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Co-op Group; South Shields; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

30% off Co-op branded products

10% off other brands in Co-op stores

23 days holidays (pro rata)

pension with up to 10% employer

Employee Assistance Programme

virtual GP and eye tests

career development opportunities

Stream money management app access

Job summary

Co-op Group in South Shields is seeking a part-time Funeralcare Assistant to join a friendly team. You will support families, handle preparation, transportation and care of the deceased with professionalism and respect, following health and safety standards.

No prior funeral experience is required as full training and ongoing support are provided; the role includes some physical tasks, a competitive salary with pension, and staff discounts.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills in writing and speaking.
• Confident numeracy including cash handling and invoicing.
• Attention to regulatory policies and processes.
• IT skills to operate devices and systems and learn new apps.
• Passion for delivering great service and building relationships.
• High levels of empathy, discretion and care.
• Ability to perform physical tasks including moving coffins with training.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain positive relationships with clients and the community.
• Support clients in person and over the phone, arranging visits and answering questions.
• Keep the funeral home clean, safe and welcoming; report maintenance issues.
• Work with digital systems to manage client documentation, funeral arrangements and invoicing.
• Refer regulated work like selling funeral plans to Funeral Plan Arrangers.
• Assist with manual handling of coffins and care/prep of the deceased as required.
• Update client management apps with accurate, timely information.

Skills

Communication skills

Numerical skills

Attention to detail

IT literacy

Customer service

Empathy

Physical capability

Tools

Computers

Tablets

Smartphones

Printers

Job description

Part time 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm. Pattern to change in line with the needs of the business. Occasional full time. Availability must be between 9am and 5pm.

South Shields, NE33 4LZ, covering Jarrow, Hebburn and Boldon

Please note all positions within Funeralcare can involve direct physical contact with the deceased as part of normal duties - the amount of contact will differ dependant on role applied for.

Typical duties include but are not limited to preparation, transportation, and personal care of the deceased to be carried out with professionalism, dignity, respect and adherence to health and safety standards.

Please carefully consider your comfort levels with these responsibilities before applying.

Join our friendly team and help families say the perfect goodbye to loved ones.

You don't need previous experience in the funeral industry to apply as we provide full training and ongoing support so you'll have all the tools you need for your new role. You'll also benefit from a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme, and discounts on a range of Co-op products and services.

What you'll do

• build and maintain positive relationships with clients and the community
• support our clients both in person and over the phone, arranging family visits and answering client questions
• make sure that the funeral home -both inside and out-is always clean, safe, and welcoming, maintaining a professional and comforting environment for our clients, as well as reporting and recording any maintenance issue (there will be times when you'll be the only person in branch)
• work with different digital systems and devices (computers, tablets, smartphone applications) to accurately manage client documentation, funeral arrangements and invoicing.
• make sure that all regulated work, like selling and informing clients about our funeral plans, is referred to the Funeral Plan Arrangers
• support with manual handling of coffins and assist in the care and preparation of the deceased (preparing for viewing - hair, make-up etc, moving the deceased and other general responsibilities)
• update client management applications, entering accurate and timely information to ensure records are kept up to date at all times

What you'll bring

• good communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate with clients and colleagues both in writing and verbally
• the ability to confidently work with numbers and doing basic calculations such as cash handling, working out discounts, simple data entry and invoicing
• a keen eye for detail and accuracy, making sure regulatory policies and processes are always adhered to
• good IT skills, with the ability to use a range of technology devices and systems (e.g computers, tablets, smartphones, printers) and the ability to learn and effectively use new applications and systems
• a passion for delivering great service and building relationships
• high levels of empathy, discretion and care
• the ability to carry out the physical elements of the role, such as moving coffins in preparation for family viewings (appropriate training and equipment to ensure safe working practices will be provided)

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we're owned by our members. And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement. We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:

• 30% off Co-op branded products and 10% off other brands in our food stores all year-round, as well as discounts on other Co-op products and services
• 23 days holidays (pro rata, rising with service)
• a pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• access to our Employee Assistance Programme which offers confidential advice and support on anything you're struggling with, 24 hours a day
• access to virtual GP and free eye tests
• endless career development opportunities including apprenticeships
• friendly, supportive team and the knowledge that you make a huge difference to your community
• access to Stream - a money management app that gives you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it

A place you'll belong

We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at Your Co-op Application Journey and our inclusion commitments at Diversity and inclusion at Co-op

If you're successful in your application, we'll perform some background checks as part of our pre-employment screening process. These will include a DBS (disclosure and barring service) and adverse media checks which includes social media activity on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We reserve the right to remove a vacancy before the scheduled closing date.