NZQA registered unit standard
8347 version 6
Page 1 of 4
Title
Communicate with and provide support information to bereaved
families and relatives
Level
4
Purpose
Credits
7
This unit standard is for people working in the funeral directing
industry.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
communicate effectively with bereaved families; identify how
support can be provided to people responding to grief; provide
information about support services to people responding to
grief; and access support for self when required.
Classification
Funeral Services > Funeral Directing
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
Execution of all outcomes in this unit standard must reflect the needs and wishes of
the family. The term ‘family’ includes those who may be representative of the
deceased.
2
Competence demonstrated in this unit standard must comply with the requirements
of the Funeral Services Training Trust of New Zealand’s Industry Code of Ethics
available at http://www.fstt.org.nz.
3
References
References may include but are not limited to – Leming, MR & Dickinson, GE,
Understanding Death, Dying and Bereavement (7th Edition) (Belmont, CA: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2012); Mead, Hirini Moko, Tikanga Māori: Living by Māori Values
(Wellington: Huia Publications, 2006); Fulghum, R, From Beginning to End (New
York, NY: Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, 1997); Howarth, G &
Leaman, O (Eds), The Encyclopedia of Death and Dying (London: Routledge, 2001);
Schwass, M (Ed), Last Words: Approaches to Death in New Zealand’s Cultures and
Faiths (Wellington: Bridget Williams Books with the Funeral Directors Association of
NZ, 2005); Tauroa, H & Tauroa, P, Te Marae: A Guide to Customs and Protocol
(Auckland: Reed, 2004).
4
Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to – Human Rights
Act 1993, and Privacy Act 1993.
5
This unit standard must be assessed against on the basis of evidence of
demonstrated performance in the workplace.
Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
SSB Code 101575
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
8347 version 6
Page 2 of 4
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Communicate effectively with bereaved families.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Communication techniques that fit the situation and the speaker are selected
and used when dealing with families of the deceased.
1.2
Communication is appropriate to the cultural context in terms of language,
forms of address and protocol.
1.3
Speakers emotions are responded to in a manner that fits the context and the
subject matter.
Outcome 2
Identify how support can be provided to people responding to grief.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Different ways families, and family members, respond to grief are identified and
described in terms of the type of support that can be offered.
Range
2.2
Variations in how people of different religions respond to grief are identified and
described in terms of the type of support that is provided.
Range
2.3
differences include but are not limited to – ages, gender,
personality types, nature of death.
religions include but are not limited to – Christian, Jewish, Muslim,
Hindu, Buddhist.
Variations in how families cope with death are identified in terms of the support
that is provided.
Range
evidence is required for Māori, New Zealand European, and a
minimum of two other cultures from Asian, Pacific, European,
African, Middle Eastern, South American, Indian, North American.
Outcome 3
Provide information about support services to people responding to grief.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Support services for people responding to grief are identified and
communicated to family members in accordance with the family’s needs and
wishes.
Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
SSB Code 101575
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
8347 version 6
Page 3 of 4
support services may include but are not limited to – counsellors,
clergy, bereavement support agencies, social services,
psychologists, iwi, medical practitioners, hospital and/or voluntary
groups.
Range
Outcome 4
Access support for self when required.
Range
support may include but is not limited to – peer support, clinical supervision,
psychological assessment.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Potential sources of stress are identified in terms of their impact on own health,
well-being, and ability to support bereaved families.
4.2
Strategies which assist self to manage stress are developed in terms of
practical approaches for reducing unwanted stress in the workplace setting.
Planned review date
31 December 2016
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
8 November 1996
31 December 2013
Revision
2
4 November 1997
31 December 2013
Revision
3
16 May 2000
31 December 2013
Review
4
20 September 2002
31 December 2013
Review
5
21 September 2007
31 December 2013
Review
6
19 April 2012
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0221
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
SSB Code 101575
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
8347 version 6
Page 4 of 4
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand fstt@fstt.org.nz if you
wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
SSB Code 101575
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016