Independent funeral directors: local people, professional care

What is an independent funeral director?

An independent funeral director is a funeral business that is privately owned and is not part of one of the large national funeral groups.

Some are family businesses that have served the same community for several generations. Others are newer independent firms built by experienced local funeral professionals.

SAIF, the trade association focused on independent and mostly family-owned funeral businesses, describes its members as locally rooted firms supported by professional standards and a code of practice.

They commonly have:

• an established local funeral home;
• identifiable people responsible for your family’s care;
• their own professional staff and facilities;
• knowledge of nearby crematoria, cemeteries and places of worship;
• flexibility over the funeral arrangements;
• personal accountability within the community.

Independence alone does not automatically prove quality. Premises, professional facilities, training, procedures, transparency and the way families are treated all matter.

That is why Best does more than check who owns the business. We carefully select the funeral director appointed for each area according to the standard of care they can provide.

Why families choose an independent funeral director

Local people you can speak to

You know which business is responsible for the arrangements and who is caring for your loved one.

The local funeral director becomes your main point of contact, giving you greater continuity from the first conversation through to the funeral.

Established local premises

A good independent funeral director will have appropriate premises, trained people, professional equipment and suitable facilities for caring for the person who has died.

These parts of the service may not always be visible to a family, but they are central to the quality of care provided.

Local knowledge

The team will understand nearby:

• crematoria and cemeteries;
• churches and other places of worship;
• celebrants and ministers;
• hospitals and registration services;
• procession routes;
• reception venues;
• local faith and community requirements.

Personal funeral choices

An independent funeral director can usually provide a wide range of funerals, from a simple attended service to a traditional funeral, burial, religious ceremony or personal celebration of life.

The arrangements are shaped around your family and the funeral director’s own services, instead of being imposed as one rigid national package.

Local accountability

Independent funeral businesses depend heavily on their reputation in the community. The people making decisions are often closely connected with the service families receive.

Is the funeral home genuinely independent?

A familiar family name above the door does not always tell you who owns the business.

UK funeral directors must make certain ownership and pricing information available on their websites and at their premises. This includes the Standardised Price List, payment terms and details of the company that owns the funeral home.

Before placing someone into a funeral director’s care, you can ask three straightforward questions.

1. Who owns the funeral home?

Ask whether it is privately owned or belongs to a wider funeral group.

There is nothing wrong with asking directly. A funeral director should be able to explain the ownership clearly.

2. Where will my loved one be cared for?

Ask where the professional care takes place and whether the funeral home has its own mortuary facilities.

You may also wish to ask who will be responsible for identification, preparation and care before the funeral.

3. Who will arrange and conduct the funeral?

Find out whether you will have a named local contact and whether the same business will provide the staff, vehicles and funeral on the day.

With Best, these questions form part of the selection process. We consider the people, premises, facilities, procedures and local service before appointing a Best Funeral Director for an area.

What Best checks before selecting a funeral director

Best works with one carefully selected independent funeral director in each defined local area.

Our assessment considers:

• the reputation of the business;
• the standard of care offered to families;
• experienced and trained people;
• suitable professional premises;
• mortuary facilities and equipment;
• vehicles used to provide the funeral;
• local knowledge;
• transparent pricing;
• the range of funerals available;
• the ability to provide responsive support.

The funeral director remains fully independent and delivers the funeral through its own business and local team.

Best provides the national reassurance, initial guidance and standards framework. And the local Best Funeral Director provides the professional funeral care.

That gives families a simple route to an established local business without having to judge several unfamiliar companies at one of the most difficult times in their lives.

See how Best selects funeral directors.

What can an independent funeral director arrange?

Your local Best Funeral Director can help you arrange the funeral that feels right for your family.

This may include:

• a traditional attended funeral;
• a simple attended funeral;
• cremation with a service;
• burial in a cemetery or churchyard;
• a religious funeral;
• a civil or humanist ceremony;
• a celebration of life;
• chapel-of-rest visits;
• personalised music, readings and tributes;
• repatriation where specialist arrangements are needed.

They can also advise on practical local matters such as the venue, timings, procession route, burial availability and service length.

Independent care at a fair and transparent price

An independent funeral director is not automatically the cheapest choice, and price alone does not show the standard of care being provided.

Ask for:

• the Standardised Price List;
• the Additional Options Price List;
• a written, itemised quotation;
• details of crematorium or cemetery fees;
• confirmation of anything optional;
• an explanation of payment terms.

All UK funeral firms are required to make specified pricing and ownership information easily available.

Best is built around excellent local care at a fair and transparent price. The final cost of a funeral is based on the local Best Funeral Director’s price list and the choices your family makes and the Best Price Promise provides further reassurance about value.

The reassurance of Best. The care of a local independent funeral director.

Families should not have to judge professional premises, mortuary care and behind-the-scenes procedures from a website or shopfront alone.

Thankfully, Best has already carried out the difficult part of the decision.

When you arrange a Best Funeral, the service is then delivered by the independent Best Funeral Director appointed for your area.

You receive:

• one carefully selected local provider;
• clear guidance from the first call;
• professional care delivered locally;
• an established funeral home and local team;
• the Best Care Promise;
• fair and transparent pricing;
• Best remaining available if support is needed.