Public Health Act funerals are an important service provided by local authorities, but this provision is often overlooked and is not the first thing that springs to mind when you consider all that councils provide. I spoke to our brilliant new trainer Christina Martin, who is on a mission to change the narrative and raise the profile of this important job. 

But first, a quick introduction: Public Health Act funerals are provided by the local authority for people who have died and either have no living relatives, or the relatives are unable or unwilling to attend to the funeral arrangements. They are a statutory duty under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 with the primary aim of protecting public health by burying or cremating a human body that would otherwise go undealt with.  

There is no set way in which the arrangements need to be made or the funeral organised, leaving local authorities with considerable discretion in terms of how to carry out this duty. Whilst it is important to ensure that public health is not put at risk and costs are recovered from the deceased’s estate, government guidance supports the approach that it is vital that the deceased person is treated respectfully, due consideration is given to their wishes and efforts are made to find their next of kin so they are kept informed of the arrangements. 

Officers working in these roles need to have a good understanding of the law and guidance that governs this work as well as, importantly, the practical aspects of investigating, organising and delivering respectful and dignified funerals for individuals and their families who have no other arrangements or means for doing so. 

I am very excited to welcome Christina Martin, who, in partnership with the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), will start delivering our course from May.  

Christina started working as an administrator in the Environmental Health and Licensing Team at Rother and Wealden Council in 2017, after leaving a hectic job and commute in London to start again by the sea. After developing and writing the council’s procedures on public health funerals, Christina describes how she was challenged by her manager to test them in the real world: 

I soon found myself standing in a half-fallen-down house, full of hoarded art, working on my first funeral case. Months after this baptism of fire, after successfully concluding many cases which involved finding people, arranging fitting funeral services and recouping the costs where possible, I was promoted and given the lead role in this area of work. 

Christina explained that she continually looks for ways to develop and improve her practices and procedure to make sure they are the best they can be, and a key part of the process was attending this same training back in 2018. She then followed this up by measuring her approach against best practice and consultation with key stakeholders. Christina goes on to say: 

This training gave me a great foundation to work from and confidence in my approach, but ultimately though, my processes come from day-to-day, lived experience. Each case presents a new challenge or interaction that becomes a lesson. Equally, as things change with police evidence stores, coroners’ offices and medical examiners, and as I find myself dealing with more banks and institutions, I have developed multiple hints and tips to ensure that this time-sensitive and important job continues to run smoothly. 

Christina’s cases have been covered in the media many times, and she is often approached by journalists to talk about council funerals and funeral poverty. She has worked with national partners to lobby for a widening of eligibility, an increase in the amount of the DWP funeral payment and a change in the law to improve the sparsely worded Section 46.  

She is an ambassador for Locate International, a missing persons and cold case charity, which connected with her over an unidentified woman she buried in 2018. In between all this, she has found the time to write a book, under a pen name, which has sold over ten thousand copies, to raise awareness of the job and the need for this type of funeral (Ashes To Admin: Tales from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer). As a result, she is often invited to talk about the subject at literary festivals, events and conferences, both in the UK and abroad. 

As you can tell, I am passionate about doing this job well and ensuring that the deceased person receives the best possible care after death, taking their wishes into account as much as I can. I can’t wait to deliver this excellent course and share my experiences and knowledge with the next group of delegates.  

The next course will be held online on Tuesday, 13 May and you can register here. 

For further resources including our procedure for this type of funeral, visit RIAMS Libraries. Anyone without a subscription can contact RHE Global for a free trial and demonstration.