Council launches new bereavement guide
LANCASTER City Council has launched a new guide to provide step by step help for those faced with the loss of a loved one.
The new guide will be available to people through the council’s customer service centres, libraries and to download online from the council’s website at www.lancaster.gov.uk/cemeteries.
It contains useful information on how to register a death, how to arrange a funeral and the options available, details of bereavement organisations and some of the welfare benefits to which people may be entitled.
The council has also signed up for the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management’s (ICCM) Charter for the Bereaved.
The charter lists objectives and helps burial authorities to set priorities for future development and improvement.
An annual assessment is undertaken to keep track of service improvements and allows the council to be ranked against other authorities throughout the country.
Back in May 2007, a benchmark assessment was carried out against the Charter Standard and Lancaster City Council scored 339 points, placing it 115th out of 117 burial authorities.
Such has been the scale of change, today the score for Lancaster is 518 points, placing the authority joint 61st out of 128 burial authorities.
Coun David Kerr, Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We’ve made great strides over the last few years in our cemeteries service and Torrisholme Cemetery in particular is now seen as a benchmark for cemeteries across the country.
“Our aim is to improve the council’s other cemeteries and to continue to provide an excellent service designed to meet the needs of bereaved people.”
Date Published: 19/11/09