Bereavement Servces Manager

Thanet District Council; Acol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in the United Kingdom is looking for a leader for the Bereavement Services Team at their crematorium. This role involves overseeing daily operations, managing a team, ensuring safety compliance, and developing service policies. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication and organizational skills and have relevant experience in similar roles. This is a great opportunity to contribute to public services in a meaningful way.

Qualifications

• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Previous relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Bereavement Services Team.
• Ensure health and safety compliance and undertake regular checks.
• Manage budgets and ensure effective resource use.
• Develop and implement policies for Bereavement Services.
• Support customer-focused performance culture within the team.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the Bereavement Services Team at Thanet Crematorium. You will report to the Head of Neighbourhoods and will work with a small friendly team operating within the public sector providing Cremation and Burial Services to bereaved families and the public.

Overview

We are seeking to appoint a self‑motivated and enthusiastic individual to become part of the Neighbourhoods Service and lead the running of the Cemetery and Crematorium. The main purpose of this role is to lead the direct day to day management, operation, and administration of all aspects of the Bereavement service and associated buildings.

Responsibilities

• Lead and directly line manage (including appraisals, one to one meetings, disciplinaries and support) the Bereavement Services Team.
• Responsibility for ensuring health and safety compliance is maintained by staff, by undertaking regular H&S checks on staff, completing and reviewing risk assessments/safe systems of work and maintaining up to date records; undertaking corrective/disciplinary action as required.
• Manage and responsibility for assigned budgets, including purchase and delivery of large spend items. Maximise value for money through effective use of resources and spending in line with procurement procedures.
• Develop, implement and review policies and procedures in relation to the efficient delivery of Bereavement Services.
• Develop, support and promote a strong customer‑focused performance culture within the team.
• Manage the maintenance of 12 Closed Church Yards.
• Manage the Memorial Stability Programme over the next 20 years.
• Be fully aware of all statutory changes and take responsibility for reviewing service practice and managing change, liaising with the funeral trade, doctors, coroners, Medical Examiners and medical referees and dealing with implications of amendments to burial and cremation Acts.
• Negotiate and oversee Service Level Agreements between Bereavement Services and other Council departments, establishing and negotiating service standards, monitoring delivery and working within budget set for each SLA, revising as necessary.
• Liaise with other members of council staff, councillors, the public and other statutory agencies.

About Thanet District Council

All of this, combined with a flexible approach to how we work, makes it an exciting time to join Thanet District Council. We have set our sights high. We want our residents to enjoy the highest quality services. We want to ensure that by listening to local people, working in active partnership and doing things in an innovative way, we can accelerate improvement to meet the challenges ahead.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have good communication and organisational skills, be able to work on their own initiative and have previous relevant experience.

Disability Confident

We are a Disability Confident employer. A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. In certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.