Agenda item

To consider an update report in respect of the Bereavement Services contract with Dignity, Ltd.

Consideration was given to an update report with respect to Bereavement Services, specifically the performance delivery by partner organisation Dignity Funerals, Ltd. This report followed from the previous discussion which had taken place at the December 2019 meeting. The report included an update on the permanent extension of latest burial time at East Herringthorpe Cemetery, following a successful pilot. The report also included the active plans to reschedule a member visit to the cemetery which had been cancelled due to coronavirus. The report addressed 54 key performance targets, providing an update on performance against each of the measures. Two performance targets had not been met at the time of the annual report: provision of environmentally friendly burials and secure storage for registers and records.

In discussion, Members inquired as to the latest status of secure storage arrangements. The representative from Dignity provided assurance that as of the current day all records were located in secure storage, and appointments could be made to view these records.

Members also requested more information about how chapel repairs were handled. Officer indicated that an initial meeting had been scheduled for the 28 September with officers in Bereavement Services and Asset Management to address the four sites in Rotherham that have disused chapels. Meetings with Friends of the Cemetery groups have located possible funding that these organisations could be eligible to apply for. Good practice has also been considered. It is requested that the outcome of these meetings be circulated to ward members.

Members sought clarification around capacity, as capacity had been measured in ‘years’ and such metrics may be no longer appropriate if rates of need had grown during coronavirus. Officers provided assurances that sites had been identified by the working group, and currently legal were examining and testing for expansion is underway. Results were awaited to add on to the burial sites, which if possible, would allow for many more years of burials at Wath, including environmentally friendly burials. Asset management have also visited a Maltby site. Some sites had been declared not as suitable as originally hoped, but a potentially better site had been identified.

Members also requested more information around the reasons that arrangements had not yet been made to be able to provide environmentally friendly burials. The representative from Dignity supplied information that the first draft on the consultation had been completed and with Bereavement Services that same day. Further details of the timeline for arrangements were provided, extending through the autumn. Three sites had been identified and visited.

Further, a question was raised around availability of refrigerated coffin space during the pandemic. Assurances were provided that daily monitoring processes were put into place during the pandemic, one of which was monitoring the availability of storage whether it was at the mortuary or at the funeral director’s. There was additional temporary storage put in place at the Rotherham hospital, which is still in place. Any issues that surface are noted quickly, therefore the service was confident that it was prepared to respond to any increase in deaths, even given seasonal fluctuations and the pandemic situation.

Members also sought clarification around the topic of DIY curb sets, given the health and safety concerns. The DIY curb sets were those placed by families, and these are often not compliant with health and safety regulations. These can present challenges to maintenance as well. The presence of any DIY curb sets will be addressed concurrently with the upcoming safety testing and assessment of the memorials.

Members thanked the representative of Dignity for their work in completing so many of the objectives. A follow up with the member was offered after the meeting regarding the collaborations with Friends of societies.

Members noted the advantages of working with “Friends of” Societies and looking at best practices in addressing disused Chapels. It was hoped that future discussions could include a consideration of alternative funding methods of churchyard and burial area maintenance, since conventional avenues for these groups to source funding had been compromised by the pandemic. In response, further input from Members was welcomed as the meetings with Friends of groups were being undertaken with a view to making these meetings as helpful as possible. Through the neighbourhoods team, the service had maintained an ongoing conversation with Parish Councils. Upcoming meeting times were clarified for Members as well.

Resolved:-

1. That the content of the report be noted.

2. That the annual performance report be noted.

3. That the permanent extension of latest burial time at East Herringthorpe Cemetery be noted

4. That progress in respect of digitisation of burial records be submitted in the next update.

5. That the next update be provided in 12 months, to include information on land use.