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How services are provided
Services to the bereaved are provided by the statutory, commercial and voluntary sectors and it can be helpful to understand the differences between them. This information may seem self evident but can easily be overlooked when we are having to cope with all the practical tasks involved after a death when we are also struggling emotionally.
Statutory sector
This includes all services provided by central and local government and the National Health Service.
Most of these services have a basis in law e.g. the NHS was created by law to provide free healthcare to all at the point of need. This means that they have a duty to provide their services. However they often also have a role in ensuring all the legal procedures after a death are properly completed.
Although these services are provided at least partially through central and local government funding, part of their funding may comes from fees e.g. there is a charge for certified copies of death certificates.
The key areas that provide services to the terminally ill and bereaved are:
Commercial services
These services are provided by companies which need to charge for their services to meet their costs. Most will be expected to make a profit for their owners/shareholders and to be able to develop and expand their services. In the area of bereavement they will regard quality of service as vitally important but they are also selling their products to you. When you are very distressed it is easy to pay less attention to value for money or to ‘shop around' in the way you might do at other times. However there often are variations in prices and what can be provided between companies so do not feel at all embarrassed about seeking information and taking time to make a decision.
It is absolutely essential to remember that once you have entered an agreement with a company you have entered a legally binding contract. Please pay attention to the ‘small print' or ask someone who you trust to read and check it for you.
Services provided by commercial companies:
With regard to will writing and carrying out probate, legal professionals work in a variety of settings which include high street solicitor practices and also specialist firms such as probate services and the legal departments of banks. Legal professionals may be either solicitors who are registered with the Law Society or legal executives who are registered with the Institute of Legal Executives.
Voluntary/Third sector
This sector includes the services provided by charities and not-for-profit organisations. Because these organisations often depend on grants and charitable donations there may be limits to when telephone lines are staffed although there will usually be an answering machine at other times.
Many of the support organisations will have a small number or even no paid staff and provide their many of their services through volunteers. Sometimes this means there may be a waiting list especially for counselling support.
This sector includes: