Did you know that, at this time there are no statutory requirements for a funeral director in the UK to be inspected? While there is a general belief that funeral directors are regulated in some way, in fact the process of regulation is still at a relatively early stage.
However, as long-time members of SAIF, the association for Independent Funeral Directors, Tester & Jones Funeral Services has to comply with its strict Code of Practice and our premises and operations are also regularly inspected. Currently in the UK, SAIF is the only trade association which requires members to meet the highest level of standards through its ISO9001 certified inspection programme.
“The SAIF Standard is the highest benchmark for funeral directors in the UK,” says Terry Tennens, SAIF Chief Executive. “Every single member is subject to independent inspection without exception.”
Here at Tester & Jones, our most recent SAIF inspection took place last Autumn and we passed with flying colours. At that time, every area of our business was inspected, including our premises (from our reception area and arrangement office to our mortuary and garage) to our administration practices (from our procedure for handling donations to the SAIF Code of Practice being on display).
Our health, safety and hygiene was also assessed, as well as our day-to-day operations. The inspector also required to see estimates we have provided to families, as well as seeing a copy of our price list to make sure it conforms to the SAIF Code of Practice.
“When families use an independent funeral director which is a member of SAIF, they expect a certain level of service and they want to rest assured that their loved one will be looked after with care and dignity,” says Stephen Tester. “We are proud to be a member of SAIF and strictly follow its Code of Practice.”
The SAIF Code of Practice is regularly reviewed and it was updated in March 2022. The latest updates cover elements including ensuring that the price list, detailing all services offered are prominently displayed, so it can be easily seen by all visitors to the premises.
SAIF states: “Whilst the quality of funeral service providers can vary greatly, choosing a funeral director is made a much easier task by ensuring that, like Tester & Jones, they are a member of SAIF. It is your guarantee that their business has been fully inspected and complies with the strictest code of practice. Stay funeral safe with SAIF.”
If you’d like to see the SAIF full code of practice, you can view it here (don’t hesitate to contact us if you’ve got any further questions).
Comments