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Thoughts and insights

The dark cloud is lifted from Kirklees bereavement services

After what seems like an eternity, but in reality only two years, Kirklees Bereavement Services have finally announced how the service will be operated in the future.

The question which has taken so long to answer is whether Kirklees Bereavement Services should stay in house with the council or become part of a public-private partnership?

At a meeting which I attended on 29th November 2007, Councilor Martyn Bolt announced that "Kirklees Bereavement Services will be retained in house by Kirklees and that a public-private partnership will not take place." Finally, the public, funeral directors and bereavement services staff know what is happening to the future of the service.

The question is whether this has been a wasted opportunity or a great opportunity for Kirklees to modernize and revolutionize its bereavement services.

There is part of me which think that it has been a wasted opportunity as one of the tenders was of a very high standard. Indeed the standard it set was higher than the benchmark set by Kirklees in the tender document. Maybe it would have been good to have a fresh approach to the service, with new ideas, management, investment and modernization; even though it would have meant that the service would have been run by a private company.

However, there is another part of me which thinks that Kirklees have taken the correct decision. But it is the only the correct decision if the council are actually going to back up the decision with serious investment, improved management and implement the changes and modernization which bereavement services desperately need and the bereaved deserved.

Kirklees must make the investment because if not, why did they turn down a very high standard of tender?

The benchmark for the service must be at least the level of the highest standard tender. If it isn't then the public will be losing out and the decision Kirklees have made would be the wrong one. If this happens, which I hope it doesn't, someone in the council must take responsibility for the decision made.

What's Next?

As Bereavement Services are staying in house, the senior management of Bereavement Services will have to submit an Investment Strategy to the Budget Committee.

This will be a five year Investment Strategy and will go before the committee in February 2008.

Therefore, nothing can be done until the committee approves the Investment Strategy, which I presume and most certainly hope they will.

What's in the Strategy?

Over the five years, 2008 - 2012, Investment is hoped to be around £7 - 8 million and will include:

Changes to Services

The vision of Kirklees Bereavement Services is to be the best in West Yorkshire and maybe the country - I am not keen on the word maybe!

To achieve this, the service will increase and improve the choice and options available to the bereaved people of Kirklees. After years of not fully serving the bereaved as they should have done, customer service will be king!

The options may include:
• A full 5 ½ day working week. This may mean funerals could take place on a Saturday and later in the day during the week.
• Opening on non religious bank holidays
• Green/woodland burial sites operated by Kirklees
• Over-sized cremator at the new Dewsbury Crematorium

Kirklees decision
Opening on a Saturday and non religious bank holidays Ideas how the council can improve the service provided What facilities should the new crematorium have?

Conclusion

I hope I have answered people's questions about the future of bereavement services in Kirklees. There have been a lot of rumors over the last two years but finally the dark cloud has been lifted and we can all look forward to improved services in Kirklees.

It won't happen over night so patience is the key. We are at the start of a long but exciting journey and I trust the senior management of Bereavement Services to deliver a first class service to the people of Kirklees.

I will keep you informed of developments

Warm Regards

Edward Box

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