SAIF Golden Charter

Reshaping the sector

As the Independent Chair of the Funeral Service Consumer Standards Review steering group, Lewis Shand Smith has a unique role to play in the reshaping of the sector…

The steering group for the Funeral Service Consumer Standards Review (FSCSR) is a cross-industry one, set up by the funeral sector to review how standards are monitored within the funeral profession. It is working to produce an agreed code of practice, approach to inspections and guidance for funeral directors as to how pricing information should be made available to the public.

After these are reviewed by consumer groups and other stakeholders, the aim is to present the proposals to the Governments and the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).

What interested you in the role of Independent Chair for the FSCSR?

I have a diverse set of experiences, so there were a number of things about this project that really interested me. I come from a small community on Shetland and, as a minister, I was involved in funerals for many years. When I was growing up the local funeral director was my grandfather’s cousin, and when I was a minister in Lerwick, leading funeral services, they were sometimes known as ‘family funerals’ because the minister (me), the funeral director and the organist were all related.

I became an ombudsman almost by accident. While rector of the Episcopal churches in Shetland, I was elected to the local council and, for five years, was the council leader. After moving to Dumfries with the church, I was head-hunted to become a deputy ombudsman in public service. When that came to an end, I was appointed Chief Ombudsman with responsibility for the telecoms, property and energy sectors.

What, in particular, are you looking forward to tackling?

I’ve worked in many different organisations, but always focused on standards and on making sure public and private sector organisations are treating people well. If not, I’ve worked to find ways to put things right. I am interested in what it looks like when we treat people fairly and what kind of standards we should expect from those providing services.

When they are bereaved, people are often at their most vulnerable and not at their best in terms of making decisions. Any help we can give people to make it as straightforward as possible is important.

My own experience of funeral directors is very positive. When I was a minister, they were always kind, helpful and professional, and treated people very well. But I also observed that bereaved people often don’t really know what they want and can allow themselves to be guided into decisions that they, perhaps, wouldn’t otherwise make, sometimes decisions they can’t really afford.

While they are driven by the wish to do the best they can for their loved one, they often don’t use the same approach as they do when making other important consumer choices, and so we have to help them become better.

What element of your background is proving most useful to you?

My work as an ombudsman is proving invaluable. An ombudsman is a champion for consumer protection. I am enjoying using my experience to examine how standards are monitored and get firms to adopt a new system that will work well for consumers and the profession.

I am also drawing upon my regulatory expertise. I’m an enthusiast for self-regulation and for light-touch principles-based regulation. If a sector can sort itself out, that’s healthy. I admire the industry for wanting to tackle this challenge and for getting it under way before the CMA arrived on the scene. Although the CMA is mostly focused on competition issues, there is overlap with its remit insofar as it is looking at quality as a driver of price.

What has surprised you about the funeral sector as you’ve got to know it better?

The lack of cohesion. I expected every firm in the sector to be working to the same set of standards and values. The lack of that has been a surprise.

This is an opportunity to change that, and the sector seems to be grabbing the chance. Collaboration is happening across the sector and there’s a genuine willingness to break down barriers and modernise thinking – as well as services.

What action will make the single biggest difference to consumers’ experience?

For me, there are three key outcomes. Firstly, an agreed set of standards across the sector. Secondly, to get the message out there and make sure consumers know which funeral directors are operating to those agreed standards. Lastly, greater transparency in terms of pricing and service information – make sure consumers know what to expect and are able to compare properly.

If the sector gets these right, it will have made quite a difference to consumers’ experience of funerals.

What do you hope the FSCSR will achieve?

I hope it will help to revitalise the sector. It’s a great opportunity for renewal and fresh thinking.

Funeral directors are trusted by customers. But it’s easy to lose trust. At present, despite the negative stories that pop up, that trust is not lost – but it’s beginning to slip. I hope the whole sector buys in to what we’re trying to do here – but it will also be important to make sure we’ve got Government backing for what we’re doing, and that’s an important part of my role. It’s encouraging that the CMA is observing our steering group meetings.

Do you see any similarities with other sectors?

In previous roles, I’ve worked with publicly funded care homes and there are many similarities. You’re often caring for highly vulnerable people and not just them, their family too, and it can tricky when different parts of the family don’t agree about the care that should be provided. Sound familiar?

In the care home sector, there are also multiple organisations, but now they have a common code and set of standards so customers know what to expect. Each firm is unique, but they operate to the same principles.

Do you have any words of advice for funeral directors?

I’ve met some amazing people through this project and I am really glad to be part of it. I would say don’t be frightened, don’t be defensive and co-operate wherever you can.

The funeral sector is to be admired and congratulated for its proactivity in tackling those things that aren’t quite working right. Funeral directors do a great job, and let’s not lose sight of that. Yes, there are issues, but we’re not starting from a low base. We’re starting from something that’s pretty good and we’re building on what is positive about the sector to create consistency and transparency. Rogue companies damage the reputation of everyone. Let’s deal with them.