What is a "Qualified" Funeral Celebrant?

Oct 13
I was contacted last week by a person who described herself as "recently qualified funeral celebrant". I will call her Lesley (not her real name). 

I was very confused by her initial contact, but over a series of emails she was basically telling me this, which I have paraphrased:  

"I qualified a few months ago [as a funeral celebrant] but still need help with the layout of the order of service and other funeral service procedures. Can you help me, please?" 

My initial confusion and disbelief was the way she told me with such confidence that she was a "qualified funeral celebrant" and yet did not know how to pull together and lay out a draft order of service for a Funeral Director to then use. 

It made me reflect on what it actually means to be a "Qualified Funeral Celebrant" and what "qualification" did Linda have?


It is a very basic and fundamental aspect of being a Funeral Celebrant to know how to create a draft order of service after meeting with the next-of-kin and the bereaved family. 

The draft order of service is important because after the meeting you must immediately email this draft to the Funeral Director who has booked you.

The draft order of service allows gives the Funeral Director the information to accurately order the music for the service and to create the artwork for the printed order of service if one has been requested.

You must do this simple task accurately and efficiently because the Funeral Director is waiting for your draft order of service, to delay will hold them up.

Your job should be to make their life easier so they find it great working with you. If they experience that you can't do this simple task swiftly and effectively, you significantly reducing your chance of ever getting booked again. Make sense?

I was staggered that any Funeral Celebrant training could be completed  and the person believe they were "qualified"  when they could not confidently do this basic task. I felt frustrated and disappointed for Linda, and dismay at the organisation who had taken her money to train her.

So what should a "qualified" Funeral Celebrant be able to do?

Look for the following on the syllabus or curriculum of different courses you might consider doing:

  • You should know how to structure and run an effective meeting with a next-of-kin and the bereaved family. 
  • You should be able to demonstrate the practical skills needed to run an effective meeting with a next-of-kin and the bereaved family. 
  • You should be able to know how to put together a personal funeral service that meets the needs of the client. 
  • You should be able to create a draft order of service for a Funeral Director to use following your meeting with the next-of-kin.
  • You should be able to write a dignified and appropriate personal eulogy or tribute for the person who has died.
  • You should be able to efficiently and effectively personalise the whole funeral service so that you delight the client and have a worthwhile and sustainable workload.
  • You should be able to deliver a personal and dignified funeral service on the day that respects funeral etiquette and delights the client and Funeral Director. 

What about the NOCN and City & Guilds Qualifications?

Some celebrant training organisations offer what look at first glance like good, reputable qualifications. I would argue that, in my opinion, it is simply marketing that gives an impression of status. This status, in my view, is not warranted. 

Please do independently verify what I am about to tell you by looking at the NOCN and City & Guilds websites. 

One training organisation proudly offers what is called a "City & Guilds Accredited Programme" and awards a "City & Guilds Successful Civil Celebrant Certificate". Upon checking the City & Guild's website, no such certificate exists.

When I contacted City & Guilds directly about this apparent discrepancy, the City & Guilds employee told me that he had never heard of either the "City & Guilds Accredited Programme" or the "City & Guilds Successful Civil Celebrant Certificate" but he would go away and investigate.

After speaking to his manager, he called me back and told me that the "City & Guilds Accredited Programme" ended 7 years ago. 

Perhaps Linda did this qualification?

The online specification from the provider offering the unknown "City & Guilds Successful Civil Celebrant Certificate"  did not mention "Order of Service" anywhere but it did looked very similar to the specification of the NOCN Level 3 Certificate in Civil Celebrancy in the UK. So I looked at this in more detail. 

The NOCN Level 3 Certificate in Civil Celebrancy in the UK and the NOCN level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy are both OFQUAL qualifications equivalent each to an A' Level. This means that evidence has to be provided that certain assessment criteria has been reached.

The formality of the 8 pieces of coursework that has to be submitted for Certificate and the 17 pieces of coursework for the Diploma (many involve you having to research topics and then write and submit an essay), the internal and external verification processes that must be undertaken before the qualification is awarded, and the fact that you can qualify for a government student loan to pay for tuition fees suggest that these qualifications are rigorous, important and marketing materials often imply that to be an "accredited" celebrant you must have this qualification.

The reality is that no formal qualifications are needed to work as a celebrant and most professional celebrants do not have them. It can take up to 2 years before the final qualification award is given and so whilst many people may start the qualification, most will give up. 

Only when you look at the "small print" of celebrant training organisations that provide these qualifications do they actually tell people that don't need them and that you can work as a professional celebrant without achieving the qualification.

Speaking as a secondary teacher and ex-headteacher with 23 years experience in the field of business and vocational education, the assessment criteria in my view in both the NOCN Level 3 Certificate in Civil Celebrancy in the UK and the NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy is poorly written, vague and sometimes patronising or pointless.

For example: "Explain the process of conducting an interview with a bereaved person or family" is vital to know. But shouldn't people actually be assessed as to whether they can do it rather than just write about it? 

For example: "Describe how to archive email messages including attachments in an email box" Really??????

Nowhere in the NOCN Level 3 Diploma or Certificate will you find any reference to an "Order of Service", nor is it even implied.

Perhaps Linda did this qualification?

Linda did not tell me what qualification she had or who she trained with. I did ask. 

Please do independently verify what I have written about by looking at the NOCN and City & Guilds websites. 
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