APSE Cemeteries and Crematorium Seminar 2018

Thursday 19th April 2018

The Welcome Centre, Coventry 

View the programme here

Seminar Objectives

Bereavement Services are under increasing pressures to become self-sustaining commercial ventures, be adaptable to meet changing ethnic and lifestyle requirements and able to meet new legislative demands. Whilst these challenges have to be met, ensuring customer service and empathy remains at the heart of service delivery is paramount.

As local authorities continue to find their budgets shrinking, services are having to look for ways to compensate against these losses, either through service efficiencies, generating new sources of income, or innovative service delivery methodologies.

Bereavement managers, are facing new and additional challenges including: dealing with public health funerals, protecting the local environment providing data for the growing interest in family genealogy and preserving monuments and important historical graves.

Service delivery is having to change, and by listening to others experiences, then managers can hear examples of how these changes can be brought about.

The aim of the seminar is to highlight best practice examples which address these issues.
Speakers will discuss how they have improved service efficiency, developed new services, increased levels of income and added value to the service whilst still being sensitive to the vulnerability of families at their times of loss. They will also outline the need to value the physical asset itself, from a cultural and historical viewpoint which can all help improve customer experience.
It is hoped delegates will take away ideas and experiences which will help services become more sustainable and ready to meet these future opportunities and challenges.
The conference is planned to allow time for debate and questions as well as giving delegates the chance to meet exhibitors of products and services which will help Bereavement Managers in delivering higher quality services.

Presentations

APSE State of the Market 2018 – Cemeteries and Crematorium

Paul O’Brien, APSE Chief Executive

Developing an Award Winning Service

Russ Howell, Health Services Manager for Environmental Health, Kettering Borough Council

CWGC: As Relevant Today As Ever

Liz Woodfield, Director of Information & Communications, Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Innovation and Service Efficiency in Bereavement Services

Andy Mudd, Head of APSE Solutions

Local authority responsibilities for groundwater protection in cemeteries

Justin Smith, Managing Director, Cemetery Development Services

Burial And Cremation – Considering Other Options

Wayne Priestley, Principal Advisor, APSE

The Law of Unintended Consequences - Statutory Responsibilities in Relation to Public Health Act Funerals

Philip Turvey, Executive Director, and Carolyn Lord, Commercial and Compliance Director, Anglia Research

Maintaining or Improving Performance?

Debbie Johns, Head of Performance Networks, APSE