Bereavement Advice Centre

In partnership with ITC Legal Services, which says it is “the UK's largest probate provider”, About us, ITC Legal Services website, accessed 22 Oct 2009 the National Association of Funeral Directors established the Bereavement Advice Centre, which calls itself a not-for-profit advice organisation. "About Us", The Bereavement Advice Centre website accessed October 22nd 2009Jonathan Rayner, "Solicitors alarmed at links between Bereavement Advice Centre and probate firm", Law Society Gazette, 18 June 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009 The Bereavement Advice Centre was launched at the House of Commons in June 2007."About Us", The Bereavement Advice Centre website accessed 14 May 2010 
The Bereavement Advice Centre claims to have been welcomed by a variety of organisations from health, funeral, legal and advice sectors and their policy committee oversees development of the service and includes clergy, hospital bereavement support, legal, care home, medical, funeral undertaking and local government representations.
"About Us", The Bereavement Advice Centre website accessed October 22nd 2009
The BAC publishes a leaflet called "What to do when someone dies", which is widely available in registrars, where people go to register a death, and in some hospitals.See BAC leaflet scans here; here; here; and here. The leaflet was collected from Milton Keynes registry office in February 2010. The leaflet publicises a helpline which has been accused by solicitors of promoting BAC’s commercial owner ITC Legal Services.Jonathan Rayner, "Solicitors alarmed at links between Bereavement Advice Centre and probate firm", Law Society Gazette, 18 June 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009 An article in the Law Society Gazette in June 2009 drew attention to the “financial links” between the Bereavement Advice Centre and ITC Legal Services. The article says the link has “come under fire from solicitors”.Jonathan Rayner, "Solicitors alarmed at links between Bereavement Advice Centre and probate firm", Law Society Gazette, 18 June 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009 Patricia Wass, a partner at Plymouth firm Foot Anstey and chairwoman of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee, is quoted in the article as saying that she 
:is concerned that registrars ‘up and down the country’ are giving BAC’s leaflets to people when they report a death. This might imply that local authorities sanction BAC’s promotion of ITC’s commercial interests.Jonathan Rayner, "Solicitors alarmed at links between Bereavement Advice Centre and probate firm", Law Society Gazette, 18 June 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009
In its section on probate, the BAC website suggests "Use a specialist company", but then goes on to name just one probate company, ITC Legal Services. It says the company is "competitive with solicitors on cost and less expensive than some banks".Use a specialist company, BAC website, acc 13 May 2010
While the Bereavement Advice Centre does provide a link to ITC Legal Services, it does not provide any link to consumer agencies such as Consumer Direct, which gives people limited advice on how they can conduct their own funeral arrangements at low cost and in their own preferred way, coupled with consumer information intended to afford better protection to the funeral consumer. "Useful Contacts", The Bereavement Advice Centre website accessed October 22nd 2009
ITC Legal Services has also signed a deal and agreed a third party arrangement with Barclays Bank.Jonathan Rayner, "Probate services company ITC signs deal with Barclays", Law Society Gazette, 24 September 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009 Jonathan Rayner, writing in the Law Society Gazette, describes the deal as follows:
:As part of the arrangement, ITC has access to all of a deceased person’s Barclays Bank account details, and may refer the bereaved friend or relative to its own, commercially independent probate services division to arrange a home visit.
Rayner quotes Jeremy Groeger-Wilson, head of the wills and estates team at Kent firm Clarkson Wright & Jakes solicitors, as questioning ITC’s claims of price competitiveness: “He said he was also concerned that vulnerable people may feel under pressure to sign up to the probate service.”Jonathan Rayner, "Probate services company ITC signs deal with Barclays", Law Society Gazette, 24 September 2009, accessed October 22nd 2009
==People==
Anne Wadey is head of the Bereavement Advice Centre and joined in 2007. Anne edits the twice yearly newsletter and wrote the new edition of the Which? book, What to Do When Someone Dies (published by Which? Ltd, London, 2010).About Anne Wadey, Bereavement Advice Centre website, accessed 13 April 2010
She is also a member of the Council of British Funeral Services (CBFS).The Council of British Funeral Services Members, The Council of British Funeral Services website, accessed 15 March 2010
Wadey also sits on the executive committee of the Bereavement Services Association (BSA).Bereavement Services Association newsletter January 2009, Bereavement Services Association website accessed 14 May 2010
The BSA was established in 2005 and is based in Addenbrook's Hospital, Cambridge. The BSA claims that its function is to promote "excellence in the delivery of bereavement care in the statutory, voluntary and commercial sector", but primarily within the NHS.Bereavement Services Association – Welcome to the BSA,Bereavement Services Association website accessed 14 May 2010
==Link with Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services==
The Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services, which is a financial advice service and a bereavement advice service, states that it was originally founded in 1887 by churchmen to largely protect churches from the consequences of fire. Ecclesiastical says it provides financial products and insurance solutions for individuals, families, groups and organisations who care about their communities and the environments in which they live and work.About Us, Ecclesiastical website, accessed 13 April 2010
The Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services states that it is working with the Bereavement Advice Centre and says that it is proud to be a company that donates a significant proportion of its profits to charity.About Us Ecclesiastical website, accessed 13 April 2010
Ecclesiastical states that it has many ideas for the next few years on how it can develop Bereavement Advice Centre to meet the information needs of the bereaved and work in partnership with other bereavement support and advice-giving organisations.Feedback Ecclesiastical website, accessed 13 April 2010
Both the Ecclesiastical Bereavement Advice Services and the Bereavement Advice Centre share the same land postal address for contact purposes which is:
:Ryon Hill House
:Ryon Hill Park
:Warwick Road
:Stratford upon Avon
:CV37 0UX.Contact,Ecclesiastical website, accessed 13 April 2010Contact Us, BAC website, acc 14 Apr 2010
Registered Office for Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services Limited:
:Beaufort House
:Brunswick Road
:Gloucester
:GL1 1JZ 
:Company No. 02046087
:Date of Incorporation 13 August 1986. Previously known as Hinton and Wild (Home Plans) LimitedWebCHeck-Select and Access Company Information,Companies House website, accessed 13 March 2010 
Hinton and Wild (Home Plans) Limited is an equity release specialist.About us, Home & Capital website,accessed 14 March 2010
Registered office is:
:Hinton Associates Limited
:Woodacre 202 Crewe Road
:Alsager
:Stoke On Trent
:ST7 2JF
:Company No. 03726967
:Date of Incorporation 4 March 1999WebCHeck-Select and Access Company Information,Companies House website, accessed 13 March 2010
==Contact==
:Address:
:Phone:
:Email:
:Website: http://www.bereavementadvice.org/
==Resources==
==Notes==
Category:Funeral Industry