Pure Cremation: A conversation around transparency

The Advertising Standards Agency has today ruled against a Pure Cremation advert that they said it was misleading. This has opened up a conversation around transparency of information as well as whether an unattended cremation can be achieved more locally with people that you can trust to look after your loved one.

Emily Houghton, Director of Operations

We are pleased to see that a conversation is opening up around transparency. As members of the National Association of Funeral Directors, we abide by their Code of Practice which means that families can be assured of receiving full information and a professional level of care and attention whether the funeral is bespoke/traditional, simple/standardised or unattended.

In an article by the BBC, Carla Linford spoke about her experience with Pure Cremation, including how she felt her mother was misled and her experience of the service she received. Below, we have highlighted some of these points and explained how Rosedale would approach the same issues:

“I would describe it as a body disposal service… it needs to be very clear what it is they’re offering to people … I never realised how important it was until I found myself dealing with it. “

At Rosedale we have always been open and transparent about different options and associated prices. We offer funerals that are highly bespoke through to very simple, and we also offer unattended funerals as well. We found that some families wanted more than just an unattended cremation and we now offer our ‘enhanced’ options. This enhanced options gives loved ones the chance to visit their loved one in our chapel of rest, to have them dressed in their own clothes, and also the opportunity to set up a Much Loved memorial site in memory of them. We can also help to arrange a service to celebrate the life of a loved one following the cremation, or with an ashes interment where family members can say a private farewell. For full information on what our unattended funerals include, please click here.

Our care does not end at the point of the unattended funeral. We also offer online and in person bereavement support groups to help people navigate their grief.

“Mum’s death was treated ‘like it was a sale to them”

At Rosedale you can be assured that you and your loved one will be treated with dignity and respect at all times. We have been inspected by the Good Funeral Guide and they have said that ‘It is our judgement that here you will be: Listened to with empathy, offered the full range of choice, given all the time you need, charged fairly, and empowered to arrange a funeral that reflects your wishes and values and those of the person who has died.’ You can read our 5 star reviews on the Funeral Guide Website to see how Rosedale has helped other families at their time of need.

Carla said when she rang and asked Pure Cremation where her mother was, she was told she was in a “facility”.

When we bring a loved one into our care they will always be looked after in a branch of Rosedale. You will be told verbally and in writing where they are so you can always have peace of mind.

‘The people who have died are cared for here with the greatest care and respect. These are among the most caring funeral homes we have ever seen … It’s a respectful, personal and humane approach’ Good Funeral Guide

“She wasn’t going to be cremated in Andover, because she was sent to an industrial estate in Knutsford, and she was going to be cremated in Nottingham, which is not what she agreed to.”

If you choose Rosedale for an unattended cremation, you can be assured of a personal service. We will look after your loved one up until the day of the unattended cremation and will be available for any questions you might have with our 24/7 phone service which is always answered by a member of the Rosedale team. Your loved will be taken to a local crematorium by a member of our team.

To find out more how Rosedale can help with funeral arrangements, please contact any one of our branches, or read more on our website.