SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

National Certificate: Funeral Services Practice

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
23775	National Certificate: Funeral Services Practice
ORIGINATOR
SGB Funeral Services
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
SERVICES - Services Sector Education and Training Authority			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Certificate	Field 11 - Services		Personal Care
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	121	Level 4	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L4	Regular-Unit Stds Based
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 06120/18	2018-07-01	2023-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30		2027-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

This qualification is for any individual who is or wishes to be involved in the Funeral Services Industry, will have access to this qualification. It also serves as a more advanced qualification into Funeral Service operations. This qualification will be registered at NQF Level 4.

A learner can complete the qualification specialising in Embalming and Restoration, Marketing and Merchandising or Disaster Management. The core unit standards are common to all three areas of specialisation. Portability across these areas of specialisation is therefore ensured.

Learners working towards this qualification will find that the acquisition of competence in the unit standards, which make up the qualification, will add value to learner`s job. This qualification is intended to enhance the provision of a higher level service within the Funeral Service Industry.

Learners will be able to present information to clients in difficult circumstances and ensure that the funeral provisions meet the client`s needs. They will also improve their supervisory capacity and be able to conduct funeral ceremonies in a professional manner.
The learner will be able to apply the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure human remains are dealt with ethically, using competencies in this area.

It will provide the broad knowledge, skills and values needed in the Funeral Services Industry and will facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education, training and to progress along a learning path for learners who:

Were previously disadvantaged or who were unable to complete their schooling and were therefore denied access to Further Education and Training.

Have worked in Contact Centres for many years, but have no formal qualification in Contact Centre Support.

Wish to extend their range of skills and knowledge of the industry so that they can become competent workers in Contact Centres.

The qualification has building blocks that can be developed further and will lead to a more defined Funeral Services learning path at various NQF levels. It also focuses on the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes required to progress further. The intention is:

To promote the development of knowledge, skills and values that are required in Contact Centres.

To release the potential of people.

To provide opportunities for people to move up the value chain.

Rationale for the qualification:

The National Certificate in Funeral Services Practice: Level 4 is designed to meet the needs of those learners who are already involved in the field of Funeral Services and now wish to progress in a career in the Funeral Service Industry. The Funeral Service Industry is an essential industry and by its very nature a constant supply of customers is ensured. This means there is a need to develop career paths in this field, and it is an industry constantly in need of skilled people.

The Funeral Services Practice National Certificate at NQF Level 4 supports the objectives of the NQF in that it gives the learner access to a National Qualifications Framework register. It will therefore ensure that the quality of education and training is enhanced and be of a world class standard.

The National Certificate in Funeral Services Practice: NQF Level 4 allows the learner to work towards a nationally recognised qualification. The qualification will allow both those in formal education and those already employed in organisations in the funeral business access to a qualification that can be used as a benchmark to gauge their competence against local and international standards.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The following is the learning assumed to be in place:

Learners accessing this qualification, will have demonstrated competency against standards in the qualification Funeral Services Practices at NQF Level 3 or equivalent.

Recognition of prior learning:

The structure of this Unit Standard based Qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible, if the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this Funeral Services Practice Qualification. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of an Integrated Assessment (see Assessment Criteria).

This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow:

For accelerated access to further learning

Gaining of credits towards a unit standard

All recognition of Prior Learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant accredited Education, Training, Quality, Assurance Body and is conducted by a registered workplace assessor.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

Motivation for number of credits assigned to fundamental, core and elective

Fundamental Credits:

SAQA stipulates that a minimum of 20 compulsory credits are allocated to Communication Studies and Languages and 16 compulsory credits are allocated to Physical, Computer Mathematical and Life Sciences.
36 credits have been allocated to each of these two fundamental competences.

Core:

Seventy credits have been allocated to the Core Unit Standards. This is to ensure that the qualification has a strong Funeral Services focus.

The Core Unit Standards offer a broad contextual understanding and will enable the learners to gain an all round picture of the Funeral Service Industry.

Electives:

Between 15 and 21 credits have been allocated to the selected Elective Unit Standards. There are 15 credits for the Elective area of Embalming and Restoration, 21 credits for the Elective area of Marketing and Merchandising and 15 credits for the Elective area of Disaster Management. They also allow for progression to the next level of learning.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

On achieving this qualification, the learner will be able to:

Prepare and present more complex funeral services and products to clients and groups.

Supervise the preparation and presentation of human remains.

Conduct funeral ceremonies.

Supervise the preparation of funeral sites.

Supervise the transportation of human remains, the bereaved and funeral equipment.

Manage funeral logistics and administration processes.

Implement the training of funeral service personnel.

Embalm human remains without trauma or complications.

Manage merchandising within a funeral business.

Implement actions associated with a disaster scene.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

In particular assessors should check that the learner must demonstrate an ability to consider a range of options and make decisions about:

The techniques used to prepare and present funeral services and products to individuals and groups.

The quality of work performed on human remains during their cleaning and presentation.

The methods and techniques used in conducting funeral ceremonies.

The transportation, logistics and administration procedures and processes used in a funeral business.

The principles, methods and techniques used for the training and development of funeral service personnel.

The procedures and processes to be used in the embalming of human remains without trauma and complications.

The methods, techniques and organisational procedures used in the merchandising of funeral services and products.

The requirements for the setting up of a disaster scene.

Integrated Assessment:

Because assessment practices must be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, an integrated assessment approach is incorporated into the qualification.

Learning, teaching and assessment are inextricably lined. Whenever possible, the assessment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values shown in the unit standards should be integrated.

Assessment of the communication, language, literacy and numeracy should be conducted in conjunction with other aspects and should use authentic Funeral Services contexts wherever possible.

A variety of methods must be used in assessment and tools and activities must be appropriate to the context in which the learner is working. Where it is not possible to assess the learner in the workplace or on-the-job, simulations, case studies, role-plays and other similar techniques should be used to provide a context appropriate to the assessment.

The term `Integrated Assessment` implies that theoretical and practical components should be assessed together. During integrated assessments the assessor should make use of formative and summative assessment methods and assess combinations of practical, applied, foundational and reflective competencies.

Assessors and moderators should make use of a range of formative and summative assessment methods. Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience.

Assessment should ensure that all specific outcomes, embedded knowledge and critical cross-field outcomes are evaluated. The assessment of the critical cross-field outcomes should be integrated with the assessment of specific outcomes and embedded knowledge.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Benchmarking was done by comparison to Unit Standards/Outcomes of learning against:

The New Zealand qualifications - National Certificate in Embalming, National Certificate in Funeral Directing and the National Diploma in Funeral Directing, with a total credit value of 302 credits. The SGB also compared the unit standards in this qualification to the 21 New Zealand unit standards at levels 3, 4 and 5.

NVQ Qualifications from Britain. The NVQ`s in funeral Service - Levels 2 and 3.

A direct comparison of the title, specific outcomes, assessment criteria and embedded knowledge was undertaken with each and the best practice points were highlighted and incorporated into each unit standard. However the points incorporated were written in a South African context.

Because of the difference in levels across the different countries, difficulty was found in making actual direct comparisons, level to level.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against this Qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, and Assurance (ETQA) Body.

Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this Qualification must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA.

Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the ETQA`s policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation; in terms of agreements reached around assessment and moderation between ETQA`s (including professional bodies); and in terms of the moderation guideline detailed immediately below.

Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described both in individual unit standards as well as the integrated competence described in the qualification.

Anyone wishing to be assessed against this Qualification may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution that is accredited by the relevant ETQA.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	14139	Administrating the exhumation of human remains	Level 4	NQF Level 04	7
Core	14149	Co-ordinating and monitoring the transportation of human remains, the bereaved and equipment	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Core	14148	Conducting funeral ceremonies	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Core	14147	Inspecting and monitoring human remains, coffining and finished product	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Core	14150	Maintaining and controlling funeral logistics and administration	Level 4	NQF Level 04	9
Core	14153	Monitoring and co-ordinating the preparation of the funeral site	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Core	14138	Presenting information to clients to enable informed decisions to be made	Level 4	NQF Level 04	8
Core	14145	Preparing and presenting funeral products and services to groups	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	10
Core	14146	Presenting funeral provision options to groups	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	5
Core	14151	Providing funeral product and service training to individuals and relevant parties	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	11
Fundamental	9015	Apply knowledge of statistics and probability to critically interrogate and effectively communicate findings on life related problems	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Fundamental	8974	Engage in sustained oral communication and evaluate spoken texts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	8975	Read analyse and respond to a variety of texts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	9016	Represent analyse and calculate shape and motion in 2-and 3-dimensional space in different contexts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Fundamental	8979	Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	7468	Use mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal, business, national and international issues	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Fundamental	8976	Write for a wide range of contexts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Elective	14142	Co-ordinating and monitoring sales in a funeral business	Level 4	NQF Level 04	7
Elective	14143	Interacting with special interest groups	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Elective	14141	Setting up product displays and monitoring housekeeping	Level 4	NQF Level 04	8
Elective	14144	Assessing and using data, and liasing with relevant stakeholders to ensure required resources are in place for a disaster	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	15
Elective	14140	Embalming human remains without complications and/or trauma	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	15

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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