Trading Places with a SAIF member

A new initiative from the UK Government’s department of Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), called Trading Places, visited its first funeral home on 31 July. The visit was to SAIF member Stewart Hartley of G E Hartley & Son in Wetherby.

Dennis Ager and Dav Tennant, from BEIS, spent the morning discussing the role of the funeral director, the issues faced, and how funeral directors interact with local authorities and Government departments.

Stewart gave an in-depth insight into the day to day operations, complete with a full tour of the premises.

Many questions were asked by Dennis and Dav but both were surprised by the lack of regulation in the profession. The SAIF member made feelings clear that regulation, correctly implemented, would be a good and necessary thing for the profession for both pre-need and at need funerals.

Trading Places is a scheme which can help civil servants to educate their colleagues about the unique service funeral homes bring to their communities, and thereby avoid potentially inappropriate legislation and rules with unintended consequences.

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