Curacy in the Diocese of Worcester

Preface

Welcome to these pages. They are designed to give information and guidance about how curacy works in the diocese of Worcester, so that curacies provide the necessary experiences and training for fulfilling ordained ministry in years ahead.

For any further information or clarification please get in touch

Curacy is a training post and training needs take priority over anything else.

Who?

The Curate

Curates come in all shapes and sizes, from varied and different backgrounds, with different life experiences and having followed different training paths to ordination. The Church is enriched by this variety and this programme is intended to recognise and honour that.

What curates have in common is that they have all heard the call of God in their life to follow Jesus and have responded to that call by offering themselves for ordination. That call has been tested through the vocations process and explored through Initial Ministerial Education part 1 (IME1).

The curate is someone who,

respects the role of the incumbent in the parish,
engages with the training incumbent in a commitment to honesty, collaboration, and loyalty, respecting the training incumbent, even when there are differences of theology or spiritual disposition,
is aware that ordination marks the beginning of public representative ministry in the Church of England,
understands that 15% of their time (for full-time curates approx. one day per week) will be allocated to study and as part of that time will engage with the Diocesan IME2 programme.
is aware that during the curacy (IME 2) the Formational Qualities will continue to form the framework for assessment, as they did in IME 1,
will be committed to developing their ministry in the context of the local setting.
Is willing to learn, as well as to develop previous experience and skills.

IME2 continues the call, discernment and training processes so far, so ministry can flourish now and into the future.

The Training Incumbent (TI)

The TI is key to curate training. Normally they should be someone who,

Is settled in the parish and usually makes a commitment to stay for at least two years following the ordination to the diaconate,
Is personally engaged with Continuing Ministerial Development,
Is committed to on-going training for training incumbents,
Will prioritize IME2 training above parish activities.
Is mature and self-aware, knows their strengths and weaknesses in ministry, and is able to make an appropriate relationship with a colleague in training,
Has a genuine desire to be a training incumbent – and is not just looking for an assistant,
Will establish a good pattern of prayer and supervision with a colleague in training,
Is prepared to take a curate’s experience into consideration,
Is able to help the curate with the process of integrating theological studies with ministerial experience,
Understands the distinction between staff meetings and supervision,
Is confident in faith and theology and able to work creatively and reflectively with someone holding a different theological or spiritual disposition,
Is capable of allowing a curate to develop in ways differing to theirs with regard to the deployment of gifts in ministry,
Will make ongoing study a high priority for the curate particularly the diocesan programme,
Recognises that the parish might not be able to provide all the training needs of the curate and that an extended placement in another parish or setting might be appropriate,
Is willing to participate in the reporting and assessing processes now required during curacy.

The Parish (or other setting)

A curacy will usually take place in the context of a parish. Occasionally (particularly for a self-supporting curacy) it may be necessary for a curacy to take place in another setting (e.g. a school chaplaincy). If this happens then arrangements will be made to ensure that the curate receives a sufficiently wide range of experiences.

Typically, a parish:

Will offer a wide range of ministerial opportunities,
Will not see the curate simply as an ‘extra pair of hands.’ This means recognising that sometimes the curate’s training needs take precedence over the needs of the parish.
Will help the curate in transition from lay to ordained status,
Will help the curate understand lay perspectives in the parish regarding for example, preaching and leading worship, and also how members lead and participate in ministry within and out with the Church (e.g. as Junior Church leaders, parish treasurer, in their paid employment….),
Will undertake to pay working expenses,
Will assist the training incumbent in offering feedback.

The Diocese

Information about the Diocese of Worcester is available on the Diocesan website www.cofe-worcester.org.uk

The sponsoring Bishop is Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley.

This programme is part of the work on the Mission and Ministry Team with the Initial Ministerial Education part 2 (IME2) Officer, Robert Barlow, having responsibility.

How it works

This programme sets out the process for stipendiary curates. As the programme contains considerable flexibility it will also be used with Self Supporting Minsters (SSMs) and can be adjusted as circumstances require.

1. There will be an induction day for new deacons shortly after ordination.

2. For curates being deaconed in 2025, the curate and the TI will agree a Curacy Training Agreement within one month of deaconing. For potential curates being ordained later than 2025, agreeing a Curacy Training agreement between the curate and TI will be part of the process of setting up a curacy. Download a proforma Training Agreement here.

Along with matters about patterns and hours of work, nature of tasks to be undertaken, areas of responsibility…. the agreement will include a curate’s training programme which will recognise,

(a) Skills/experience/knowledge/strengths that the curate brings to be developed,
(b) Gaps in the curate’s Skills/experience/knowledge/strengths that need to be addressed,
(c) Consideration will be given to what training experiences and/or placements should be undertaken in respect of (a) and (b).

The agreement will then be agreed by the IME2 officer. The TI and curate will review and amend it (as necessary) at the end of the first and second years.

3. The Diocese will set up facilitated year groups for curates to meet monthly for ongoing theological reflection and mutual support.

4. The Diocese will arrange an IME2 programme consisting of,

(a) a core programme for all curates (click here to download the programme). The core programme will take priority over any other parish or diocesan activity. The programme will be based around the national assessment qualities (click here for priestly qualities) (click here for distinctive deacon qualities) with one module (two part-days and one full day) every term. Curates will complete a reflection on each module.
(b) a self-selecting programme or signposting to address 2 (a) and 2 (b) above.
(c) An annual residential weekend.

5. Before the end of the first year, Training Incumbents will complete a proforma based on the qualities. Download the TI report qualities document here.

6. Curates in consultation with their TI and IME2 officer will agree two placements to take place during the curacy. (One placement for self-supporting curates)

The aim of the placements is to give an experience which the curate has not yet had and is not likely to have in their parish context. Placements can be flexible in length and will normally be the equivalent of twelve half days.

Placements can be in other churches, para-church agencies, secular organisations…. Download the Placement Proposal document here.

Placement supervisors will write a report. Download the Placement Report document here.

Curates will write a theological reflection of not more than 2,000 words on “How Christian faith relates to the placement.”

7. Curates will keep a portfolio scrap book of examples of work they have done, courses they have taken, experiences they have had… to illustrate their curacy. This will be used inform the reports (see below). The portfolio will provide examples of what curates have done in relation to the assessment criteria.

8. The IME2 officer will be available for support and will meet with each curate (at least) for a mid-curacy review in the spring of the second year.

TIs

Before a curate starts, TIs will have training sessions to equip them for their role.

There will be termly meetings for TIs for mutual support and sharing good practice.

Assessment and signing off

TIs as part of their ongoing supervision will assess and assist the curates to self-assess against the national criteria.

Curates deaconed from 2024 onwards are assessed against qualities criteria. The end of first year report will be revisited and updated to record progress. Download the TI report qualities document here.

Those deaconed before 2024 are assessed against competencies criteria which can be downloaded by clicking here.

The TI reports, placement reports, written work, curate’s portfolio will all go to form a report to the sponsoring bishop regarding the curate’s suitability.

Robert Barlow April 2025

Links to documents and resources

Curacy Learning Agreement.
This is the document for curates and Training Incumbents to complete. It should be a reviewed periodically. A copy should be sent to the IME2 officer.
Training Programme.
This is the document describes the IME2 programme provided by the diocese.
Assessment Criteria.
This is the learning plan that Curates and Training Incumbents document work through together and is the basis for reports. It should form the basis for the ongoing training that curates receive in their parish.
Curacy formation cards.
Rev Sarah Northall, a Training Incumbent, looked at the assessment criteria and decided it was helpful to treat them like a set of cards with four “suits” – God, Church, World & Self and seven Qualities. The 28 cards in the pack can each be a focus for learning, supervision, prayer…. And Sarah has kindly agreed the cards can be shared.
“Old” Assessment Criteria.
This is for curates deaconed in 2023
Placement information
What placements might look like.
Placement proposal
A form to fill in describing what you’re intending to do
Placement report
A form for the placement supervisor to complete about what the curate has done. There should also be a reflection from the curate on the placement
Training incumbents report.
For Training Incumbent to complete before the end of the first year and to revisit at before signing off.
End of curacy report. (Old criteria)
For the Training Incumbent to complete before curates deaconed in 2023 are signed off. (For 2024 onwards use the Training Incumbents report above.)
Link to Diocesan Website
For information about the wider diocese

Page last updated: Tuesday 2nd December 2025 5:09 PM