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National Association of Funeral Directors (N.A.F.D.)

Why choose a NAFD member?

No one ever wants to organise a funeral but when the inevitable happens it is reassuring to know that a National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) member firm will guide you through the process and help you make arrangements at what can be a very upsetting time.

For over a hundred years the NAFD has been dedicated to maintaining the highest of standards throughout the funeral profession to ensure bereaved families receive the advice and support they need and deserve. The NAFD represents a broad spectrum of funeral directing businesses, which conduct around 85% of all UK funerals.

Whether you choose a large corporate group, an independent family-owned business or a Co-operative firm, you can rest assured that an NAFD member upholds the highest professional standards.

How are they different?

Regardless of your circumstances, NAFD members will offer you help and advice, and many operate a 24-hour telephone service so you can contact them whenever you need their support. NAFD members have access to a wide range of business services to ensure they are up to date on key issues and able to fulfil their core objective of supporting the bereaved.

It is very easy to become overwhelmed by the responsibilities that arise when you lose a loved one, so NAFD members are the first to support initiatives that will help ease the pain at this difficult time. The NAFD is the principal partner in the Bereavement Advice Centre, a not-forprofit organisation that provides you with a free, single contact for practical information on what to do when someone dies as well as information on NAFD members in your local area.

The award winning funeral portal www.nafd.org.uk is also an invaluable source of information. It contains details of all aspects of the funeral process and explains the funeral director’s role. You will find answers to the questions most frequently asked by those who take on the responsibility of making funeral arrangements. There is also a search facility to help you quickly and easily identify NAFD member firms in your vicinity.

Repatriation is an increasingly common requirement, but is not as daunting as it may seem. Although not all NAFD member firms provide repatriation services themselves, they have the support of the NAFD to ensure they can advise you on the processes involved within the UK and overseas. With the help of a free repatriation helpline, set up by the Association, NAFD members can put you in touch with people who are experienced in this area.

The National Association of Funeral Directors works closely with The Bereavement Register, which was set up to help families avoid the upset of receiving direct mail for the deceased. Registering the deceased’s details with this free service removes them from company mailing lists, while TBR Call Guardian – which is part of The Bereavement Register – screens all telemarketing calls for a six month period without impacting on personal calls to that number.

High Standards

The National Association of Funeral Directors demands high professional standards so, in order to be accepted into membership, funeral firms are assessed against strict criteria. Members of the NAFD are then required to abide by a stringent Code of Practice and are monitored regularly to ensure a high quality of service is maintained.

Occasionally, things do go wrong, and the Association’s Professional Standards Board is on hand to investigate complaints about the conduct of members. Meanwhile, the Funeral Arbitration Scheme was established by the NAFD – in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – to help resolve disputes between bereaved families and NAFD members through independent conciliation and arbitration.

Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (S.A.I.F.)

The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) is a trade association whose members are all independent funeral directors. The funeral service they offer is not part of a national or international conglomerate or chain, but is privately owned and managed. In fact, a large proportion of our members funeral homes have been run by the same family for generations.

Independent funeral directors are known for their high standard of service and a caring, traditional approach to their local communities, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. SAIF has approaching 700 members nationally. By choosing a SAIF member when the need arises, you are therefore assured of a trusted and caring professional who is dedicated to serving the needs of the community.

In order to become a member of SAIF, a firm must have a trading history and/or extensive experience and/or qualifications in funeral service, must agree to comply with the code of practice and must undertake a premises inspection. Only when all these criteria are met, does the Society’s Executive Committee meet to discuss the application when it is either accepted or rejected.

SAIF has a committee set up specifically to monitor these criteria and strives to continually improve upon standards. If a member does not maintain standards a disciplinary procedure has been established which runs in conjunction with a complaints procedure.

To find out more about the standards you can expect, please see our detailed code of practice. To locate a SAIF funeral director in your area, please use our search facility

National Association of Monumental Masons (N.A.M.M.)

Code Of Ethics

The following are the standards of trading which members of the Association are required to observe: