Useful Information

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Funeral arrangements are normally made following the registration or upon completion of a Coroner’s enquiry.  However, should there be a delay, we would be happy to see you sooner to make provisional arrangements.  We ask you to make an appointment to arrange a funeral, so that we can ensure a funeral director is available to talk to you. The funeral director will need to have in due course, the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form) which the registrars will have given you when you registered the death.

Your appointment with our funeral director will take around one hour, depending on the level of detail that you wish to discuss and the complexity of the arrangements and funeral service. Our funeral directors hold the National Association of Funeral Directors Diploma.

If a person has died elsewhere in the UK or overseas, we can make arrangements for transportation back to our premises for a local funeral.  We can also handle arrangements when a person has passed away in this area and the funeral service is to be held elsewhere, as we have very close links with all parts of the country through our professional associations. We are also experienced in funeral arrangements to and from other countries and the various regulations and documents required.

We will need to discuss with you the following items:

• Burial or cremation – Local options would be explained to you. If you require a funeral outside the area, we would be more than happy to assist.
• If cremation is requested, we can advise you of the options available for the interment or scattering of cremated remains.
• Format of the service, including liaison with a minister or civil celebrant. This can include readings and other personal touches and may also involve both a church service and a short committal service at a crematorium, or services of thanksgiving or a memorial service.
• Requirements for transportation, e.g.motor hearse, motorcycle hearse, horse drawn hearse, how many limousines you require.
• Requirements for coffin type and, for cremation, cremated remains caskets can also be discussed.
• Music – The choice of music would depend on the style of service, either religious or non-religious. Hymns chosen by the family are often sung.  We have a full and comprehensive list of hymns and music available on the computerised music system at local crematoria. Webcasts and photo tributes are also available – please ask for details. We can also arrange for a more traditional organist if you wish.
• There will be a number of forms to be signed, and also we ask that you make us aware of any specific wishes of the deceased regarding their funeral details.
• We will discuss with you whether you would like family flowers only or general flowers and/or donations to a charity of your choice.

REGISTRATION OF A DEATH

Once you have received the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the doctor, hospital, hospice or other place of death you will need to make arrangements to register the death.  Funeral  Directors are unable to register a death.  This is normally done by the next of kin or an executor of the deceased.  All of our local registrars now operate an appointment system, therefore please telephone them before visiting, a full list of contact details for the local registrars can be found HERE  It normally takes between 15 and 30 minutes to register a death, we can assist with Registrars outside the area, please ask if this is the case.

The Registrar will require the Doctors Medical Certificate of cause of death.  The Registrar will also need to know the date and place of death, together with the full name and surname (including maiden name) date and place of birth, occupation, usual address and whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension.  The registrar will issue you with a green certificate, which the funeral director requires as soon as possible.

Whilst you are at the registrars it is also advisable that you purchase copies of the entry into the register.  Banks, building societies and insurance companies will require sight of these to close accounts but they may not necessarily keep them, they will not always accept photocopies.

Worcestershire also operate a “Tell Us Once” system whereby they can deal with anything Government related for you (e.g blue badge, pension, driving licence).

H M CORONER

If a death occurs unexpectedly the Deceased may be transferred to the coroners mortuary by the coroner’s appointed funeral director. However you may select your own choice of funeral director to continue with the funeral arrangements on your behalf.

There are various reasons why a death may have to be reported to the Coroner by a Doctor or by the Police.  The Coroner’s duty is to establish the cause of death when a doctor is unable to certify.  If this is the case, relatives will be kept informed of the situation by the Coroners Officer and they will be advised when they will be able to register.

GDPR/PRIVACY POLICY

Who are we?

• We are E J Gumery and Son, 68/70 Ombersley Road, Worcester WR3 7EU

What information do we collect from you?

• We collect name and contact details from enquirers and clients

Why do we collect this information?

• To reply to your enquiry and/or provide funeral services and plans to our clients.

What do we do with this information?

•  We contact you to assist with funeral enquiries and arrange the funeral.
• We make funeral arrangements with third party suppliers.
• We arrange funeral plans on your behalf with Perfect Choice.
• We do not use your information for marketing purposes.

Who might we share your information with?

•  Our third party suppliers e.g. credit reference agency, the crematorium or cemetery, minister or celebrant, doctors, florists, musicians, venues, newspaper for obituary, online memorial site, vehicle hire company, hired bearers and temporary staff, catering venues etc. Charities for donations administration. Department of Works and Pensions.
• Perfect Choice to arrange a funeral plan

How long do we keep your information?

•  Up to three months after you contact us or the date of the funeral, or longer if necessary to fulfil your funeral services.
• We keep records of funerals indefinitely in case the family contact us again in the future.

How can I access the information you hold about me?

•   Please contact our office

What information do we collect from you?

The personal data we would like to process on you is:

Why do we collect this information?

The personal data we collect will be used for the following purposes:

•  To reply to enquiries about our services.
• For the professional fulfilment of the funeral service as instructed by you including working with third parties on your behalf.
• For the account and full payment of the funeral service.
• For the pre-paid funeral plan if applicable and instructed by you.
• We keep details of funerals on file so we have a record for future reference; e.g. if the family gets in touch in the future and asks for a similar funeral.

Our legal bases for processing for the personal data are:

• Taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract with you.
• Performance of the contract to provide funeral services as instructed by you.
• Our legitimate interest in being able to provide a similar funeral to a previous one on request by the family without having to ask too many questions at a difficult time for the family.

What do we do with this information?

We will process your personal data to achieve the above purposes as follows:

• To share your data from your original enquiry made to us either by phone, online website form, paper letter or in person, or a third party source, with our colleagues in order to assist you with a funeral enquiry including the removal of the deceased.
• To store your data along with the deceased information on our computer system and in our archive system in case of future historical reference to funeral details is required such as the provision of exhumation, repeat of family services, plot information etc.
• To contact you by telephone, email and paper communications to be able to make all the necessary funeral arrangements on your behalf.
• To visit you if you instruct us to your home address or mutually convenient place in order to make the funeral arrangements.
• To pass on your details to our third party suppliers, including if applicable the crematorium or cemetery, minister or celebrant, doctors, florist, musician, venues, newspaper in the case of an obituary, online memorial site in the case of a online memorial being set up, vehicle hire company, hired in bearing and temporary staff or freelancers, catering venue etc.
• To pass on your details if you apply for a pre-paid Perfect Choice plan or make a pre-paid funeral plan enquiry.
• To keep the full details until the account has been paid in full. Thereafter, or 3 months after the funeral (whichever is the later) all paper details are destroyed and one copy summary client record is kept securely in a locked place and in our secure server.
• To pass on your details to our debt collection agency and solicitor if the payment terms are not met.
• To contact you to make arrangements for the return of the deceased cremated remains to you or as instructed by you elsewhere.

We do not use your information for marketing purposes.

We will only transfer your personal data outside the United Kingdom to the extent we need to make funeral arrangements with third parties in another country: e.g. where the deceased or remains are to be collected from abroad or where a funeral is arranged abroad.

Who might we share your information with?

E J Gumery and Son will not pass on your personal data to third parties without first obtaining your consent to our instructing them to provide the particular service required. The following third parties may receive your personal data for the following purpose(s):

•  Doctor(s) if medical certification is required/applicable.
• An embalmer for the deceased if required/applicable.
• Local crematorium for the purpose of organising cremation of the deceased.
• Local cemetery for the purposes of organising burial of the deceased.
• A nominated minister or celebrant for the purpose of arranging details of the funeral service.
• A local musician for the purpose of liaising with you for your musical choices for the funeral service.
• Newspapers for the purpose of arranging obituary notice(s).
• An online music supply company to arrange music at the crematorium.
• A florist for the purpose of arranging the flowers for the funeral service.
• A venue for the purpose of holding the reception as part of the funeral service.
• A caterer for the purpose of arranging the details of the funeral reception.
• A vehicle hire company or transportation agency including the provision of horses for the purpose of transport of the deceased and cortege at the funeral.
• A printer or designer if creating the funeral service sheets externally.
• Memorial site if providing an online tribute page for the deceased.
• Perfect choice if an application or enquiry for a pre-paid funeral plan is made.
• Debt recovery company/solicitor for the purpose of recovering monies due.
• Charities for the administration of donations.
• Department of Works and Pension for the purpose of confirming claimants details.

How long do we keep your information?

E J Gumery and Son will process personal data for up to three months after you contact us or the date of the funeral/for as long as is necessary to allow us to fulfil your funeral services and will securely store the personal data indefinitely so we have a record of the funeral for the purposes stated above.

How do I access the information you hold about me?

Your rights as a data subject.

• Right of access – you have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.
• Right of rectification – you have the right to correct data that we hold about you that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to be forgotten – in certain circumstances you can ask for the data we hold about you to be erased from our records.
• Right to restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply to have a right to restrict the processing.
• Right of portability – you have the right to have the data we hold about you transferred to another organisation.
• Right to object – you have the right to object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.
• Right to object to automated processing including profiling – you also have the right to object to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.  We do not carry out automated processing or profiling.
• Right to judicial review: in the event that E J Gumery and Son refuses your request under rights of access, we will provide you with a reason as to why. You have the right to complain as outlined below.

All of the above requests will be forwarded on should there be a third party involved (See ‘Who might we share your information with’) in the processing of your personal data.

Please note that the above legal rights apply to the personal data we hold about you, as a living person, rather than any data relating to the deceased.

Complaints

In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is being processed by E J Gumery and Son (or third parties as described in ‘Who might we share your information with’), or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint with us or directly with the supervisory authority.

Supervisory Authority contact details:

Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 E J Gumery and Son contact details:

 E J Gumery and Son,

68/70 Ombersley Road,

Worcester

WR3 7EU

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