Funeral Arranger Review

Item: Funeral Arranger at The Co-op
Rating: 5
Author: Anonymous

at The Co-op

Level 2 Apprenticeship

Business Operations

Bedlington

Review Submitted: May 2022

Overall Rating

5 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

5/5

I take calls from bereaved families and help arrange the funeral. I do day to day admin, cleaning and walk-ins. I sell funeral plans. I take care of the deceased and their families. I answer the phone and deal with emails and requests. I am a lone worker mostly, so have associated responsibilities, opening/closing the office.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

5/5

My trainer is excellent, I have a great relationship with her and can talk openly and honestly. The other trainers I have met on workshops are really good too, very passionate and engaging. We are mostly doing meetings via teams, and there is a good mix of people and personalities, although I prefer face to face. I am enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would, I think I was overthinking it.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

Everything I do in my job has been learnt over the last 18 months, as prior to that I was a Store Manager in Food retail. A lot of learning initially was e-learning and I allocated myself additional training so I had an awareness of other aspects of the business. Attended a dementia awareness course (self allocated)

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

5/5

Extremely well structured, I know what to expect all throughout my apprenticeship, and roughly how long it will take. I know what is expected of me and when. Like I mentioned previously I have a great relationship with my trainer and can talk to her about anything. Any support I need I know is there, from her and from my manager and colleagues who have already done their apprenticeship.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

I have amazing support from my manager, mentor and my colleagues who have completed their apprenticeship. I know if I had issues I can approach any of them for guidance

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

5/5

I haven't really had much interaction with the training provider, other than the actual coursework. i do feel if I had any issues I could reach out

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

5/5

Because the course is very structured, and in bite size chunks, it is giving me the chance to learn something and then put it into practice. I absolutely feel I am learning so much about my job and also what the back of house etc team do

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

5/5

Nothing official, however the occasional night out happens, usually around the christmas time where everyone is invited. If there is something special like a baby shower, there is an email sent round to invite everyone. The Coop is heavily into community activities, and it is encouraged to get involved.
When I am not working, I take advantage of having every weekend off and spend it with my family. Having worked weekends and 6 am starts for about 30 years, I really appreciate a monday to friday 9-5 job.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend The Co-op to a friend?

Yes

Why?

I have worked for the Coop since 1986, mostly as a food store manager, and came over to funeralcare august 2020. I completely agree with their ethics and what they stand for. I can honestly say I absolutely love my job and it is so rewarding

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to The Co-op?

Just be yourself. I didn't enjoy the interview process as normally I am the one doing the interviewing! The induction and support I have had has been great. I was buddied up with a couple of colleagues and encouraged to ring them, even if it was for a chat. The experiences I have shared with clients has been amazing, and I love the fact that I am helping people when they are at their most vulnerable. It is a very rewarding job, when a client says thank you. I have gained so much confidence since I started doing this job.
My first day was a bit different, as I was shown a deceased, just to make sure I could handle it. I think this is the right decision, however no-one warned me about the very strange dreams I would have!!!

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