Spiritual care and chaplaincy have come under considerable focus in recent years in Scotland and especially so within the field of Specialist Palliative Care. A combination of National Guidelines, Clinical Standards, Professional Standards, and a Competency Framework have come together to engender considerable discussion and an impetus for developing a framework for spiritual care, religious care and chaplaincy services and practice. The author reflects on the development of the standards and competencies, their format and integration and considers their impact on chaplaincy & spiritual care services in palliative care in Scotland.