Application
This unit applies to funeral home assistant staff working under supervision as part of a team. It requires the application of teamwork and communication skills to assist with defined aspects of a funeral. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Prepare to assist with a funeral. | 1.1 | Liaise with appropriate personnel to identify work requirements according to workplace policies and procedures. |
1.2 | Identify and obtain required resources and equipment and check for serviceability. | ||
1.3 | Consult with team members as required to establish sequencing of tasks and team member responsibilities. | ||
1.4 | Liaise with appropriate personnel to identify coffin or casket bearing requirements. | ||
1.5 | Consult with team members to identify required coffin or casket bearing methods and procedures. | ||
2 | Assist with conduct of a funeral. | 2.1 | Accompany coffin or casket to burial location. |
2.2 | Assist with conduct of funeral procession as instructed by appropriate personnel. | ||
2.3 | Communicate with family members, mourners and colleagues to facilitate efficient conduct of funeral according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
2.4 | Move coffin or casket according to predetermined methods and procedures, workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
2.5 | Respond to instructions from appropriate personnel according to workplace policies and procedures. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
safe manual handling techniques communication skills, including clear and direct communication to liaise appropriately with appropriate personnel, using culturally appropriate language and concepts to display empathy, respect and courtesy to clients teamwork skills to consult with colleagues to identify and carry out associated duties, including coffin or casket bearing literacy and numeracy skills to identify and interpret work requirements interpersonal skills to relate to people from a range of social, cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities organisational and self-management skills to complete required tasks according to client requirements, workplace policies and procedures, and required timeframes customer service skills, including ability to maintain confidentiality of client information. |
Required knowledge |
burial procedures social, religious and cultural differences and traditions professional funeral services industry parameters in dealing with the deceased and the bereaved workplace policies and procedures regarding conduct of funerals operating requirements of relevant lifting devices and equipment. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: ability to identify and follows funeral service requirements and instructions promptly ability to bear bears coffin or casket using safe manual handling techniques and to use lifting and lowering devices use of sensitive and empathetic verbal and non-verbal communication with mourners and clear and accurate communication with colleagues assisting with the conduct of a funeral on multiple occasions to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: demonstration of skills within and between funeral service facilities, such as funeral homes and cemeteries interaction with funeral director and other relevant personnel access to coffins or caskets access to lifting and lowering equipment access to equipment and resources, such as sound system. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of candidate assisting with conduct of a funeral, including coffin or casket bearing according to work requirements and relevant policies, procedures and legislation written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and workplace policies and procedures regarding funerals review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SIFBCR002A Transfer coffins and caskets. |
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Appropriate personnel may include: | manager supervisor transfer workers funeral arranger funeral conductor funeral assistants drivers. |
Work requirements may include: | time of funeral location of funeral, such as: monumental cemeteries lawn cemeteries mausoleum crypts memorial gardens cemeteries with historical or cultural significance at sea social, cultural and religious considerations, such as: the deceased person's country of origin funeral and mourning dress standards funeral rites full rites of services cultural rituals to assist grieving duration of mourning wakes religious denomination spiritual symbolism public profile of the deceased burial procedures time required between death and burial or cremation taboos regarding death text readings or scriptures placing special personal effects with the deceased person specific coffin or casket design orientation of coffin transport requirements client requirements required staff. |
Workplace policies and procedures may include: | OHS manual handling personal presentation communication protocols coffin or casket bearing protocols, including: pace signalling discreet communication authorities and responsibilities of staff quality assurance procedures emergency procedures, including fire and accident procedures security procedures required equipment transport. |
Resources and equipment may include: | selected text readings or scriptures sound system lighting and candles flowers photographs lifting and lowering aids and devices mats protective restraints church trucks. |
Team member responsibilities may include: | driving the hearse driving the family assisting at ceremony assisting to lower coffin or casket at gravesite. |
Coffin or casket bearing requirements may include: | number of bearers special requirements associated with burial location, including access. |
Coffin or casket bearing methods and procedures may include: | role of each team member position of each team member shoulder carry arms length or waist level carry wheeling. |
Family members may include: | immediate family extended family designated people, including friends. |
Relevant legislation and regulations may include: | OHS cemetery Acts local government by-laws. |
Sectors
Sector | Funeral Services |
Competency Field
Funeral Operations | |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.