Coroners Service E-Conference | 20th May 2021 | 10:30am
Estimated length of event: 1 hr
This e-conference is aimed at hospital and coroner staff. Presentations will include topics such as post mortems; the homeless community and death by suicide; support available to bereaved parents; and a new initiative that seeks to limit the burden placed upon the bereaved in having to contact multiple agencies to advise when a death has occurred. More information to follow.
Learning Objectives:
- Insight into the support provided by The Compassionate Friends organisation toward bereaved families, enhancing confidence when signposting the bereaved.
- Awareness of research into suicidality within the homeless community and the recommendations from the research which could lead to a reduction in death by suicide.
- Current advancements in post-mortem imaging, results and development.
- Awareness of ‘Settld’ as an additional service for the bereaved in dealing with financial matters. Confidence to share this information with next of kin to reduce their burden of practical matters while dealing with their loss.
Register now to receive updates on the event.
If you have any further questions regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact the event organisers at: [email protected]
Our Speakers:
ANDREW MILLER QC
Chair of Trustees
The Compassionate Friends
Compassionate Friends will explain the support available to bereaved parents (of any age) and highlight resources available. This information should encourage staff to signpost the bereaved confidently and more effectively.
LANA BOJANIĆ
Research Assistant
The University of Manchester
NCISH will provide insight into the plight of the homeless community and changes which could be made to reduce the number of suicides within this community. The information contained within this study could enhance the recommendations made by Coroners within their Inquest conclusions.
PETER COULSON-SMITH
Business Development Executive
iGene Post Mortem Imaging
iGene post mortem imaging will provide staff with an understanding of how this work has developed and is being utilised in various parts of the country. There has been a huge reduction in the number of pathologists available to carry out standard post mortems and therefore imperative that Coroners staff are aware of the alternative options for future planning.
VICKY WILSON
CEO & Co-Founder
Settld
‘Settld’ is a new initiative established to provide a parallel service to the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, which seeks to limit the burden placed upon the bereaved in having to contact multiple agencies to advise when a death has occurred. Knowledge of this service and confidence to signpost the bereaved has huge potential to limit this additional distress for families. To read more about ‘The Bereavement Standard’ campaign and sign the petition, scroll to the end of the page.
Event Organiser:
ELAINE RIDLEY
Public Sector Development Manager
Finders International
This event is CPD accredited, and contributes to 1 hour of CPD.
If you have watched this event, we would love your feedback. Please click here to leave us some feedback. For every feedback form filled, we will donate £1 to our chosen charities – Age UK & Young Minds.
For those with hearing impairments, we can provide a subtitled version of the event. We can also provide translated subtitles in your chosen language. To request this, please contact us at: [email protected]
The Bereavement Standard would establish:
- An agreed timeframefor companies to respond to bereavement enquiries and settle outstanding customer balances.
- A bereavement customer care email channelfor each company, to directly handle such cases and avoid customers waiting on calls.
- The standardisation of paperworkneeded to close an account, with a view to accepting digital documents whenever possible.
The Bereavement Standard will make it easier for families going through a difficult time. Please sign the campaign to help Settld, help others.
To sign the petition, please follow the link here
Hospital E-Conference 4th February 2021 | 10:30am
If you have watched this event, we would love your feedback. Please click here to leave us some feedback.
For every feedback form filled, we will donate £1 to our chosen charities – Age UK & Young Minds.
Cost: FREE
Estimated length of event: 1 hr 30 mins
We are delighted to bring you our next instalment of our Hospital focused events, with topics relevant to those working within and in association with Hospitals across the UK. We would also like to express the utmost appreciation and gratitude to our essential key workers for their dedication and bravery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Register for the event to begin receiving e-conference updates.
If you have any further questions regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact the event organisers at: [email protected]
Our Speakers:
DR METTE RODGERS
London Lead Medical Examiner
NHS Medical Examiner System
TOBY LEE MANNING & ALY DICKINSON
End of Life Doulas
End of Life Doula UK
ANDY LANGFORD
Clinical Director
Cruse Bereavement Care
A PRESENTATION FROM:
Mental Health First Aid England
Event Organiser:
ELAINE RIDLEY
Public Sector Development Manager
Finders International
For those with hearing impairments, we can provide a subtitled version of the event., We can also provide translated subtitles in your chosen language. To request this, please contact us at: [email protected]
This event is CPD accredited, and contributes to 1 hour of CPD.
The year of COVID-19 – and resilience at its finest
2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for us all and, as it can be assumed that no one has been left untouched by the virus in some way or another, it would be understandable if you were to describe it negatively.
However, the single word I would use to describe this year would be ‘resilient’.
The definition, according to the Oxford English Dictionary is ‘[they] showed great courage and resilience in fighting back from a losing position to win the game’.
While in no way do I imply 2020 has been a game, it is how you respond in the face of adversity. For local authorities, a pandemic will have been prepared for with emergency plans being put into place after years of endless preparation. Staff have had to adapt overnight from working in offices to working from home. The challenges to IT teams have been immense and the strain on already overstretched resources may have even led to sleepless nights for staff struggling to ensure services continue whilst still keeping themselves and colleagues safe.
Similarly, Finders International have had to change with the majority of staff working remotely. While it has been easier for Finders to diverge operations given the smaller scale of staff, it was no mean feat to undertake. Physical resources have been closed, which presented a few issues, however online resources remained available and Finders were able to continue tracing next of kin as usual.
Personally, 2020 has meant I have seen a change in the way I work with face-to-face meetings being postponed. Over the past two and a half years prior to the lockdown, I have had the privilege of meeting many of you in person whether that be in your offices or at one of the many events we have successfully run across the country.
However, in late February it was beginning to look like things were needing to change and quickly as the realisation dawned on many that this crippling virus was not going to go away. Our events were postponed, and we moved our conferences online. Zoom became the new normal with our speakers recording their presentations for our events. Staff have had to adapt, learn and develop new skills to ensure that we provide a quality offering online. Websites have been amended to better suit changing needs, requiring the whole team to pull together.
While we usually have one PHA Funeral event a year, we provided two this year and we have further provided separate events for deputyship teams, private client solicitors, hospitals and coroners, which we are proud to have successfully organised receiving excellent feedback. Furthermore, for each feedback form completed, we donated money to charities working hard to support those that need it the most during this turbulent year.
Whilst we may not know when, or if, things will return to normal, we have still been able to support teams, provide quality material and engage via video conferencing. In the face of adversity, I think we have all shown great resilience and we are looking to further excel our drive to supporting the public sector into 2021 – a year we are all looking upon optimistically.
Have a peaceful and relaxing festive season, but of overwhelmingly more importance, keep well and keep safe.
Hope to see you in 2021.
David Lockwood – Finders International
The PHFIS is intended as a guide for local authorities and hospitals who deal with public health funerals. If you would like to learn more about the PHFIS, watch our past events or require assistance, you can further explore our website here. Alternatively, you can telephone: +44(0) 20 7490 4935 or email: [email protected].
Coroner’s Service E-Conference | 21st January 2021 | 10:30am
If you have watched this event, we would love your feedback. Please click here to leave us some feedback.
For every feedback form filled, we will donate £1 to our chosen charities – Age UK & Young Minds.
Estimated length of event: 1 hr 30 mins
We are excited to bring you our next instalment of Coroner focused events, striving to provide useful information to Coroners Service staff, as we continue our commitment to supporting the public sector.
We will be announcing the speakers topics within the new year. Register for the event to begin receiving email updates.
If you have any further questions regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact the event organisers at: [email protected]
Our Speakers
DR RON DANIELS
Chief Executive Officer
The UK Sepsis Trust
PROF. MARIAN KNIGHT
Maternal Programme Lead
MBRRACE-UK
VICTORIA LEBREC
Head of Policy, Campaigns & Communications
RoadPeace
REV. CHRISTINE COPSEY
Coroners Chaplain
Norwich County Hall
Event Organiser
ELAINE RIDLEY
Public Sector Development Manager
Finders International
For those with hearing impairments, we can provide a subtitled version of the event., We can also provide translated subtitles in your chosen language. To request this, please contact us at: [email protected]
This event is CPD accredited, and contributes to 1 hour of CPD.
BBC Kent Radio talks to our Dementia Champion
Our very own David Lockwood is invited on to BBC Radio Kent’s morning show again this week. This time to discuss his role as a Dementia Friends Champion and how he provides training via Finders International to clients and staff as well as those at this local football club.
Dementia friends, run by Alzheimer’s Society, is an initiative about understanding the condition and making our communities better places to live for those dealing with dementia.
David’s role as Dementia Friends Champion is to encourage others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia in their community. They do this by giving them information about the personal impact of dementia, and what they can do to help. If you and your team would like to become Dementia friends, you can book in a Dementia Friends session (a 45 min presentation) with David via the following email [email protected] . Otherwise, visit https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/WEBArticle?page=become-dementia-friend for more information.
Public Health Act Funerals E-Conference | 28th May 2020 | 10:30am
This event is no longer available to view, find upcoming events here.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Health Funeral Information Service (PHFIS) is moving the live PHA Funerals event online! For the first PHA Funerals E-Conference, we will be discussing topics in association with ‘Pauper’s Funerals’, most relevant to the current health crisis.
Covering subjects such as:
- Crematorium and Cemeteries during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The Medical Examiner System – COVID-19 adjustments
- Research insight into the social management of lone deaths
- How to cope with life under lockdown
- How can Finders International help you?
- And many others…
Our speakers:
DR METTE RODGERS
Regional Medical Examiner for London
NHS: National Medical Examiner System
JULIE DUNK
Chief Executive
Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)
GLENYS CASWELL
Senior Research Fellow
Nottingham University
AMY HOBSON
Managing Director
Wellbeing Collective
DAVID LOCKWOOD
Public Sector Development Manager
Finders International
Hospitals E-Conference : 16th July 2020 | 10:30am
This event is no longer available to view, find upcoming events here.
We look forward to sharing our first Hospitals E-Conference, focusing on topics most relevant to those working within and in association with Hospitals across the UK. Our speakers will be addressing the impacts of COVID-19 within their fields to provide relevant guidance and advice. We would like to express the utmost appreciation and gratitude to our essential key workers for their dedication and bravery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our speakers will cover subjects like:
- Organ Donation
- Bereavement & Mortuary Management
- Bereavement and Mortuary Service response to Covid-19
- Self-care during COVID
- Bereavement Support Services
- Psychological Impact of Covid-19 course materials
Our speakers:
DR DALE GARDINER
National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation
NHS Blood & Transplant
DR SEAN CROSS
Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist
King’s College Hospital
——————–
Visiting Senior Lecturer
IoPPN King’s College London
——————–
Clinical Director, Mind & Body Programme
King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre
——————–
Managing Director, Maudsley Learning
South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
SHAAN MALHOTRA
Group Head of Bereavement & Mortuary Services
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust
AMY HOBSON
Managing Director
Wellbeing Collective
KATIE WATSON
Public Sector Manager
Finders International
Relevant Links:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/psychological-impact-of-covid-19
Coroner’s Service E-Conference - 24th September 2020 | 10:30am
This event is no longer available to view, find upcoming events here.
Estimated length of event: 1 hr 30 mins
The digital event designed to bring information to Coroners Service staff as we continue our commitment to supporting the public sector.
Covering such topics:
- NPSAD reporting criteria
- Anti-psychotic medication and lung disease
- Fentanyl related deaths
- Mental health in the UK during COVID-19
- Promotion of good mental health in the workplace
- Organ donation throughout the pandemic
- Guidance from the Chief Coroner
- Research into social management of lone deaths
- Coroners inquest findings & speaking with next of kin
Our speakers:
DR DALE GARDINER
National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation
NHS Blood & Transplant
FAYE MCGUINNESS
Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes
Mind – Mental Health Charity
DR CAROLINE COPELAND
Director of The National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths
St Georges/ King’s College London
DR GLENYS CASWELL
Senior Research Fellow
(Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences)
University of Nottingham
ELAINE RIDLEY
Public Sector Development Manager
Finders International
Relevant Links:
Mind (Relevant section for all Public Sector)
Glenys Caswell: Details and publications list
If you require further details into the content of the event or our speakers, please do not hesitate to contact the event organiser, Elaine Ridley at: [email protected]
PHA Funerals E-Conference | 19th November 2020 | 10:30am
PHA Funerals E-Conference | 19th November 2020 | 10:30am
Estimated length of event: 1 hr 30 mins
In our next instalment of our Public Health Act Funerals events, we will be hosting another PHA Funerals E-Conference, with an excellent variety of speakers to contribute to the topic of ‘Pauper’s Funerals’.
What you can expect:
- Catching up with Glenys on her research, examining the effects of lone deaths
- Talks with Nick on his role as a Celebrant and how he officiates services for the deceased especially when there is no next of kin
- Nazia provides legal insights into the ownership of a body, in response to questions raised about what to do when someone refuses to give permission to “dispose” of the body
- A talk from Fiona on topics surrounding her experiences and repatriation of a body with consideration to public health act funerals
Our speakers:
FIONA GREENWOOD
Operations Director
Rowland Brothers International Funeral Directors
GLENYS CASWELL
Senior Research Fellow
(Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences)
The University of Nottingham
NICK PULLEN
Independent Funeral Celebrant & Non-Denominational Minister
Fellowship of Independent Celebrants
NAZIA NAWAZ
Lead Partner in Contentious Probate
Ramsdens Solicitors
DAVID LOCKWOOD
Public Sector Business Development Manager
Finders international
Costs of cremations ‘soar’—Daily Mail
The cost of cremations has soared, according to a Daily Mail article published earlier this month (July 2020).
The paper reports that two-thirds of councils have raised their prices by 16 percent, making the average cost £775 (up from £752), despite limited numbers being able to attend funerals because of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funerals are no permitted in churches, but numbers are still limited to allow for social distancing.
‘Pauper’s funeral’
The average cost of cremation was £470 ten years ago. Some councils have reduced their prices, while a quarter of them have frozen what they charge. Quoting from the BBC, the Mail article focused on a widower who compared the lockdown funeral service for wife to a “pauper’s funeral”. Only five people were allowed to attend Neville Wilson’s wife Denise’s send-off after she died of lung cancer in March.
The funeral procession was hearse only with no floral tributes and the family needing to take their own cars to attend the ceremony. The ceremony took place in Coventry, run by the city council there, and was cut from the usual 45 minutes to 15 minutes but still charged at the same price. Mr Wilson said it had felt “unbelievably bad”.
He added that the funeral could not have been any worse “if we’d tried”. Following his experience, Mr Wilson investigated which councils were and weren’t freezing costs in light of reduced service, wondering why Coventry City Council wasn’t doing so.
Upset because they weren’t allowed to attend
He said his two sons were extremely angry because of the funeral service and his wife’s family had been upset because they weren’t allowed to attend.
Councils have defended the price rises, which were agreed before the pandemic, which has also made putting them on more expensive. Service times have needed to be cut so that deep cleaning can be carried out between the services, and this factor has increased costs further.
Down to Earth, a project attached to the charity Quaker Social Action that supports people struggling with funeral costs, condemned the price rises.
The group’s acting manager, Lindesay Mace, told the Daily Mail that the increases in cremation fees were as much as six, seven and even 10 percent in some places since last year. She added that those kid of prices rises were beyond the means of many people, especially because incomes hadn’t risen by nearly as much.
Julie Dunk, the chief executive of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, said councils had needed to invest in environmentally friendly equipment.
Finders International runs a funeral subsidiary fund for Public Health Act funerals. Local authorities or NHS trusts can now ask us for a funeral fund subsidy payment towards the cost of such funerals. These will be cases where there are no known next of kin (rather than someone’s next of kin simply refusing to pay). For more information or to apply for a subsidy, simply contact us at [email protected] or call freephone 0800 085 8796.