Why aren’t all funeral directors inspected?
As an independent family funeral director, we strive to deliver the very best care to our community, as such we belong to the Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). By being part of this professional trade association, by which you as a business must meet strict criteria to belong, we are governed and regulated in our professional practices and premises requirements, ensuring our local community receives the best possible service to them and their loved ones. We do this as a mark of quality to show the public we are passionate about our profession and are dedicated professionals serving our families in the best possible way.
Not all funeral directors are the same, and with the awful news about a firm in Yorkshire recently, we want to assure you that we meet the highest standards in client care and the care of loved ones resting in our care on our premises.
Why aren’t all funeral directors inspected?
At this time there are no statutory requirements for a funeral director to be inspected. This is an entirely voluntary process by the funeral service providers and there are varying levels of code they can choose to adopt.
There is a general belief that funeral directors are regulated in some way but in fact the process of regulation is still at a relatively early stage in the UK with the exception of Scotland that will become regulated in March 2025.
This may be confusing to the consumer as there is not a great deal of clarity on what standards apply to funeral directors.
Funeral directors may choose to meet voluntary requirements by joining a trade association. Currently in the United Kingdom, only one trade association requires members to meet the highest level of standards through their ISO9001 certified inspection programme.
Outside of trade association membership, funeral directors can provide whatever level of care they deem to be appropriate. This creates a risk of care falling far short of even the lowest voluntary code of practice.
In March 2022, funeral director members of The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors voted to change their Code of Practice to increase the standards required of a member business. Further, SAIF successfully achieved the ISO9001 certification for their Quality Assurance program. This was seen as a significant step towards a regulated profession by none other than independent family owned members of the profession itself.
“This was a clear signal from the Society and its membership that any future regulation of funeral directors needs to set a high standard to ensure that in combination with the Competition and Markets Authority Order addressing pricing and transparency of ownership, funeral service providers who continue to fail they families they serve should not be allowed to practice. The SAIF Standard is the highest benchmark for funeral directors in the United Kingdom. Every single member is subject to independent inspection without exception.” Terry Tennens, SAIF Chief Executive.
Whilst the quality of funeral service providers can vary greatly, choosing a funeral director is made a much easier task by ensuring that they are members 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.
