Blog & Views

Since the Competition and Markets Authority published its interim report on the UK funeral market, independent funeral directors have been leading a conversation about customer protection. How can we develop discussions on quality of service and price transparency?

Whilst caring and professional independent funeral directors can and should be immensely proud of the work they do, the Competition and Markets Authority's interim report on the funeral market is a wake-up call for the wider profession. Read our response here.

More than 300 funeral homes are offering free bereavement counselling to families, thanks to SAIF Care. If you're an independent funeral director, can you afford not to do this?

How will trade associations support independent #funeral directors in a post-regulation world? Some of the answers are offered in this sage article by Scottish SAIF quality inspector, Joe Murren.

Calling all independent funeral directors: if you have a website, SAIF encourages you to display your prices online as soon as possible to help bereaved families make better choices.

A very sad story and our thoughts are with the family. Birmingham City Council should consider the length of crematorium time slots, and waive the late fee on this occasion and opt for a bit of humanity over rigid bureaucracy.

If you're a SAIF member who really wants to add value to the families you serve, please take a look at @SAIFCare, our special counselling initiative that is making a huge difference to bereaved people.

It's never too early to start thinking about the next SAIF AGM. Book your space for the 2019 event today and cross that task off your to-do list.

If you're looking for information on how to help families better personalise funerals, this great new book by Sarah Jones, of SAIF member Full Circle Funerals, is just the ticket. It's currently a best seller on Amazon no less! Great work, Sarah. 👏

We're incredibly proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the National Counselling Society aimed at widening help and support for bereaved people.

Selling your independent funeral business? Don't let it become part of a large chain. Take a look at SAIF Acquisitions and find a like-minded buyer for your firm. #keepitindependent

SAIF Education Day 2018 has been a tremendous success - a huge thank you to all our speakers, exhibitors and delegates for making it a truly wonderful day. Wishing everyone a safe journey home and looking forward to seeing you at the next SAIF event.

Good morning! We're very excited about welcoming delegates to today's Education Day in sunny Leicester. We've some brilliant speakers lined up, covering key topics including death certification, funeral plans and bereavement counselling to name but a few.

This young SAIF member has captured people's hearts with a tremendous act of kindness. 👏👍

One of the best ways a funeral director can demonstrate to bereaved families they care about standards is to be a member of a trade association, like SAIF, and adhere to a code of practice.

The Competition & Markets Authority this week released the findings of its consumer research into the funeral profession. Read our response here:

SAIF welcomes today's call from the Royal College of Physicians for doctors to start early conversations about death with patients and families. A change in culture could help people to better plan their funeral arrangements and make funerals less of a distress purchase.

We're very excited about the upcoming SAIF Education Day on October 31. We've got some fantastic speakers lined up including James Daley, of Fairer Finance, who featured on ITV Tonight's recent documentary on funeral plans. Limited spaces remain. To book: https://saif.org.uk/events/saif-education-day-2018-31st-october-2018/

Read our thoughts and advice following last night's ITV documentary #paynowdielater. https://saif.org.uk/2018/10/funeral-plans-talk-to-a-funeral-director/

There are lots of good reasons to choose a SAIF member to conduct a funeral & here a few we like: 1. They're independent and family run 2. Offer better value than large chains 3. They adhere to a strict code of practice https://saif.org.uk/why-choose-a-saif-member/