Funeral Services Officer
An exciting opportunity to join our innovative council operated funeral service, Brent Funeral Service has arisen.
Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. Spanning both inner and outer London, it is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of its economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up. Brent’s diversity is evident to all who visit our borough and our long history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here.
The council is pursuing a far-reaching transformation agenda that better meets the needs of our community so it is an exciting time to join us.
The Post
In response for demand of a low cost funeral service, hospital contracts and increasing numbers of parish (Public Health) funerals, we are now looking for an additional team member to meet demand.
The successful post holder will work as part of a small, dedicated funeral service carrying out all aspects of funeral work, including collection of the deceased, preparation and dressing of the deceased, arranging funerals and interacting with families, bearing and where necessary leading at funerals, driving a range of ceremonial vehicles and assisting with the funeral at crematoria or cemeteries.
The post holder will additionally carry out various back office administrative tasks, mostly computer based, and for which training will be provided.
The Person
We are seeking a candidate that can demonstrate extensive previous experience within the funeral profession and ideally possess a recognised Funeral Director Qualification or NAFD Diploma in Funeral Directing or equivalent, although this is not necessarily essential.
You must possess practical experience of dealing sensitively with the relatives of those that come into our care. Attention to detail and an ability to accurately record information as this is critical to the work. You must be able to handle and prepare the deceased for their funeral, to make up coffins and transport the bodies to the final place of rest in a dignified and respectful manner.
You must be able to deal with the emotional and sometimes unpleasant elements of the job. Working well within a team is key and the successful person must be flexible with their time and able to meet the physical demands of the job, including lifting and lowering coffins and working in all weather conditions.
Excellent communication skills both written and oral are a must, as well as possessing relevant experience in the use of back office software and applications such as databases, financial systems and Microsoft Office applications (specifically Word and Excel). A full, manual driving license is essential to this role.
Closing date: 15 April 2024 (23:59)
Additional Information
Location: Marsh Road Depot, Alperton, Brent Civic Centre and other locations from time to time
If you are interested in applying for this job, please start by clicking the "Apply Now" button below. You must provide a supporting statement as part of your application that clearly shows how you meet the criteria on the Person Specification. We will accept a CV in support of your application, however, you should still provide the supporting statement.
Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community. We positively encourage all applicants to self-identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section in the application.
We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances.
The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas and your data protection rights, can be found here.
Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.
As a disability confident employer Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including “non-visible” disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on recruitment@brent.gov.uk