Apprentice Funeral Service Operative

DIGNITY FUNERALS LIMITED

Abingdon (OX14 5AG)

Closes in 16 days (Tuesday 30 June 2026)

Posted on 12 June 2026

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Summary

We’re looking for a compassionate and reliable individual to join our team as an Apprentice Funeral Service Operative. This role offers the opportunity to support families during one of life’s most sensitive moments, playing a key part in delivering respectful and meaningful services that genuinely make a difference.

• Wage:

  £25,333.06 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: Funeral team member (level 2)
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, may work evenings and weekends.

  38 hours 20 minutes a week

• Start date:

  Monday 6 July 2026

• Duration:

  1 year

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

At Dignity, we believe that every farewell should be handled with compassion, dignity, and care. Your role will ensure that families feel supported, respected, and reassured throughout the entire way.

Your Impact and Responsibilities:

Being a Apprentice Funeral Service Operative means playing a central part in one of life’s most significant moments. You’re often the first person a grieving family meets, and your presence can shape how they remember the most difficult of days. This role calls for empathy, confidence, and attention to detail. You are entrusted with the role of taking care of our deceased and ensuring our families' wishes can be met. You conduct yourself with respect & dignity, understanding the privilege it is to undertake the work you do.

As an Apprentice Funeral Services Operative, you will:

• Provide dignified and professional care for the deceased
• Support Funeral Directors in delivering seamless service and ceremonial work
• Drive and operate specialist vehicles (including hearses, limousines and private ambulances)
• Maintaining high standards of presentation for vehicles and facilities, and ensuring they are well-maintained
• Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota (including nights/weekends) to support families - providing out-of-hours support, including dignified collection and transfer of the deceased into care.
• Bring the deceased into our care from the place of death, including private homes, hospitals, hospices, or public spaces, under varying circumstances
• Prepare the deceased (washing, dressing, presentation) in accordance with family, religious, or cultural wishes
• Support with chapel visits and interactions with families in a calm and respectful manner
• Carry out all duties involving the deceased with the utmost care and professionalism

Where you'll work

81 Ock Street
Abingdon
OX14 5AG

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER LTD

Training course

Funeral team member (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Client: Use appropriate methods of communication including non- verbal, verbal, written and social media. Use clear language in all communication, verbal and written, seeking help when it is required.
• Client: Use clear, relevant and empathetic communication to establish clients’ needs and satisfy their requirements. Deliver excellent service during all interactions, including phone, face-to-face, electronic and postal communications.
• Client: Apply business policies and procedures to handle client concerns, complaints and compliments. Deal with client feedback within the limits of your own authority, sharing positive comments, escalating negative comments and finding solutions where possible.
• Reputation: Operate within the business values when dealing with clients and team members in all daily activities.
• Reputation: Engage in professional relationships with clients, communities and other stakeholders in order to help build a positive public reputation. Report any instance where the reputation of the business could be / has been damaged.
• Reputation: Use technology including social media in line with business requirements.
• Team: Support team members to ensure that the services provided are of a high quality, delivered on time and as required.
• Team: Adapt positively to all types of team leaders, team members and different types of team within the business in which you work.
• Legal & Governance: Comply with legal and business requirements whilst conducting all services. Follow business policies and procedures relating to third party locations of the deceased, identification, release of ashes, personal effects, notifiable diseases and specialist services.
• Personal Development & Performance: Take ownership for own learning development and performance. Carry out personal development activities. Identify your own learning styles.
• Products & Services: Take a proactive approach to providing clients with product and service information within your area of responsibility. Offer information and assistance with specialist services and products.
• Arranging: Arrange, plan and assist in visits to the deceased, ensuring client’s needs are respected at all times. Arrange at need or pre need funerals according to clients requirements, maintaining accurate records of all products and services ordered. Complete, discuss and agree client contracts efficiently and according to business guidelines. Gather and collate feedback from clients using the businesses approved systems and communication methods.
• Administration/Finance: Access and use systems accurately, efficiently and within legislation requirements. Maintain precise records of all products and services purchased by clients. Ensure the timely receipt of payments and finance agreements.
• Maintain & Drive Vehicles: Follow relevant legislation, codes of practice and business standards for driving, maintaining and cleaning business vehicles. Use pre-arranged routes when driving business vehicles during funeral services and alternative routes when necessary reporting issues with routes to the appropriate person.
• Care of the Deceased: Transfer the deceased using correct techniques and maintaining client and business requirements. Assist in the preparation and presentation of the coffin and the deceased.
• Funeral: Attend funeral briefings and use information to assist in the delivery of the funeral. Handle coffins and floral tributes safely and respectfully at all times. Carry out allocated duties with dignity and respect to ensure the smooth running of the funeral.

Training schedule

As part of this role, you will work towards achieving the Funeral Team Member - Operative Level 2 Apprenticeship, a nationally recognised qualification designed to build the skills, knowledge, and professional behaviours required to support families and care for the deceased.

Key details about your apprenticeship:

• Duration: 12 months
• Training Provider: Connect2Care - our trusted partner who will deliver the formal learning element of your apprenticeship
• Learning Time: You will receive dedicated, protected time during your working week to complete your apprenticeship tasks, learning modules, and assessments
• Delivery: A blend of online learning, workplace development, practical skills, and one‑to‑one support from your assigned tutor

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade Grade C/4 or above)
• Maths (grade Grade C/4 or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Empathy

Other requirements

• Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Comfortable barring a coffing during a funeral service

About this employer

We are Dignity, one of the UK’s oldest and most trusted funeral providers, with over 200 years of history, 570 branches, and 46 crematoria across the country. From launching the UK’s first funeral plan to helping shape modern regulation, we have led the way in supporting families with care, compassion, and professionalism.

We are now building the UK’s leading end-of-life company. As part of the Dignity Group, we also operate Farewill, the country’s most prominent will writer and one of the UK’s top probate providers, giving families support not just at the funeral, but before and after as well.

Today, we are over 4,000 people across the UK, all driven by the same goal: to care for families with compassion and make the UK a world leader in end-of-life care. Here to help, whenever you need.

https://www.oliverandjamesfunerals.co.uk/locations/abingdon (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

On successful completion of the Level 2 Funeral Team Member Apprenticeship, we would look to retain the right person within the business in a permanent role. We are committed to investing in people for the long term and supporting their development.

With experience, there are opportunities to progress into roles such as Funeral Arranger or Funeral Director, and to undertake further training or higher-level apprenticeships. Career progression will be supported through continued learning, on-the-job development, and increased responsibility.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DIGNITY FUNERALS LIMITED

Kate Brown

apprenticeships@dignityuk.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000037029.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Tuesday 30 June 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.