Application
This unit applies to funeral conductors and requires coordination and supervision of others and working with a high level of responsibility. It also requires the application of communication, planning and teamwork skills to conduct funerals, lead funeral processions, and review and recommend improvements to work performance of self and others. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Prepare to conduct funeral. | 1.1 | Liaise with family members to identify funeral service requirements according to workplace policies and procedures. |
1.2 | Review funeral service requirements and documentation and liaise with appropriate personnel to confirm arrangements. | ||
1.3 | Identify and arrange availability of required resources and equipment according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.4 | Identify and arrange availability of required vehicles and check for serviceability, safety and presentation. | ||
1.5 | Identify and arrange staffing requirements according to funeral service requirements and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
1.6 | Liaise with lead driver to confirm funeral procedures. | ||
1.7 | Identify contingency procedures and inform appropriate personnel. | ||
1.8 | Verify identity of deceased according to workplace policies and procedures. | ||
2 | Coordinate funeral. | 2.1 | Communicate with family members, mourners and colleagues according to workplace policies and procedures. |
2.2 | Monitor operation of equipment and take corrective action where required to minimise disruption to proceedings. | ||
2.3 | Oversee and coordinate movement of coffin or casket according to funeral service requirements, workplace policies and procedures, and relevant legislation. | ||
2.4 | Coordinate movement of family members and mourners according to funeral service requirements and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
3. | Lead funeral procession on foot. | 3.1 | Assemble funeral procession. |
3.2 | Commence procession according to predetermined signals from relevant personnel, traffic flow and safety considerations. | ||
3.3 | Maintain pace of funeral procession according to funeral procedures and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
3.4 | Enter funeral vehicle according to funeral procedures and workplace policies and procedures. | ||
4 | Review conduct of funeral. | 4.1 | Review and complete funeral documentation as required. |
4.2 | Reflect on the conduct of funeral and note areas for improvement. | ||
4.3 | Advise appropriate personnel of outcomes and make recommendations where required according to workplace policies and procedures. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills, including clear and direct communication and active listening and questioning techniques to liaise with appropriate personnel, using language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences, and using and interpreting non-verbal communication to display empathy, respect and courtesy to clients planning and organisational skills to coordinate and supervise the conduct of funerals according to client, workplace and legislative requirements teamwork skills to liaise with and coordinate team members problem-solving skills to recognise and deal with contingencies efficiently and discreetly, review performance and make recommendations for improvement literacy and numeracy skills to complete and review documentation and manage time effectively customer service skills, including ability to maintain confidentiality of client information. |
Required knowledge |
cemetery and crematorium procedures funeral 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 the conduct of funerals. |
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 accurately interpret client's needs, pre-determined funeral arrangements and coordinate and schedule operational details that meet these requirements ability to liaise with funeral and external personnel to organise required aspects of funeral and to deal with contingencies in conducting a safe and efficient funeral sensitive communication with the bereaved according to funeral services industry parameters and protocols conducting 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 in an environment where funeral processions can be conducted and movement of coffins, caskets and mourners can be managed access to coffins or caskets access to funeral vehicles access to resources and equipment used in the conduct of funerals. |
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 conducting a funeral, including planning and supervisory requirements according to funeral service 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: SIFFNL003A Arrange funerals. | |
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. | |
Family members may include: | immediate family extended family designated people, including friends. |
Funeral service requirements may include: | time location, such as: monumental cemeteries lawn cemeteries mausoleum crypts memorial gardens cemeteries with historical or cultural significance crematoria at sea state funeral Services funeral destitute funeral committal instructions, such as: burial entombment cremation timing of committal presence of mourners return of deceased's personal effects, such as jewellery or memorabilia social, cultural and religious considerations, such as: 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. |
Workplace policies and procedures may include: | OHS manual handling personal presentation requirements communication protocols authorities and responsibilities of staff contingency procedures quality assurance procedures emergency procedures, including fire and accident procedures security procedures reporting requirements transport. |
Documentation may include: | funeral arranger's briefing notes identification of body notification of death medical certificate coroner's warrant casket or coffin orders application for burial application for cremation order for cremation permit for cremation celebrant's instructions embalming form and details prearrangement costing details. |
Appropriate personnel may include: | funeral director funeral arranger transfer staff transportation services mortuary technician embalmer cemetery representatives church or chapel coordinator coffin or casket manufacturer clergy or celebrant organist or choir florist caterer hospital or nursing home staff stonemason legal profession embassy officials support groups government regulators registrar of births, deaths and marriages coroner. |
Resources and equipment may include: | selected text readings or scriptures speakers or readers personal effects music lighting and candles flowers photographs video recording equipment audio recording equipment musical equipment CD and DVD players computer equipment television monitors integrated lighting and ambience control vision mixer electronic coffin or casket lowering equipment. |
Vehicles may include: | funeral vehicles escort vehicles. |
Staffing requirements may include: | coffin or casket bearers drivers. |
Funeral procedures may include: | transport of coffin or casket funeral procession, such as: signals duration and distance required pace. |
Contingency procedures may include: | fire or accident service running over time equipment breakdown undelivered or incorrectly delivered flowers incorrect or incomplete documentation family distress inclement weather. |
Relevant legislation may include: | OHS Traffic Acts and regulations. |
Relevant personnel may include: | funeral conductor clergy celebrant family member. |
Areas for improvement may include: | staff performance transport coordination contingency planning safety procedures time management. |
Sectors
Sector | Funeral Services |
Competency Field
Funeral Operations | |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.