Honouring Your
Loved One.
PARKSIDE
General Conduct and Presentation
- Our Staff must conduct themselves in a totally professional manner, and behave sensitively, with courtesy and complete dignity at all times, both privately and professionally.
- Our Staff shall provide the highest professional standards in all elements of the service they provide to each individual client(s).
- Our Satff shall treat as confidential all information obtained in relation to their clients and carry out their duties with total regard for the laws of privacy and data protection.
- Our Staff must establish and interpret client needs without exploiting their vulnerability or exerting any pressure on them.
- Our Staff will be responsible for all the decisions and actions taken by their staff in relation to the provision of funeral services and the ancillary services they offer.
- Our staff shall conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner in all dealings with clients, taking into account their religious and cultural needs.
- Our Staff shall not try to persuade clients to choose an expensive or elaborate funeral when a less expensive funeral is more appropriate to their circumstances.
- No member of staff shall act in any way whereby a conflict of interest may arise with the Company or its objects.
- No staff shall do anything that might prejudice the good name and reputation of the Company.
- Our staff must comply with all current government legislation, including EHS, Laws and Privacy and Data Protection Requirements.
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to speak with one of our compassionate staff members to discuss the various funeral services we offer and how we can support you during this difficult time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. We are here to help guide you every step of the way.
Marketing of Funeral and Associated Services.
Advertising and Promotions.
All advertising and promotional activities must comply with the following Codes of Practice at all times:
- The British Code of Advertising Practice.
- The British Code of Sales Promotion Practice.
- Ofcom – Office of Communications. The Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries.
Any other relevant Codes or Legislation.
Soliciting for Business.
Members of staff shall not solicit or offer any inducement of any nature for instructions for funeral services or any other associated services (i.e: pre-paid funeral plans, memorials etc); nor shall they engage or reward any other party – whether an individual, a partnership, a company or other formal or informal association or group – to do so on their behalf.
Public Image.
Our staff must ensure they convey a wholly professional image to the general public both through the delivery of the services they offer and by ensuring that all public relations activities are appropriate and sensitive in regard to their professional responsibilities.
Information and Choice.
- Parkside will provide a choice of at least three coffins at varying prices, one of which will be an inexpensive and plain type, which must be shown in a brochure and displayed in a showroom wherever practicable.
- We explain the full range of services relevant to the particular client, including the availability of a simple funeral before giving them a written estimate.
- Clients will receive full advice on all the actions, including registration, they need to take in relation to the death and the funeral.
Prices and Price Lists.
- Prices must be fair and reasonable in relation to the particular goods or services supplied, thereby ensuring clients receive fair value at all times. Price lists, detailing all the services offered must be prominently displayed, These are our fees for taking care of all aspects of the funeral arrangements.
- The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have made it a legal requirement that all funeral directors make available a Standard Price list for customers to compare like for like service. they can easily be seen by all visitors to the premises.
- Such price lists must also be available for clients to take away with them or to be presented and left with them when a home visit is made.
Provision of the Estimate.
Where a consumer requests an estimate, in writing or otherwise, at an earlier stage (e.g. during an initial meeting or over the telephone), we can provide this as far as is practicable to do so.
All estimates must at least give the following details of the Funeral:
- Director’s charges: Professional fees.
- Removal of the deceased.
- Coffin or Casket (including fittings and interior).
- Embalming/Hygienic Preparation.
- Hearse(s).
- Limousine(s).
Where only an approximate cost can be given, it must be made clear that this may vary. The ‘confirmed’ cost must be supplied to the client as soon as possible.
All estimates must also itemise each disbursement cost, including:
- Cemetery/Crematorium fees.
- Doctors’
- Minister of Religion or Officiant.
- Church and associated fees.
Where only an approximate cost can be given, it must be made clear that this may vary. The ‘confirmed’ cost must be supplied to the client as soon as possible.
Any additional items, which arise or are instructed after the estimate has been issued, must be authorised by the client prior to them being charged to their account.
A revised estimate, showing the changes made and the alterations to costs must be issued wherever practicable, where the client varies their original instructions, and again the client should formally confirm their acceptance of such changes.
Issuing the Invoice.
A fully itemised invoice, which should mirror the estimate whenever practicable, is to be provided to the client either after carrying out the funeral services as specified or as agreed with the client, before the funeral.
The total amount charged should be as per the original or revised estimate as agreed with the client.
Where approximate costs were given for disbursement items then the final cost, together with the reason for any variation should be shown.
If it is part of the member’s Terms and Conditions that interest be charged for late payment of the account, then this must be explained, together with details of the prevailing rates, to the client, both when arranging the funeral (and before a contract is entered into) and when the invoice is issued.
Premises
- Premises must be acceptable, in all respects for the provision and delivery of funeral services.
- We fully comply with all health and safety regulations, related legislation and Codes of Practice and shall display the appropriate certificates as required by law.
- Parkside provide adequate facilities for clients, in terms of reception areas, arranging rooms and toilet facilities.
- There must be well-appointed and well-maintained areas and facilities for the preparation of the deceased and the holding of bodies.
- A Chapel of Rest and/or suitable viewing rooms are available, so family and friends can see the deceased and pay their respects in suitably tranquil and private surroundings.
- The deceased must be treated with the utmost respect at all times.
Vehicles and Equipment
- Our vehicles comply with all relevant legislation and be maintained and presented to the highest practical standards at all times.
- All equipment associated with the preparation and provision of funeral services must be properly maintained to the standards specified by the manufacturer and/or supplier.
Other Services
We offer and provide either directly or through suitable agents or sub-contractors, floral, catering, monumental and pre-paid funeral planning services.
Parkside ensures that such agents and sub-contractors are bound by all the relevant provisions of this Code while providing such services for our clients.
Employees
- Parkside properly train all staff employed, taking full account of the sensitive nature of the service provided.
- At Parkside we take every opportunity to encourage their staff to develop through all relevant forms of training and to obtain formal qualifications where appropriate.
- All employees should be fully aware of and comply with the contents of this Code of Practice, including the complaints and redress provisions, throughout the performance of their duties.
- Staff conduct must always reflect the sensitive nature of their employment.
Complaints and their Redress
- Parkside have an internal written complaint procedure formally in place.
- All recommendations and decisions relating to complaints must be approved and sanctioned by a director.
- We make it clear to clients to whom they should complain and the address to which complaints should be sent together with the procedure for handling complaints.
- Initially all complaints should be put in writing by the complainant to the company, who must acknowledge its receipt promptly, investigate it and give a written response and where appropriate, an apology and/or offer of compensation and/or other form of redress as soon as practically possible to the complainant.
Definitions
- ‘Client’ means a client or potential client.
- ‘Coffin’ includes a casket, unless the latter is specifically referred to.
- ‘Estimate’ includes a quotation and means an offer by the member to provide the specified services for the price specified. An ‘Estimate’ shall include details of all the funeral directors charges and disbursement costs that is practical to give at the time the estimate is given.It might be practicable to give an approximate cost or a range of prices even where it is not possible to give a confirmed cost.
A ‘Simple (basic) funeral’ comprises:
- Making all necessary funeral arrangements and providing professional advice.
- Removal of the deceased to a suitable resting place allowing 10 running miles within normal working hours.
- Provision of a simple, veneered coffin and conveyance by hearse direct to a local cemetery or crematorium.
- Providing the funeral director and all necessary staff.
- All necessary disbursements.
