Funeral Service Training (London)

Certificate in Bereavement Awareness for the Funeral Service

Death and bereavement are at the centre of the funeral directors work. Although highly rewarding the sheer complexity of loss together with the emotionally charged environment of working with the bereaved signifies the challenging and demanding nature of the role. Training can provide a greater understanding and appreciation of the many issues apparent when working with the bereaved.  

Illustration by Michael Roberts (2002)

Why train funeral directors about bereavement?

Death and bereavement is at the centre of the funeral directors work. Although it can be a highly rewarding occupation the sheer complexity of loss and emotionally charged environment of working with the bereaved signifies the challenging and demanding nature of the role. Training can provide an understanding of the many issues apparent in the interaction with the bereaved. This course focuses on the immediate stages after loss – a crucial stage for the bereaved and correspondingly for the funeral director. An insight is provided into some of the reactions to loss that the funeral director will be exposed to and in explaining this behaviour, and skills involved in effectively dealing verbally and non-verbally with the bereaved are examined.

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at all who work in funeral directing. Although primarily designed for those who arrange and/or conduct funerals on a regular basis, funeral operatives and support service staff, such as embalmers cemetery and crematorium and mortuary staff may also benefit from this course. However, it is essential that those participating have a measure of regular interaction with the bereaved or have had past experience. This course requires reflection based upon the experience of working with the bereaved and for this reasons it is really suitable for those with three or more months employment. This course will also be of assistance to those preparing for or participating in the Diploma in Funeral Directing or the British Institute of Embalmers examination. In addition, student members of the Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration may find this course useful. Please note that although this course looks at client care skills it is not intended and does not claim to be a counselling course.

This course provides a basic introduction to bereavement in the context of the work of the funeral director by focusing on the immediate stages after loss – a crucial stage for the bereaved and for the funeral director. Drawing on the writings of some of the leading author’s on bereavement, this course provides an insight and explanation into some of the reactions to loss to which the funeral director will be exposed. Together with material developing a range of skills for effectively dealing verbally and non-verbally with the bereaved, and an examination of the value of funeral the course concludes by highlighting important issues concerning those working with the bereaved.

This is a distance learning course requiring the completion of four workbooks: (1) An introduction to loss and the work of the funeral director; (2) Caring for the bereaved; (3) The value of the funeral; (4) Caring for those who care. In addition, there is the option of completing essays based on the subjects dealt with in the workbooks or areas suggested by the candidate.

• Written exclusively for funeral service professionals

• A newly developed, unique course

• No fixed completion timescale - learn at your own pace at home or during downtime at work

• No examination

• Optional completion of coursework essays

• Completion certificate awarded

• Ideal for fulfilling the British Institute of Funeral Director Continuing Professional Development (CPD) criteria

What is the aim of the course?

The aim of the course is:

To provide a basic introduction to the environment of loss from the perspective of the funeral director.

What are the course objectives?

1.      An introduction to loss and the work of the funeral director

Objectives:

• To explore the grieving process and the “tasks of mourning”
• To examine the implication of loss upon the work of the funeral director

2.      Caring for the bereaved

Objectives:

• To recognise the need for good communication when working with the bereaved
• To examine a range of skills for effectively serving the bereaved

3.      The value of the funeral

Objectives:

• Recognise the characteristics of a funeral including cultural and religious differences
• To understand the value of spending time with the deceased.

4.      Caring for ourselves

Objectives

• To recognise the importance of caring for oneself
• To examine a range of strategies for assisting those who work with the bereaved.

What are the Learning outcomes?

By the end of the course participants should:

·        Be able to recognise the likely reactions of the bereaved following a death

·        Have a basic understanding of the grieving process and the “tasks of mourning”

·        Be able to identify the basic needs of the bereaved when interacting with the funeral director

·        Be familiar with a range of strategies for communicating effectively with the bereaved

·        Have acquired an appreciation of the value of spending time with the deceased person and the contribution made by the funeral to the grieving process

·        Be able to understand the importance of caring for those working with the bereaved to care for themselves

·        Be acquainted with a number of strategies that support those caring for the bereaved

The cost of the course is £90 (€55)