Department of Place

Sport & Culture Service

ASSISTANT BEREAVEMENT SERVICES OFFICER  

Band 6: £17,772 pa - £20,138 pa

2 x 37 hours per week

Based mainly at Oakworth Crematorium once qualified

The Code of Practice on the English language requirement for public sector workers, Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, requires that Councils ensure that all candidates applying for customer facing posts must be assessed in order to establish their fluency in English.

The criteria under special knowledge and experience on the job profile which is shown in this advert, outlines what level of fluency you will be expected to demonstrate.  Therefore, it is essential that you provide examples in your application.

The Bereavement Service has a requirement for 2 officers to assist in the operation of the Councils Crematoria. The wider team provides a high quality and sensitive service to a wide range of faiths and cultures across the District in the administration and delivery of over 4000 funerals per year. Twenty three staff manage and operate 24 cemeteries and 3 Crematoria split between area offices in Bradford and Keighley each under the management of one Senior Bereavement Services Officer.  

Assistant Bereavement Services Officers (ABSOs) provide the first line of contact with the general public, funeral directors and the bereaved at the Crematorium. Together with oversight of, and support for, any funeral ceremony within the building, ABSOs are also responsible for carrying out the cremation process in the most efficient manner and in accordance with the Industry Code of Practice. Building cleaning and cremator maintenance duties are also involved together with completion of critical but routine paperwork.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate a wide range of skills and attitudes in dealing with members of the public in sensitive situations together with the competence and resilience to operate the cremators and other ancillary equipment.

On the job training will be given together with formal training towards achieving the Crematorium Technicians Certificate which, under normal circumstances, must be obtained within 4 months.

The basic week is 37 hours, 9am – 5pm (4.30pm Friday), although management reserve the right to require periods of 8am – 4pm to meet the needs of the service. There is also the requirement to work extended hours should the need arise to complete the cremation process.

For further information regarding this post please contact Antonio Smith on x 5574 or email antonio.smith@bradford.gov.uk