibitive and disabling?

Good use of professional human resources advice frees up senior clergy to do what they are trained and called for, and other clergy to minister effectively in their chosen environment.  It helps matters to be dealt with before they become serious and promotes a just, dignified and pastoral way of supporting and caring for people.  At the moment considerable time is spent dealing with ‘problem cases’ that never quite get properly settled and can leave clergy (and bishops and archdeacons etc) bruised and bitter.

 

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2. Would an out-sourced HR facility have sufficient understanding of the culture and ethos issues of the Church? Would an in-house shared service have a better prospect of recruiting the right people?

This must be an issue for dioceses but it is recommended that the strategic level of professional human resources advice is provided, certainly in the initial years, by in-house providers who will be familiar and sensitive to the Church ethos.

 

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3. How distinctive will the practice of professional human resources advice for clergy be? Or will it be an importing of secular practice of professional human resources advice? How to achieve the best balance?

There is no such thing as ‘secular’ practice of professional human resources advice – there is only the practice of professional human resources advice which some people think of as dating back to the Quaker principles of the ‘father of personnel practice’ Joseph Rowntree.

Professional human resources advice practitioners provide their services in many different organisations all of which have their unique ethos and cultures.  This requires sensitivity and quick learning on the part of advisers in order that they learn what the ethos is and how the culture works – including what language is used.

 

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4. Why does every diocese have to do this in the same way?

The Employment Tribunals, who will judge any claims of unfair dismissal, will probably see the clergy as a uniform body, especially since they are classified as nationally recognised office holders.  As a result, the practices employed by one diocese will have an impact on others.  In addition, clergy are used to being able to move around the Church and enjoy similar conditions of service and the adoption of new terms of service needs to maintain a level of consistency.

 

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5. Consideration of grievances has, in the case of hospital trusts, ended up consuming a vast quantity of human resources time. How can this be avoided in a Church context?

In the NHS, part of the problem was that there was insufficient training to ensure that issues were tackled before it was necessary to deal with them as grievances. Ensuring adequate training and that sufficient resources are available will help. Although there will be an initial difficult period of adjustment, once that hump has been crossed, people will be more motivated because there will be a new culture that will encourage relationships to improve.

 

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