Welcome to Workplace Chaplaincy Mission UK (WCMUK). By registering for an individual membership, professional registry tier, or a Community Partner membership via our website (https://www.workchaplaincyuk.org.uk), you agree to be bound by these combined Terms of Service, Professional Code of Conduct, and Registry Bye-Laws.
WCMUK is a registered charity in England and Wales (Number: 1092245).
PART 1: TERMS OF SERVICE
1. Membership Types and Eligibility
1.1 Individual Network Membership is open to Christian workplace chaplains (paid or voluntary), chaplaincy team leaders, individuals training towards chaplaincy, and supporters interested in the Church’s mission in the economy. Basic network membership is offered free of charge.
1.2 Professional Register Tiers: For network members wishing to hold accredited status, WCMUK operates a formal Professional Register of Chaplains. Admission to the Register grants the use of specific professional post-nominals relative to vetted tiers of academic attainment and church accountability.
1.3 Associate Chaplain (AChap): Open to entry-level practitioners or volunteers. Applicants must hold the minimum training certificate level specified on our website register page and hold formal lay recognition, licensing, or a commissioning credential from a recognised church body or religious order (e.g., Order of St Leonard Ministering Brother/Sister, Church of England Licensed Lay Minister).
1.4 Member Chaplain (MChap): Open to advanced practitioners. Applicants must hold the minimum diploma level specified on our website register page, hold full ordination or senior ecclesiastical licensing (e.g., CiC International, commissioned OSL Chaplain, Church of England Clergy), and have completed the minimum active practice hours required by the registry board.
1.5 Fellow Chaplain (FChap – Standard Route): Open to strategic sector leaders. Applicants must hold the degree or master level specified on our website register page, hold full senior ordination or long-standing denominational endorsement, and demonstrate the minimum multi-year strategic leadership or sector training delivery required by the board.
1.6 Founding Fellow (FChap – Inaugural Board): To recognise the unique governance, strategic development, and foundational risk required to establish the Register, members of the WCMUK Board of Directors actively serving on the official launch date shall be automatically admitted to the Fellowship Register and authorised to use the designation FChap under Acquired Rights. Upon stepping down or retiring from the Board of Directors, these individuals shall retain the post-nominal FChap as a permanent, life-long honorary designation in recognition of their eminent service to the institution’s creation.
1.7 Future Board Appointments: Any individual appointed as a Trustee or Director after the official launch date shall have their executive authority recognised by their board title (e.g., “Trustee of WCMUK”), but shall have no automatic right to a professional registry designation. Future Trustees must apply for and satisfy the standard criteria required for the AChap, MChap, or standard FChap tiers as set out in sections 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5.
1.8 Community Partner Membership is open to organisations, churches, chaplaincy teams, and corporate bodies who wish to align with, support, and collaborate with the WCMUK national network. Organisational partnership does not automatically confer individual professional post-nominals onto its staff or volunteers.
1.9 Accuracy of Information: By signing up, you confirm that the information provided to WCMUK during registration is accurate, truthful, and kept up to date.
2. Registration Verification, Fees, and Cancellations
2.1 General Registration: Basic network membership for supporters, trainers, and general members carries no fee.
2.2 Verification Processes: To be admitted to the accredited AChap or MChap tiers, applicants must submit digital evidence via the membership portal consisting of an official academic certificate proving fulfilment of the educational threshold and a valid church licence, ordination card, or official denominational credential proving ecclesiastical accountability.
2.3 Registry Fees and Verification Search: Vetted Professional Register tiers are subject to an annual registration fee to maintain active status and listing on our public register verification search facility. This facility allows external third parties, employers, and churches to search a member’s name to confirm their active registration status and current post-nominal standing. Current subscription rates for each professional tier are detailed explicitly on our website pricing tables and membership checkout pages. WCMUK reserves the right to amend these registry fees from time to time to cover administrative and regulatory costs.
2.4 Fee Exemptions: Members admitted to the register under Section 1.6 (Founding Fellows) are permanently exempt from annual registration fees, and their annual registry subscription cost is waived in perpetuity.
2.5 Statutory Cooling-Off Period (Consumer Protection): In accordance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations, individual applicants registering for a paid tier or service are entitled to a statutory 14-day cooling-off period from the date of initial payment, during which they may request a full refund, provided no formal administrative vetting processes have commenced.
2.6 Non-Refundability: Outside of the 14-day statutory cooling-off window, all registry fees, subscription renewals, and insurance administrative contributions are entirely non-refundable. If an account is suspended, downgraded, or terminated due to a breach of compliance or a violation of the Code of Conduct, any fees paid for that annual cycle shall be forfeited.
3. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) & Continuous Compliance
3.1 Clinical Supervision: WCMUK does not mandate formal clinical supervision as a condition of maintaining professional registry status.
3.2 Maintenance of Status: To maintain the right to display WCMUK post-nominals, registered individuals must demonstrate ongoing development and professional accountability by completing and logging mandatory annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.
3.3 CPD Requirements: The specific annual CPD hour thresholds required for each individual register tier (AChap, MChap, and FChap) are maintained and updated dynamically on our central website registry information page. WCMUK reserves the right to adjust mandatory CPD categories and hours to reflect shifting national sector standards.
3.4 Automated Compliance Tracks: Members holding post-nominals must submit their single master annual compliance log via the designated member dashboard before their annual anniversary window closes. If a compliant portfolio submission is not recorded within a 30-day grace period following the member’s renewal date, the system’s automated tracking engine will update their profile status from “Current” to “Overdue.”
3.5 Consequences of Overdue Status: An “Overdue” compliance status immediately suspends all active registry privileges, benefits, and the conditional licence to display or utilise associated WCMUK post-nominal letters. Active status is instantly and automatically restored to “Current” the moment a valid portfolio file is successfully uploaded via the portal.
4. Access to Resources and Training
4.1 General Access: Membership grants access to WCMUK networking events, training materials, sample policies, and network resources.
4.2 Limitation of Templates: Resources provided by WCMUK are for educational, operational, and development purposes within your chaplaincy practice. While we endeavour to provide high-quality templates (such as sample policies), these are provided for guidance only and do not constitute formal legal advice.
4.3 Local Adaptation: Local projects and individual chaplains must adapt any provided templates to fit their specific operational context and local legal requirements.
5. Intellectual Property & Post-Nominal Protection
5.1 Ownership: Unless otherwise stated, WCMUK owns the intellectual property rights, copyrights, and trade designations for all training materials, toolkits, post-nominal branding, and resources produced directly by the charity.
5.2 Usage Licence: Members are permitted to download, print, and use these resources for their personal chaplaincy development or within their local chaplaincy teams. Admission to the Professional Register grants a temporary, revocable, and conditional licence to display the post-nominal letters corresponding to your approved, active tier.
5.3 Exploitation and Misuse: You must not sell, commercially exploit, or republish WCMUK copyrighted material or post-nominal brands without our express written consent. Displaying post-nominals while in an “Overdue”, suspended, or terminated registry state constitutes a breach of this proprietary licence.
5.4 Third-Party IP: Where resources belong to third parties (linked via our Training Links or Signposting), users must respect the copyright and licensing rules of those respective organisations.
6. Donations and Financial Contributions
6.1 Operational Support: While general network membership is free, WCMUK relies entirely on voluntary donations, grants, registry fees, and contributions to maintain its operations, produce resources, and run events.
6.2 Security Standards: Any financial contributions or regular donations made through the website are managed securely in accordance with UK banking standards and our Privacy Policy.
6.3 Gift Aid: Where eligible, members are encouraged to complete a Gift Aid declaration to increase the value of their support to the charity.
7. Data Protection and Privacy
7.1 Legislation Compliance: WCMUK processes all personal data, vetting evidence, and uploaded professional credentials collected during registration in strict accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
7.2 Scope of Data Processing: By agreeing to these terms, you acknowledge that your data will be used securely to administer your membership, deliver network updates, and verify your professional compliance. Information collected via portfolios and application forms is kept strictly confidential for internal governance. However, you explicitly consent to your name, approved tier, and active standing (“Current” or “Overdue”) being made available to third parties strictly via the website’s individual register verification search tool for credentialing and professional verification purposes. No other personal data, certification files, or compliance logs will be exposed via this search tool.
8. Provision of Insurance and Limitation of Liability
8.1 Regulatory Context: WCMUK acts as an infrastructure facilitation hub and maintains a central master liability insurance policy underwritten by Markel International Insurance Company Limited. WCMUK does not act as an independent insurance broker and is not independently registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Instead, under the strict regulatory terms of our master group scheme agreement, WCMUK operates under delegated binding authority granted directly by Markel, who is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 202570). All insurance transactions and notifications are written under this central, authorised framework.
8.2 Individual Insurance Provision: Registered individual members of WCMUK are permitted to purchase specific individual coverage through this group facility to insure themselves as independent practitioners. This scheme provides dedicated Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance explicitly for their personal frontline activities in chaplaincy, outreach, well-being, and pastoral care.
8.3 Organisation and Community Partner Insurance Provision: Registered Community Partner organisations are permitted to utilise our facility to purchase coverage to insure their individual staff members and volunteers as individual practitioners occupying specific designated insurance roles.
8.4 Strict Exclusion of Organisational Entity Liability: WCMUK’s insurance facility explicitly does not provide corporate, entity-level liability insurance for external organisations, churches, chaplaincy teams, or corporate bodies. The master policy facility applies solely to the individual practitioners and explicitly does not cover the wider corporate legal liabilities, corporate governance, commercial property, or systemic business risks of any Community Partner organisation as a standalone corporate entity.
8.5 Current Policy Schedule and Verification: The active underwriting terms, specific indemnity limits, excess figures, and formal policy requirements relating to the current insurance term are maintained and updated dynamically on our central insurance resource page. It is a condition of cover that applicants make a fair presentation of risk and adhere to the explicit safety and maintenance guidelines provided in the master policy wording.
8.6 Local Operational Responsibility: Local project safeguarding compliance, employer’s liability for independent teams, structural risk assessments, and independent corporate entity insurance remain the sole, strict responsibility of the individual chaplain, their local team leader, or their respective independent Community Partner organisation. WCMUK accepts no corporate liability for incidents, claims, or legal disputes arising from independent local chaplaincy operations.
9. Termination and Account Cancellation
9.1 Voluntary Cancellation: You may cancel your WCMUK membership at any time by contacting us directly, managing your subscription, or deleting your account via the member dashboard. Past registration fees are non-refundable.
9.2 Administrative Removal: WCMUK reserves the right to terminate or restrict network portal access if a member or Community Partner drops below mandatory registry updates, allows an “Overdue” status to remain unaddressed indefinitely, or violates the explicit terms of this framework.
10. Governance and Jurisdiction
10.1 Applicable Law: These Terms of Service and Registry Bye-Laws shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
10.2 Jurisdiction: Any disputes arising under these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
PART 2: PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT
As a national network connecting faith, work, and the economy, WCMUK is committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect, learning, and professional integrity. This Code governs behaviour at WCMUK online and in-person events, training courses, within digital community spaces, and across registered field practice.
11. Core Principles of Chaplaincy Practice
Members engaged in active workplace chaplaincy are expected to uphold the highest standards of Christian mission and pastoral care.
11.1 Unconditional Care: Members must offer care, support, and a listening ear unconditionally to all workers, regardless of their faith, belief, race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or status within the host organisation.
11.2 Respect for Boundaries: Members must maintain an appropriate presence in the workplace that respects professional boundaries, management structures, and the operational requirements of the host employer.
11.3 Nature of Witness: Members must witness to the Christian faith primarily through compassionate presence, service, and advocating for a just, equitable, and sustainable economy, whilst strictly avoiding coercive, aggressive, or manipulative proselytism.
12. Confidentiality and Trust
Trust is the foundation of effective workplace chaplaincy.
12.1 Pastoral Safeguards: Members must respect the absolute confidentiality of individuals who seek their pastoral support within the workplace. Information shared in confidence must not be disclosed to employers, managers, or third parties without explicit consent.
12.2 Limits of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is not absolute. Information must be disclosed where there is a clear legal obligation or safeguarding requirement to do so, specifically if there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the individual or others, or in relation to the detection of a serious crime.
13. Community and Collaborative Behaviour
When participating in WCMUK network events, training, or forums, all members must adhere to clear community standards.
13.1 Respectful Interaction: Members must treat fellow chaplains, team leaders, trustees, and staff with kindness, courtesy, and respect.
13.2 Diversity of Traditions: Members must listen to and value diverse perspectives, recognising that our network encompasses a wide range of Christian traditions and chaplaincy models across the UK.
13.3 Communications Standards: Members must ensure all communications—including emails, social media interactions, and forum posts—are constructive, supportive, and free from discriminatory, abusive, or harassing language.
14. Professional and Safeguarding Responsibilities
14.1 Compliance Mandate: Members must adhere to robust safeguarding practices. Any member operating on behalf of a local chaplaincy team, project, or workplace context must ensure they are fully compliant with their local project’s safeguarding policies, denominational structures, and relevant UK legislation.
14.2 Precedence of Law: If a conflict arises between local project safeguarding guidelines and national statutory protocols, statutory UK legislation and local authority safeguarding boards take immediate legal precedence.
14.3 Representation Limits: Individual membership or registry status does not automatically grant authority to speak publicly to the media, issue press releases, or negotiate on behalf of WCMUK as a national charity without written permission from the Trustees.
PART 3: VETTING, DISCIPLINE, AND APPEALS FRAMEWORK
15. Due Process, Disciplinary Review, and Appeals
15.1 Complaints and Review Thresholds: Serious or persistent breaches of this Code of Conduct, actions that bring the reputation of WCMUK into disrepute, or the deceptive/unearned use of professional post-nominals shall be subject to formal governance review by the WCMUK Registry Board.
15.2 Right to Reply and Timeline: Upon receipt of a formal written complaint or a flagged ethical/safeguarding breach, the member under investigation shall be notified in writing by the Board. To ensure natural justice, the member shall be granted a mandatory period of 14 calendar days from the date of notification to submit a formal written defence and any supporting documentation or mitigating evidence.
15.3 Interim Measures: The Board reserves the right to implement an interim suspension of a member’s Professional Register status, insurance scheme privileges, and post-nominal usage rights while a formal investigation is actively ongoing, where such action is deemed necessary to protect public safety or the institutional integrity of WCMUK.
15.4 Proportional Sanctions: If a breach is objectively substantiated following due review, the Board may implement proportional sanctions. These include formal written warnings, mandatory remedial training intervals, down-tiering of professional registration, temporary suspension, or permanent expulsion and revocation of professional registry standing.
15.5 The Appeals Process: A member subject to a formal sanction, registry suspension, or expulsion retains a legal right to appeal the decision. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Registry Board within 14 calendar days of receiving the formal sanction notice, stating explicit grounds (such as procedural unfairness, manifest disproportionability of the penalty, or the emergence of vital new evidence).
15.6 Independent Adjudication: To maintain transparent and objective oversight, all formal appeals shall be evaluated by an independent Appeals Panel consisting of a subset of WCMUK Trustees who were entirely uninvolved in the initial investigation and disciplinary decision, or an appointed external adjudicator. The formal decision of the Appeals Panel shall be final, definitive, and legally binding.
PART 4: AMENDMENTS
16. Changes to Terms
16.1 Regulatory Updates: WCMUK may update these terms, registry bye-laws, and the code of conduct from time to time to reflect changes in our services, professional register framework, or statutory UK legal obligations.
16.2 Notification: Active members will be notified of any significant updates via the email address associated with their account. Continued use of the membership services and display of post-nominals after such notification constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.