Charter for the Bereaved
Cheshire East Council’s Bereavement Services
are members of the Charter for the Bereaved. The Charter was
established by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management
(ICCM), a professional organisation committed to developing and
improving bereavement services and providing training for those who
work within it. In order to become a member of the Charter for the
Bereaved an authority has to demonstrate that they satisfy 33 basic
rights associated with funerals. The Charter also contains
objectives, and helps authorities to set priorities for future
development and improvement. An annual assessment ensures that the
service keeps improving and raising it’s standards, and allows it
to be ranked against other services throughout the country.
Members of the public can be assured that an
authority that has adopted the Charter is committed to providing
excellent service designed to meet their needs.
A copy of the Charter for the Bereaved can be
viewed at the Bereavement Services Office, or on the Institute of Cemetery and
Crematorium Management website.
In summary, the Charter seeks to generate
interest in and educate people about bereavement. It also helps to
influence the expansion of services and clarify the various roles
and responsibilities of those involved.
- is a commitment to improving the service by confronting rather
that disguising or ignoring death.
- is intended to define the rights of every individual who
experiences bereavement. In achieving this aim, it also sets
standards of service related to burial, cremation and funerals. It
is a written statement of what can be expected and enables people
to judge the quality of the service received.
- The Charter enables you to recognise a responsive service, one
that meets your expectations and one that is delivered with the
right attitude and with a genuine desire to be helpful. Where these
human qualities are combined with the requirements of the Charter,
the highest standards will be achieved.
- The Charter will give you greater influence over the
arrangements of funerals thereby controlling costs and obtaining
greater satisfaction.
