Faiths and further education - Church of England

Faiths and Further Education:A HandbookAccountability,Appraisal and Support125The most remarkable change in the public sector over the last 25years or so has been the emphasis placed on accountability.Theperformance of all public sector organisations (including the FEsector) is now assessed with an objectivity and rigour that 40 yearsago would have seemed impossible.126League tables featured on television, inspection reports on theInternet and examination results in the local newspapers havebrought the detail and actuality of what these organisations do to awide and previously uninformed audience. Such accountabilityrevolving around performativity is present and expectedthroughout organisations, so teams and individuals now have toaccount for their actions and their performance. Earlier, there was adiscussion of organisational mission and we have also talked aboutthe shared goals and objectives of the chaplaincy team.This team,as with others in the FE college, may be asked to set its goals andobjectives and then, at the end of a specified period, assess forthemselves (and have assessed for them) how well they have beenachieved, or not.127Much of this assessment will be informal and formative. In mostcases, a chaplain will be drawn from a sponsoring faith body, so it islikely and desirable that there needs to be an ongoing relationshipof support and critical friendship between the chaplain and adesignated person from that faith community, or regional ordiocesan FE officer. For an ordained minister there may be annualministerial reviews with someone from the diocese. But the collegewill have its own appraisal system, and the chaplaincy may beexpected to be part of the system, especially chaplaincies that arepart of student services. Chaplains, as well as FE and otherprofessionals, have long considered such accountability also in awider, ethical sense in respect of their clients and professionalbodies as part of their professional role and identity. Eachchaplaincy will need to work out with the college and faith bodiesan effective system for appraisal and support.Induction, training,appraisal and career development128Once individuals have been recruited and selected, there remainthings that have to be done to ensure that the talents of theactivity or team are used to the full.Induction129New recruits cannot be left to their own to get on with it: theyneed induction, information and support, as outlined in earliersections (see also Annex G), to keep them motivated andcommitted.This could include information about:• how the chaplaincy or team works• what the team does and who does it, when and where• any particular role and how it contributes to the working of theteam• the college, its mission and ethos• different sites and different needs.130At a national level, there is a NEAFE induction event held everyJanuary, which new chaplains are expected to attend.There are alsoregional events, and short induction courses are being introduced.As part of this joint LSC and NEAFE programme, training materialsare being developed on the basis of this Handbook and will bepiloted in 2006.Training131New recruits will come to the chaplaincy activity with their owntalents, skills and knowledge. However, as part of the induction,additional training needs may be identified.Training may beavailable from within the college itself or from the sponsoring faithbody.