Charter for the Bereaved

Orbitas 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