If you have landed on this page and are a service user or carer, you may find the linked pages more relevant.
We are here to support service users, carers, and staff. We work with people of all faiths and none.
We may simply listen or suggest other people who can help.
Conversations are normally confidential. Information will only go on your medical records if agreed or if we are told something suggesting harm someone.
Our team includes Chaplains and Pastoral Volunteers (of various faiths and none). The Chaplains are NHS staff. Both the Chaplains and Volunteers have significant experience of working alongside people with mental health difficulties. We value recovery approaches.
If you would like to talk to us, please email spirit
We work from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and do not have on-call. If the matter is urgent, please let us know, and we will reply as soon as possible.
Spiritual and Pastoral Care is an important feature of the Recovery Approach, and points to a greater sense of hope, self-worth and empowerment amongst service users wherever they are on their journey.
The positive contribution that spirituality can make in developing and sustaining good mental health and wellbeing is of growing interest academically, clinically and pastorally. The resources and links below will help you deepen your understanding of this specialist mental health service:
You may find the guidance below helpful. Please be aware that links are provided in good faith. We cannot accept any responsibility for external publications.
Wider reading around spiritual care
There is a growing awareness within the NHS of the need to offer high quality standards in spiritual, religious and pastoral care. The following documents offer important guidance as to how such services are best delivered within a health care setting:
NHS Collaborative: Caring for the Spirit
Spiritual Care in NHS National Services Scotland
Spiritual Care and Guidance NHS Scotland - revised guidelines
Spiritual Care MattersNHS Scotland
The nursing team are the main providers of routine spiritual care. They should provide basic support for your spirituality, faith, or religious belief. To speak to a chaplain, please ask a staff member or contact us directly (see above).
We seek to support people in the community who use Mersey Care’s services as well as their carers.
We normally ask you to meet us in one of Mersey Care’s buildings. If you have any special needs that would make that difficult for you, please let us know.
We appreciate you may be struggling with your faith, that you don’t want to share with your faith community leader, or you don’t have a faith leader. If so, we can help.
Pastoral Volunteers work alongside the Chaplains. We welcome service user and carer applicants. Please contact us for more information.
If you are a member of Mersey Care staff, please visit our internal website where you will find additional tools and resources, including our multifaith app and blog.
We have produced the award-winning study day Mental Health: Challenge or Opportunity? This is designed primarily with church audiences in mind but could easily be adapted for other groups. To find out more, please contact us.
Mersey Care’s Spiritual and Pastoral Care team is pioneering research to demonstrate the value of researching, designing, and delivering services with those who use them. Do please let us know if you would like to shape our research programme by being part of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel. We only conduct research with people giving their consent and choosing to do so freely. Please see our publication here. For more information, please contact us.
Spiritual and Pastoral Care is an important feature of the recovery approach, pointing to a greater sense of hope, self-worth, and empowerment among service users wherever they are on their journey.
The positive contribution that spirituality can make in improving mental health and well-being is of growing interest academically, clinically, and pastorally. The links below will help you deepen your understanding.
Making Space for Spirituality: How to Support Service Users
Explains the importance of spirituality and suggests how staff can include it in their care. Of interest to service users, carers, and staff.
Recommendations for Psychiatrists on Spirituality and Religion
Recommends psychiatrists should routinely consider spirituality and religious beliefs and that these will sometimes form ‘an essential component of clinical assessment.’
Co-production in Mental Health: A Literature Review
Co-production is an approach that seeks to recognise the vital contributions made by service users, carers, and staff.