2019

CEM100 - Digital signatures for Medical Certificates parts 4 and 5 - 181219

A member authority has stated that currently within their service, Doctors papers namely Medical Certificate form part 4 and 5 are completed by hand by the relevant Doctors. They would like to know:

• Are any Authorities considering accepting these digitally with an electronic signature or have already adopted this approach.
• If already accepting digital paperwork. What led to this approach and were there any issues in moving to this option

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CEM099 - Composite and concrete chambers for burials - 291119

A member authority is looking for information from other local authorities who operate composite chamber or concrete chambers for burials, can they confirm:-

1. The manufacturer and type
2. The number they have installed and how long they have been in situ
3. Whether they installed them in house or had an external company to install
4. How they have been received by members of the public
5. If they have had any installation or maintenance issues

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CEM098 - Disposal of Granite plaques - 241019

A member authority is interested to know how other burial authorities dispose of granite plaques securely and confidentially when the lease has expired and the family do not wish to renew?

• Do they use a company to dispose of them?
• If so, which companies?

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CEM097 - Bereavement Service structure and job roles - 241019

A member authority would welcome information on the following:

• Copies of Bereavement Services staffing structures
• Copy job descriptions for all management roles, including assistant managers
• Details of how grave digging staff are managed i.e. Bereavement Services or Neighbourhood Services?

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CEM096 - Waste management processes within cemeteries - 071019

A member authority is reviewing their current waste management processes within the cemeteries.

They currently use large square baskets spaced out around the cemeteries but have found these are no longer fit for purpose.

However despite recognising the shortcomings of the current waste management system, they are finding it difficult to come up with a suitable alternative for practical and access reasons.

Therefore they would like to know how do other Councils manage:-

• Waste from the public
• Excess soil waste

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CEM095 - Back up power for crematoria - 011019

A member authority is l looking for any information on the following query:

• Do any crematoria have a generator back up in case of power cut?
• Is the generator for chapel/s only, cremators only or for both?
• What was the costing of this?
• Does it function correctly when a loss of power occurs?

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CEM094 - Provision of pets cemetery - 180919

A member authority is currently considering the provision of a pets cemetery and/or pets crematorium and would be interested to hear from those authorities who have provided, or are considering providing such a facility.

They would be interested to receive comments on the following questions:

1. Does your local authority provide a pet crematorium and/or a pet cemetery?
2. How long has this provision been in place?
3. Where is it situated and what determined its location?
4. What was the cost of putting this provision in place and how much does it cost to run?
5. Is there a charge for using this provision? What return does it generate?
6. How do you promote the service other than on the Council website?
7. Do you work with the local vets etc.?
8. Do you find yourselves in competition with the private providers?
9. How do you ensure viability of the provision?
10. Do you accept small animals only or large animals (e.g. horses and ponies) as well?
11. What additional facilities and services do you provide, e.g. memorial gardens, farewell rooms, bereavement counselling?
12. Do you have a relevant policy you could share with us?
13. What barriers (if any) did you come across and how did you manage these out? e.g. legislation.

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CEM093 - Terms and conditions for oversized headstones and full kerb sets - 180919

A member authority wishes to know if any other authority have opened any new plots recently which allow oversized headstones with full kerb sets.

If so what additional costs do they charge and do they allow further burials?

If they allow further burials in the grave, what is the procedure for the removal of the kerb set for the next internment.

What are the terms and conditions for oversized headstones and full grave sets?

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CEM092 - High Temperatures In Crematorium Chapels Due To Hot Weather Conditions - 040919

Recently as a result of several very hot days this summer, a member authority found that their crematoria and chapel were unbearably hot – to the point of people falling ill.

They have recently changed the cremators to new, more efficient ones and are wondering if this improvement has then created more internal heat.

They have no air conditioning and seemingly no ventilation for the building, which has very high ceilings.

They are therefore wondering whether other Councils could share what equipment they use to mitigate high temperatures in their crematorium/burial chapels and buildings whilst still maintaining energy efficiency?

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CEM091 - Concrete burial chamber costs - 290819

A member authority is looking for details regarding the cost of providing concrete burial chambers to meet the needs of the Muslim community.

They also would like to know if chambers are provided as a single burial space or as part of a larger multi-burial unit;

· Single unit cost
· Single unit as part of a multi chamber vault

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CEM090 - Burial of American caskets causing loss of burial space - 290819

The authority have started to use hydraulic shuttering for grave digging which has increased the size of the plots due to having to accommodate the shuttering. This is not a problem with standard caskets but when an American casket has to be interred the plot size increases substantially impacting on all of the plots resulting in loss of burial space.

Has any other authority come across this problem and if so do they allow American caskets and if so what have they done to compensate for the additional length or have they put a stop on using these?

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CEM089 - Policies on dealing with a coffin found to be leaking - 310719

Following a recent service, a member authority had to deal with the aftermath of a coffin that they discovered to have been leaking badly.

If they had spotted the leak before the service, they would likely have had to implement their current policy in this respect, which is to refuse the coffin and to require it to be taken away and returned when repaired. (With the resulting chaos and distress for all concerned).

They would obviously prefer not to have to adopt this approach but they are not sure how they could safely accept a coffin if they knew it was leaking.

Therefore they are wishing to find out whether any authorities have a policy / procedure that would allow the admittance of a leaking coffin and if so how is that safely achieved?

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CEM088 - Offensive music as part of funeral service - 310719

A member authority periodically receive requests to play music at services that include lyrics that are probably offensive to most people.

They currently permit offensive lyrics to be played, providing celebrants are aware of the lyrics, that they warn mourners at the service, and the music cannot be heard outside of the Chapel.

They wish to know whether other Crematoria that have policies which prevent the playing of potentially offensive lyrics would be prepared to share their policies?

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CEM087 - Provision of Wakes - 050719

APSE is currently undertaking a piece of research which is looking to identify local authority provision of wake facilities as part of their service offer to bereaved families.

Many local authorities are looking to develop a broader offer to bereaved families in order to reduce the complexities involved in arranging funerals and the associated functions.

APSE would therefore be interested to hear from those local authorities who offer such a service and also where the service is provided i.e. within cemetery buildings or in other council facilities.

If possible, would authorities also identify the cost of such a service and numbers currently held p.a.?

We would also be interested to know if cemetery buildings, such as chapels, are used for any other functions, such as weddings or community events.

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CEM086 - Uptake of memorialisation offer - 050719

APSE is currently undertaking a piece of research which is looking to identify the percentage of bereaved families who purchase items of memorialisation from local authorities as part of the funeral service.

In particular we would be interested in:

• The percentage of families who purchase an item of memorialisation.
• The memorialisation offer i.e. book of remembrance , headstones, memorial benches/trees etc.
• The cost of the different types of memorials
• Whether any memorial items are on a lease agreement and for how long
• Annual income from the sale of memorials

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CEM085 - Use of auto shut down option on cremators - 040719

A member authority is currently re-evaluating their working practices at their crematorium following a recent recommendation from the ICCM regarding the auto shutdown functions in crematoria.

From a recent survey carried out by the ICCM 97% of cremators had this auto shutdown facility and 54% of authorities regularly used this as part of their working day.

This function allows the crematorium technician to leave the building whilst the cremation concludes unattended, usually at the end of the working day.

The ICCM has raised concerns about the local authority's legal obligations and also the impact on bereaved families who may not be aware of this practice.

The guidance note offers a series of recommendations which would suggest that the use of the auto shut down facility should be used in specific circumstances.

These recommendation have gone out to all ICCM affiliated crematoria. http://www.iccm-uk.com/iccm/library/Auto%20Shutdown%20Guidance%20Note%20V4.pdf

As a result of these recommendations the enquiring authority is interested to discover from other local authorities which operate crematoria how they are planning to deal with the issues raised in this recommendations, specifically,

• What changes to working practices are proposed?

• What options are being discussed regarding staffing, holding over of coffins, changing service times or anything else that might be relevant?

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CEM084 - Dealing With Increases In Public Health Funerals - 010719

A member authority wishes to know if other Local Authorities / Borough Councils have:

1. Seen a large increase in the amount of Public Health funeral referrals overall
2. If they have / how have they dealt with the increase i.e Staff levels, change of procedure, budget increase to allow staff to deal with the cases.
3. Discussions with Coroners / NHS trusts / Agencies related to the service to discuss timeframes and working practice.
4. What is the average time between referral and funeral in these Public health referrals with the increase in numbers?

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CEM083 - Low Cost Funeral Director - 010719

A member authority is looking to introduce a low cost funeral service for the residents of their local area and would like to ask the following questions:

• Is this a service your authority offers?
• Do you offer this via a single funeral director or do you have more than one?
• If you have more than one, how do you allocate the funerals? Is this on a rota or do you allocate an area that they will cover or is this left to families to choose?
• What is included within the service you offer?
• What is the charge for the service?
• Have you offered this to residents only or is this offered to non-residents as well, if it is have you set a maximum distance from your authority?
• Do families have the option to upgrade the service that is offered?
• Do you receive payment from the funeral director for running the service, i.e. introduction fee or a percentage of any extra income from upgrades to the service?
• Did you receive any negative feedback to offering this service?

If you have any literature as to how you advertise, or the service you offer, the enquiring authority would be very grateful if you would share this information.

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CEM082 -Rules and regulations on memorial dimensions

A member authority currently has a set of rules and regulations governing memorial dimensions in their cemeteries, which were last reviewed and amended in 2013. They are based on NAMM and BRAMM code of working practice, and limit the height of new memorials to 36’’ (this height limit had been in place since 1994), primarily for safety reasons, but also to standardise the approach and to reflect affordability for most families.
 
In their newest cemetery, opened in 2009, they have opted to also make the site non-denominational and to not dedicate sections of it to particular faith or cultural groups.
They also allow the pre-purchase of graves in their cemeteries, meaning that families can buy a block of graves together.
 
The member authority has recently been challenged on their memorial dimension rules, in particular the height limit, by an individual from a particular cultural group (potentially falling within the definition of having protected characteristics). The individual has purchased a block of graves and wishes to erect a memorial 5’ high x 7’ wide, spanning two graves in their ownership. The member authority havs declined the request, but offered a compromise of allowing the 7’ width spanning two graves, but limiting the height to their current maximum of 36’’.
The particular thrust of the challenge is around equality, and whether the member authority is able to defend their rules (which are applied universally) or whether they are in fact obliged to make adjustments for individuals/groups of particular faiths/cultures.

Therefore the member authority would be grateful for responses from other authorities who may have experienced this, and also what the thinking is around memorial dimensions, flexibility and equality.

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CEM081 - Un-even ground in cemeteries - 230519

A member authority has a cemetery which is made up of mainly clay soil which is a significant problem in the winter months due to waterlogging and equally is extremely dry in the summer months.

Due to the weather and ground conditions, certain sections within the cemetery have now become extremely uneven.

They have attempted on numerous occasions to re-level the ground by laying further topsoil and re-seeding but due to conditions within about a year or so, the ground becomes uneven again.

The member authority is therefore enquiring how other cemeteries deal with these sorts of ground conditions and whether they have successfully levelled areas making it safe for the public to attend and visit their loved ones.

Added to the physical problems, the enquiring authority has received numerous complaints throughout the year regarding this issue and would be grateful to receive information on how interested to see how other cemeteries deal with such complaints relating to ground conditions.

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CEM080 - Software programmes for recording graves,booking funerals and record information

A member authority would like to ask members whether anyone has recently changed the program they use to record graves, book funerals and record information.

They are in the process of looking to change systems and would like to ask:

• What company did they employ?
• Was there any problems encountered?
• Is it fit for purpose ?
• Would they have done anything different in hindsight?
• How long did it take for the information to be processed over?
• How is the aftersales support?

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CEM079 - Transfer of Exclusive rights of burial

A member authority is currently reviewing their policy regarding exclusive rights of burial (EROB).

They are looking for the following information to help their deliberations:

1. Do you currently charge a fee for Transfer of EROB, if yes what is that fee
2. What does the fee cover
3. What type of proof of relationship to the previous owner do you require i.e. Family Tree etc.
4. Do you utilise your Legal Team to witness Statutory Declarations, rather than give the work to local solicitor etc. who will charge a fee.

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CEM078 - Burial of cremated or full pet remains - 030419

A member authority manages burial sites, cemeteries, and crematorium burial grounds and in doing so deals with full earthen, cremated remains burials and above ground vaults.

They are receiving a small amount of requests each year from families to either place family pets cremated remains into a grave space during a burial (mostly cremated remains burials) or to place remains into the casket prior to burial, also to place remains into an above ground vault.

Currently they do not permit this practice as the view is that they do not run a pet cemetery.

They are interested to hear from other local authorities about the following:

• Do any Burial authorities allow this practice?

• If they do allow it, do they have a procedure/policy/regulation for this?

• Do any have specific pet burial sites within their cemeteries?

• If they do allow or have specific sites, do they charge a fee and have examples of this?

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CEM077 - Shoring of graves - 030419

A member authority is currently reviewing the way it shores its graves and is interested to hear what methods/technology others use and how successful their systems are.

They would also like to find out more about the use of grave shoring lock top boxes and how other authorities use these pieces of equipment.

Finally they would be interested in visiting a site in a different council to see how they run a joint grounds and grave digging service.

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CEM076 - Outsourcing memorial testing - 270319

A member authority is interested in knowing if any members currently outsource there memorial safety testing. If so, could they provide the company names who undertake this work and a brief outline of the actual work they do and any time schedules they have for undertaking the work. (for example do they just make safe and if so how or do they repair and if so how do they recover costs?)

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CEM075 - Grass cutting between grave plots - 150319

A member authority is looking for information on how other local authorities who are responsible for grounds maintenance within cemeteries deal with the issue of cutting grass between grave plots and headstones.

They are particularly interested in alternative / innovative solutions to the problem of controlling grass where the space between plots is particularly narrow and the use of strimmers, etc. is restricted.

They would also be interested in knowing whether any local authorities either leave the grass unmanaged or use herbicides to control growth.

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CEM074 - Covering the costs of closed churchyards - 150319

A member authority is interested to find out if any local authorities introduced a ‘special expense’ under Section 35 Local Government Finance Act 1992 to cover the cost of maintaining closed churchyards in specific wards/parishes?

If so, then can they please share their knowledge and experience in how they carried this out.

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CEM073 - Managing memorials requested by members of the public in formal parks and greenspaces - 080219

A member authority is currently reviewing its approach to Memorials in Formal Parks, Greenspaces and wider Public Realm and is interested to receive information from those councils who have in place, or are working up Memorials Procedures to cover requests from members of the Public for Memorial Benches, Trees, Plaques on public open spaces/public realm.

They currently have a separate procedure on for Highways Memorials and are therefore more interested in information regarding Memorials in Formal Parks.

They want to ensure that any procedures ensure that requests are dealt with fairly and constructively in order to meet Council requirements e.g. standards, specifications etc. but also reflecting the sensitivities.

They are interested to hear if any councils make a charge to applicants for the maintenance of the memorial by Council staff, and if this is over a specific period of time and what sort of costs they charge.

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CEM072 - Renewal of burial plot grave leases - 230119

A member authority has recently entered a period whereby 30 year burial plot grave leases have begun to expire, with this in mind they have started to write to those who have the lease with a view to offering a renewal of such leases.

As they have begun this process they have encountered some challenge and opposition to this from leaseholders and Funeral Directors alike, as such they are looking for answers from other members on the following questions:

1. In the event of a grave plot lease expiring what is your approach? Do you contact the leaseholder ? Do you apply new charges to extend the lease or start again with a full charge for a new lease?

2. Do you have leases in perpetuity? If yes, do you allow these to be transferred to a new owner in perpetuity or is the lease period reduced to within 99 years?

3. In the event of being unable to contact a previous owner what do you do from there?

4. Have you been challenged by customers or Funeral Directors about your approach to lease renewals or transfers?