SAIF Care
Elsewhere we explained that our associate membership of SAIF, the independent Funeral Director’s association, entitles SICA members to access to the SAIFSupport line. Another service that SAIF provides is SAIF Care. This is a nationwide service for any bereaved people under the care of a SAIF funeral director.
As celebrants we inevitably build strong relationships of trust with the families and friends that we work with. And the very nature of our work can be of huge benefit to people dealing with bereavement and grief. We understand the value of a well conducted funeral and also the importance of the “family visit”. So it isn’t surprising that after the funeral, family members may reach out to us if they are having difficulties coping. Some of us are skilled and trained in bereavement issues but others may feel a bit of their depth, so it’s really important to have resources we can call on.
So the first thing to check is the funeral director. If they are members of SAIF, we can signpost people to SAIF Care and the bereavement support it offers. If the funeral director is not a SAIF member, it’s still worth speaking to them as they may have access to other services or may even run their own bereavement groups. Other valuable bereavement services are: Cruse Scotland, AtaLoss and the Good Grief Trust. And look out for the GriefChat button or link on some of those websites – that’s an instant and free web chat service for bereaved people.
Please let us know if there are other valuable resources you want to share with our members and we will publish a follow-up.
Michael Hannah
