Our Spiritual Care team supports patients and their loved ones, providing a safe space to share their thoughts and emotions, and helping them to express who they are. Here we catch up with Paramjeet, Clinical Administrator in the team.

“I have worked at Compton Care for 11 years within the Spiritual Care team, working closely with patients and loved ones at every stage of their journey.

“Sometimes my role can seem a bit like being an octopus, with lots of different things happening – from supporting patients and loved ones, to helping colleagues, to managing admin for the team, to supporting events, to working alongside volunteers – always responding flexibly to whatever the day brings.

“Part of my role involves spending time with patients in the Inpatient Unit. We try to make meaningful connections by finding out what makes them smile and chatting about their favourite things to see, touch, smell, taste and hear. This includes accompanying the therapy dogs and their owners on the ward.

“We also help patients create their ‘Life Stories’ so we get to know them, their loved ones and their favourite things and memories.

“Our team work closely with local faith leaders, who will visit the IPU to spend time with patients, helping to bring comfort at a deeply personal time.  We also strive to make connections with the wider community, helping to break down barriers and make our services more accessible. We promote cultural awareness and inclusion, supporting events such as Diwali celebrations.

“As a Punjabi speaker, I’m sometimes asked to visit patients in the IPU to help with translation, helping them and their families feel heard, understood and included at what can be a really difficult time.

“Our team host ‘Living Well After Bereavement’ sessions to support those who have lost a loved one. These sessions give people space, peer support, ideas and resources to help them navigate their grief and reconnect with who they were before their loss.  Our team also support Compton’s memorial events such as Light Up a Life and Walk for Compton, supporting people as they remember and celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

“My favourite part of the job is sharing in the small but meaningful connections with patients and knowing that, in some way, I’ve helped them.

“There was a patient from a Punjabi background on IPU who was very withdrawn. One day I brought in some spices and sat with her.  The familiarity of the smell of the spices helped her memories surface, and she slowly began to engage and share her story. It was a powerful reminder of how small, sensory moments can open doors to connection and communication.”

Click here for more information about our Spiritual Care team.