This is a professional course and is the ONLY Civil Funeral Celebrant Training Course that is externally accredited by the Open College Network (www.nocn.org.uk) at Level 3.

The IoCF Council of Management recommends this Civil Funeral Celebrant Training course (detailed below) offered by Civil Ceremonies Ltd, this is a three and a half (3½) day residential course accredited by the Open College Network at Level 3. Passing this course guarantees six (6) months Associate membership of the Institute of Civil Funerals (www.iocf.org.uk)

NOCN is the UK's foremost IoCF sets a national standard
provider of accreditation for the delivery of Civil Funeral
services for adult learning.Ceremonies in the UK

The National Open College Network (NOCN)
The standard of the training course is maintained by robust assessment, through rigorous internal verification and external moderation by the Open College Network moderation system.

The National Open College Network (NOCN) is the leading credit-based awarding body in the UK. It is recognised by the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority), CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment) and ACCAC (Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales).

Civil Funeral Celebrant Training course (detailed below) is a 3½ day residential course

Who is the course for:

Being a Civil Funeral Celebrant involves meeting with bereaved families, usually at home, to develop a funeral to be held at local crematoria and burial grounds. Each funeral ceremony is composed around a personal, accurate tribute to the life of the deceased.

There is no upper age limit; indeed this work may appeal to recently retired or semi-retired applicants who have held professional or senior positions in a wide variety of fields.

The 3½ day residential training course has a reputation for being challenging, hard work and intensive but thoroughly enjoyable and immensely rewarding!

What delegates say:

    "The most challenging course I have ever done"
    "I felt really stretched"
    "By far the most rewarding 3½ days I have ever spent on a course"

Person specification

Here we have listed the personal qualities, attributes and skills required to become a successful Civil Funeral Celebrant:

• A good public speaking voice
• Smart appearance
• Good literary skills and writing ability
• Word processing skills
• Sensitive interview skills
• A genuine interest in improving the quality and choice of funerals available
• A mature, calm, reassuring manner
• Availability on most week-days

No particular academic qualifications are stipulated but there are exacting demands on writing and questioning abilities and on the applicant's self-confidence. In addition, some public speaking experience is essential.

Funerals present varied, unpredictable problems and this is where excellent inter-personal skills are invaluable. These unpredictable situations call for good working relationships with funeral directors, crematorium managers, and others: celebrants will need to develop and maintain their own local networks with such organisations.

Pre-course testing

As such a large element of creating a Civil Funeral Ceremony is dependent on the writing and literary skills of the Celebrant, we send out a short pre-course writing and punctuation test before accepting applicants onto the course.

The pre-course test is not in any way a guarantee of passing the course but it reassures the applicant that they are of an adequate level of literary ability to cope with the demands of the course

If an applicant does not pass the initial exercise, we will make contact and advise the applicant that we believe the course is not suitable and that the applicant would struggle to complete the course successfully.

Pre-course visit to Crematorium

It is a requirement of the course that the applicant visits a local Crematorium. The staff are usually pleased to show you around and will give you a valuable insight into the working of the Crematorium, which is where you will probably conduct most funerals.

Training manual and written theory paper

The trainee receives a fully comprehensive training manual on arrival at the course and reading time is allocated before the start of the course. This manual covers the working of the Funeral Industry in general as well as the specifics of the Civil Funeral Scheme.

There is a 45 minute written theory test on the contents of the manual on the last day of the residential course.

Course Content

There are four elements in passing the course and it is operated on a pass/fail basis. In order to keep the quality standard of Celebrants at the highest level. all four parts of the course have to be 'passed'

  1.  Written paper (based on training manual content)
  2.  Delivered tribute assessment in Crematorium
  3.  Writing and literary skills
  4.  Overall tutor assessment

The course includes:

• Overview of the funeral industry
  
• Interview practice
  
• Tribute writing practice
  
• Talk by Funeral Director
  
• Talk on delivering readings and poetry
  
• Visit to a local Crematorium
  
• Delivery practice with feedback
  
• What makes a 'Good' Funeral
  
• Space and movement at burials and cremations
  
• Individual course assessment feedback
  
• Software training and tuition
  

Candidates are notified of results within a week.

Course Tutors

Course Director – Anne Barber

Anne is Managing Director of Civil Ceremonies Ltd and founder and Chairman of the Institute of Civil Funerals.

For six years previously, Anne was New Project Director at Lifecycle Marketing Ltd. She has been involved in establishing many services with Local Authorities and Registration Districts across the UK, in particular Naming Ceremonies, Renewal of Marriage Vows Ceremonies and Commitment Ceremonies as well as Civil Funerals. Qualifications include a BA (Hons) Degree in Business Studies and an MBA.

Course Leader – Professor Tony Walter

Tony Walter (BA Durham, PhD Aberdeen) is Reader in Sociology, and director of the MAs in Death & Society, at the University of Bath. Tony is a leading sociologist in all matters relating to death in the UK and is inspirational in tutoring of Civil Funeral courses.

He helped found the National Funerals College, and has lectured in the UK, Ireland, USA, Japan and Italy on funerals and funeral reform. Among his 14 books are 'Funerals - and how to reform them' (Hodder 1990), 'The Revival of Death' (Routledge 1994), 'On Bereavement - the culture of grief' (Open University Press 1999), and 'The Mourning for Diana' (Berg 1999).

John Valentine

John is highly experienced in conducting funerals, having conducted literally hundreds. John has written 2 books 'Power Corrupts' (Pluto 1981) and 'Atomic Crossroads' (Merlin 1986). He is a shareholder and Company Secretary of a small masonry contracting company and has been a Justice of the Peace since 1994, working mostly in the youth court.

John tutors all the residential funeral courses and is passionate about the quality of funerals.

Marilyn Watts

Marilyn has a background in Information Technology working as a programmer, Systems Developer and IT Manager. She has also run her own Training and Consultancy Company. She joined Civil Ceremonies Ltd on formation in May 2002 and has been responsible for developing and implementing IT and Training systems, training Scripters for Naming, Renewal of Marriage Vows and Commitment Ceremonies and training Funeral Celebrants.

Marilyn is Systems & Quality Manager for Civil Ceremonies Ltd and her responsibilities include the development and quality of Civil Funerals. She is passionate about raising awareness of Civil Funerals and maintaining high quality. Marilyn is Secretary to the Institute of Civil Funerals.

Course details

Duration :  3½ day Residential
Venue :      The Claret Conf Centre, Huntingdon, Cambs
Cost :         £1995 inclusive of vat. (£1697.87+vat)
(6 month payment scheme available)

The cost is fully inclusive of
  — 3 nights + 3 days full board at the St Claret Conference Centre
  — Fully comprehensive training manual
  — Fully comprehensive software training manual
  — CD Rom software and training

Dates 2008:
25–28 Feb 2008 (Full)
07–10 Apr 2008
02–05 June 2008
08–11 Sept 2008
24–27 Nov 2008

Venue

The Claret Conference Centre, Buckden, Huntingdon, Cambs
More information and a brief history of The Claret Conference Centre can be found by visiting the link.

  — Bedrooms are on the first floor and there are no lifts!
  — There is a no smoking policy at the centre.
  — All rooms have tea and coffee making facilities
  — This very comfortable venue is a 'retreat' and is therefore not
      of the hotel style (some bathrooms are situated next to
      bedrooms rather then en suite).

If you think you are the right sort of person to train as a Civil Funeral Celebrant but would like to discuss your interest with us a little more before booking, please call us on Tel: 0845 0048608 (local rate) to learn more about the training course and discuss your interest.

Booking

Call us on 0845 0048608 (local rate) to reserve a place.

Email: info@iocf.org.uk

Courses have a maximum of 12 trainees
The course is very popular and early booking is recommended

PLEASE NOTE:

The course is operated on a pass/fail basis.
The current pass rate is 93%.