Stephen Larkin aims to rebuild momentum

from Funeral Times Issue 4/2022

Padraic Cawley on the write to be heard

NAFD advice and support for members on family disputes

Asignificant number of the complaints that the NAFD’s Committee of Professional Standards receive are as a result of family disputes and the NAFD provides members with advice and support in dealing with family disputes, both through funeral directorspecific guidance ‘Am I the Right Person?’, in the members’ resource library on the NAFD members website portal and also through a consumer information leaflet, downloadable from the main NAFD website, entitled ‘Who Is entitled to make funeral arrangements?’ which sets out the hierarchy of entitlement for the public.

With family disputes over funerals continuing to increase, it is important that funeral directors do all they can to avoid getting involved in the dispute.

NAFD Commercial Director Elaine Walder acknowledges that this may sometimes be easier said than done, but notes: “The Funeral Directors Code (Principle 11) is clear that you must take all reasonable steps to avoid becoming embroiled in family disputes and conflict situations. Establishing who is entitled to arrange a funeral at the outset is key. We should not assume that the nuances of this seemingly simple questions will be understood by your (potential) client and therefore it often falls to the funeral director to give guidance. A simple set of questions, or crib sheet may assist, and make a difference should there be a disagreement later.

“With the ever-changing complexity of family relationships, it is vital that funeral directors ensure their client is the correct and most senior person in the hierarchy of entitlement to arrange the funeral. Where more than one person shares that position, all of them have equal rights. In these situations, the funeral director must step back and allow the family to agree unanimously who will be the spokesperson and act as the client. “Proceeding before that family agreement is reached often ends with disputes and complaints. Despite every best effort, the right to arrange the funeral by the person who has been accepted as the client may still be challenged. When later it may transpire that the “client” is not the most senior in the hierarchy of entitlement, or there has been no agreement on the spokesperson, too often some funeral directors forge on. The CPS is repeatedly presented with the defence, ‘I was following my client’s instructions.’ However difficult it may be to turn away a grieving family, sometimes a clear pause until the position is certain is the best course of action.”

The NAFD’s guidance leaflet can be found in the Funeral Advice section of the NAFD website, www.nafd.org.uk.

New Northern Ireland President looks to rebuild momentum

Stephen Larkin, recently installed as the NAFD’s new Northern Ireland Area Federation President, had his first taste of the funeral profession at S. Clarke & Son in Newtownards, through work experience and had already been offered a full time job there by the time his GCSEs came around. He wasn’t even old enough to drive, so his job was to keep the hearses clean and help the embalmer.

After six years there, Stephen worked for the

Co-op for 15 years before moving to his current employer, Melville & Co in Belfast, where he is a senior funeral director.

“Supporting families and helping them through such a difficult period is a real honour,” he said. “It’s a privilege and something I feel honoured to do.”

Stephen takes over the presidency at a time of political uncertainty with the immediate stability of the Northern Ireland Assembly under question following the recent elections.

That does not help the NAFD in its attempt to persuade the Minister for Infrastructure to change the legislation or regulations around funeral directors’ drivers being classified in law as taxis (or PSVs – public service vehicles) and therefore being subject to the same red tape as everyday cabs – something that is proving expensive and restrictive to funeral firms.

“It is the biggest issue facing funeral directors at the moment,” Stephen said. “There is a real shortage of PSV-licensed drivers which is having a major impact on funeral directors being able to offer limousines to families. There was an opportunity towards the end of the last Parliament for (then Infrastructure Minister) Nichola Mallon to do something and change all this but she chose not to.

“Hopefully the new Minister will see sense and understand how this situation is impacting the funeral profession and change it to remove funeral directors from taxi regulations. We need to make sure we keep pushing at this because change needs to happen, and we will be pressing our case to the new Minister at the earliest opportunity.”

And after two years where movement has been so restricted, Stephen is keen to get out and about to meet NAFD member firms and listen to their concerns.

“The NAFD’s momentum in Northern Ireland has stalled a little bit over the last couple of years; we’ve had several Zoom meetings but losing that face-to-face element means people aren’t really engaged. We need to raise our profile a little with members, let them know what we are doing and listen to what they want us to do.

“I’d like to get round as many funeral directors as possible and let them know that the NAFD is active; representing their views on councils, at government level and lobbying on their behalf. We need to attract more members to meetings and have guest speakers that matter and that people will want to listen to. It’s important that the NAFD keeps pushing on to the next level.”