Apprentice Funeral Service Operative
DIGNITY FUNERALS LIMITED
Accrington (BB5 0RT)
Closes in 13 days (Friday 5 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 21 November 2025
Contents
Summary
We’re looking for a compassionate and reliable individual to join our team at Wolstenholme Funeral Directors, Accrington as an Apprentice Funeral Service Operative. This role offers the chance to support families at one of life’s most sensitive moments, playing a key part in delivering respectful, meaningful services that truly make a difference.
- Wage
-
£15,311.40 to £24,761.88, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Funeral team member (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 8.45am - 5.00pm, may work evenings and weekends.
39 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 8 December 2025
- Duration
-
8 months
- 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
Why This Role Matters:
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 every step of the way.
The Role:
You’ll support every stage of the funeral process - from preparing vehicles and venues to assisting with ceremonial duties and family interactions. This is a physically active, hands-on role that requires empathy, reliability, and a calm, respectful presence. As a representative of both your local branch and the wider Dignity Group, you’ll help maintain our trusted presence in the community.
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive and operate specialist vehicles (including hearses and limousines)
- Set up venues and carry out ceremonial duties, including coffin bearing
- Maintain funeral vehicles and equipment to high standards
- Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota to support families
- 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
Skills and Knowledge:
We’re looking for someone with/is:
- Compassion, calmness, and empathy in emotionally sensitive situations
- Communication, organisation, and administrative skills - confident with legal paperwork
- Confident working independently, with branch-level responsibility
- Comfortable in settings where the deceased may be resting, including chapel visits
- Willingness to work flexibly (including weekends/on-call if needed)
- A Full UK Driving Licence (desirable, not essential) - Ability to travel to client homes and local branches is important
- Experience in customer service, care, or admin (beneficial - complete training is provided)
Where you'll work
Wolstenholme Funeral Directors
Willows Lane
Accrington
BB5 0RT
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
HIT TRAINING LTD
Training course
Funeral team member (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
Training schedule
- Through this apprenticeship, gain the practical knowledge and dignity-driven skills needed to care for the deceased and support funeral services with confidence and respect
- Learn how to prepare vehicles, assist at funerals, handle the deceased with compassion, and contribute to a seamless, supportive experience for grieving families
- You’ll be supported every step of the way by your own Connect2Care (HIT Training) Vocational Trainer, with regular face-to-face and online sessions
- We’re also specialists in English and maths, we’ll assess your needs and give you tailored support if you need a boost
More training information
Funeral Team Member Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard:
The Apprenticeship Modules:
- Induction
- Personal development and performance
- Client
- Maintain & Drive Vehicles
- Legal & Governance
- Funeral
- Care of the deceased
- Team
- Reputation
- Team products & services
Requirements
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
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Professional
- Respectful
Other requirements
Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full UK manual driving licence.
About this employer
The UK's leading funeral company. We've been pioneers in funeral care for generations - always pushing to improve standards and support families with compassion and expertise. Our oldest branch was founded in 1812 on the south side of Glasgow, gradually growing over time to serve families right across the UK. We launched the UK's first funeral plan in 1985 and have supported over 1 million families since then. We actively campaigned for greater oversight of the industry, helping lead to the FCA's regulation of the funeral plan sector in 2022. Since then, we've continued to raise the bar - investing £50 million to support 60,000 people whose funeral plan providers collapsed, ensuring they still received the funeral they were promised. Today, we're a team of over 4,000 people around the country, all committed to making the UK the world leader in standards, care, and compassion in end of life care.
Company benefits
Bonus Potential. Life Assurance Cover. Health & Wellbeing Programme: Benefit from an employee assistance programme that supports your health and wellbeing. Pension Scheme.
After this apprenticeship
- Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, there are two main progression routes available
- Apprentices may either advance to a Level 3 Funeral Director qualification or be offered a full-time contract with Dignity Funerals, depending on individual performance and business needs.
- Our goal is to support each apprentice in building a long-term and fulfilling career within Dignity Funerals
- We aim to help you develop the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to progress within the organisation and continue to uphold the high standards of care and professionalism that define our service
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
HIT TRAINING LTD
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000001866.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Friday 5 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
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