Mercia Forest Crematorium rated ‘outstanding’ by industry inspector

Mercia Forest Crematorium earned an overall grade of “Outstanding” after being scrutinised by an industry inspector.

Stuart Connelly, an inspector for the Federation of Burial & Cremation Authorities (FBCA), visited the crematorium in May, and he said he found “the level of service provision to be outstanding.”

The Federation is the UK’s principal representative of burial and cremation authorities, providing a range of services to support its members' care for over 400,000 funerals a year.

The FBCA’s Crematorium Compliance Scheme involves scrutinising eight separate key areas of service delivery, covering operational procedures, statutory and regulatory compliance, the quality of service provided and the standard of facilities.

Mercia Forest Crematorium earned a perfect score in the ‘Ceremony Facilities’ and ‘Service and Staff’ categories.

The final report noted: “The inspector was extremely impressed with both the crematorium facilities and the service provided to the bereaved.

“It was evident that the small team is committed to providing an excellent service.

Mercia Forest Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 42 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, and which is trusted by more families than any other provider to deliver funerals for their loved ones.

All Westerleigh's locations are set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance, which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect, while benefiting from exceptional care and support from its teams.

Manager Claire Montague said: “Not all FBCA inspection reports contain additional comments, so to read in this report that the inspector was ‘extremely impressed’ by the facilities and services we provide, as well as noting the commitment of the team here was extremely positive.

“These comments reinforced his score of 100% for Service & Staff, which was particularly pleasing because we put families at the heart of everything we do, and in order to provide them with the exceptional care and support we have built our reputation on, we need to have the right people in crematorium team.

“I am proud of the professionalism and dedication of the Mercia Forest team, who are all so passionate about what they do, and the words of the inspector are a welcome endorsement of the commitment and dedication I see demonstrated every day.

“We are absolutely committed to upholding the highest standards for the families we serve, working closely with industry partners and regulators.

“The inspector had noted that we hold regular meetings with funeral directors to discuss service delivery and support the development of a positive working relationship for the benefit of the bereaved, and he added an additional comment acknowledging that funeral director engagement is considered a priority, which was also pleasing.

“Through collaboration with the FBCA, we ensure quality, compliance and compassionate care, delivering exceptional support and peace of mind to every family we serve.”
Membership of the FBCA is entirely voluntary and not all crematorium operators choose to join.

Westerleigh Group, on behalf all its crematoria, takes great pride in the consistently high standards it upholds across every aspect of its work and that’s why it welcomes the opportunity for its facilities and practices to be independently assessed by industry experts.

Having this independent scrutiny should provide the families and communities it serves with even more reassurance that they can always expect the highest levels of care and support from their local Westerleigh crematorium.

To find out more about Mercia Forest Crematorium, the services it provides, and the exceptional services it delivers, visit:  www.merciaforestcrematorium.co.uk