At a Glance
- Tasks: Support families during difficult times by guiding them through funeral arrangements with empathy and care.
- Company: Join the UK's largest independent co-operative Society, rooted in community values.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, discounts, wellness support, and opportunities for personal development.
- Other info: Flexible working environment with excellent career growth and support for all candidates.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while building meaningful relationships in your community.
- Qualifications: Compassionate nature, strong communication skills, and a full UK driving licence required.
The predicted salary is between 25000 - 32000 £ per year.
Families who’ve experienced a loss need someone they can rely on, who’ll be willing to go the extra mile to make a heart-breaking situation easier to bear. They’ll need someone to carefully guide them during one of the hardest moments of their lives. This is where you can make a real difference. Joining us as Funeral Advisor, you’ll take pride in the day-to-day running of our Funeral homes – supporting our families, ensuring high standards and building trusted relationships. Being a co‑operative member, you’ll be flexible, and cover other Funeral Homes (as required) for sickness and holidays, as well as arranging funerals at the clients’ premises (as required). In this varied role, you’ll blend empathy, organisation and local connection. You’ll be assisting families with all aspects of the funeral arrangement process‑ making sure that they feel well supported and informed.
Some of your key responsibilities will include:
- Through developing your knowledge of all the services we offer (including our coffin range, our choice of masonry and floral tributes), together with actively listening about the person who has died and understanding the families’ wishes, you’ll be able to provide the choices that they need to personalise the funeral service.
- Arrange Funerals‑ paying attention to detail and transparency of cost.
- Communicate clearly and accurately the arrangements between both the family and Funeral Director.
- Administration duties – handling complex information with accuracy, sensitivity and care.
- Making sure that the Funeral Home is kept clean and tidy at all times as well as ensuring the security of the premises (including opening and closing of funeral home i.e. alarms).
- Acting as a co‑operative member, promoting Funeral Services within the local community.
- Build good working relationships with hospitals, nursing homes, local clergy and doctors.
- Comply with all statutory and internal policies and procedures.
Working in our funeral homes means that you’ll need to be comfortable with duties that require you to have close treatment of the person who’s died‑making sure that all activities are carried out respectfully and with dignity. Duties will include daily care checks of the person who’s died, preparation for visiting rooms- in which the coffin lid will be removed and checks carried out to make sure that the person who has died is ready for visiting again.
Please note as of 1st December 2023, new joiners to our Funeral Business will be subject to a standard DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. All offers will be conditional on us receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Due to the nature of this role, you’ll need to bring a compassionate nature and be able to demonstrate active listening skills, enabling you to provide a high standard of support. You’ll need a keen eye for detail as well as the ability to handle complex information with accuracy, sensitivity and care. You’ll be comfortable in building good working relationships, both internally and externally. A full UK Driving licence is essential, together with flexibility and a willingness to travel in the area when required. You’ll need to bring strong communication, organisation and administrative skills. Prior experience in an administration role is desirable.
Everyone is welcome here. We’re happy to make reasonable adjustments so that all our candidates can show us how they’ll perform their role. There is a section in the application form where you can provide any additional information. Please use this section to include any reasonable adjustments you need, and we’ll do our best to support you through our recruitment process.
In addition to our competitive salaries, our colleagues also benefit from:
- Fantastic colleague discount - Reward ££’s and discounts across our Retail and Funeral businesses.
- Retail discounts - our hub offers colleagues access to hundreds of exclusive retail discounts, savings on days out and holiday discounts.
- Colleague Dividend - We pay a share of our profits to eligible colleagues as a thank you for their contribution to our success.
- Colleague recognition - We celebrate our colleague’s achievements both personally and professionally.
- Personalised learning and development - with easy access to a wide range of training programmes.
- Paid time for volunteering - we encourage our colleagues to spend three days per year taking part in volunteering, fully paid for by us.
- Enhanced family friendly policies - to help you feel fully supported during any significant life events.
- Wellbeing Annual health check kit and virtual GP – Finger prick blood test kit, that is sent to Square Healthcare for your personal healthcare report, and access to a virtual GP 7 days a week 8am to 8pm for you and your family.
- Colleague assistance programme – to support you and your family when you need it the most.
- Healthcare Cashplan - your wellbeing is important, so you’ve got the opportunity to contribute into a voluntary plan that helps pay towards a range of healthcare expenses.
- Company sick pay – We offer company sick pay to colleagues so that you can focus on getting better and returning to work in full health.
- Life Assurance - after an initial qualifying period, you’ll get free life assurance cover, that pays your nominated beneficiary if you die while you’re working for us.
- We’ve got you – our colleague wellbeing campaign, making wellbeing benefits and resources accessible and relevant to the role that you do.
- Give as you earn - helping you support charities which mean something to you.
- Financial Wellbeing iTrent Financial Wellbeing (Wagestream) offers something for all our colleagues, whether you want to track your finances, save some money, or access up to 50% of your earned pay flexibly in a way that suits you.
- The Money Co‑op – Free access to support all aspects of your financial wellbeing, such as savings and loans at competitive rates.
- Salary Sacrifice schemes: Electric Vehicle scheme – Option to purchase your EV through salary sacrifice.
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP) – option to buy shares within the Society, where they will attract interest and £10 worth of matching shares.
- Cycle to Work scheme – Option to purchase your bicycle and accessories through salary sacrifice.
- Holiday buy - colleagues can buy up to a week extra of annual leave each year.
- Company Pension - you can access a company pension scheme with us as well as access to Pension wellbeing information.
- Nous – smart assistant that can save you money and time on managing your household bills.
OurCoop is the UK’s largest independent co‑operative Society, with more than one million Members and 13,000 colleagues operating in communities nationwide. It was formed by bringing together Central Co‑op, The Midcounties Co‑operative and Chelmsford Star Co‑op to create a stronger, member‑owned organisation rooted in shared co‑operative values. The Society trades nationally through its family of businesses while remaining deeply rooted in local communities. Its footprint spans Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire in the South and West; the Midlands including Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire; the North including Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire; and the East of England, including Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Funeral Advisor in Coalville employer: Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society
At OurCoop, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and compassionate work environment for our Funeral Advisors. With a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing, we provide extensive benefits including competitive salaries, personalised learning opportunities, and paid volunteering days, all while fostering a culture of recognition and community engagement. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of families during their most challenging times, all within a company that values your contributions and supports your growth.
Contact Details:
Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Funeral Advisor in Coalville
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Funeral Advisor in Coalville
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.