A funeral directors has been excluded from the National Association of Funeral Directors over ‘inappropriate conduct’.

Dale & Sons, based in Denham, is accused of severe breaches of conduct including not storing bodies correctly and not preserving the care of deceased in people at all times.  

The decision was made by the organisation’s Disciplinary Committee, Chair Linda Ford, Lay member Barry Picken and Funeral Director representatives Abi Pattenden, Emily Houghton and Jim Brodie.

Dale & Sons declined to make representations at the disciplinary hearing after the allegations were presented to them. 

The committee ruled that the Penn Drive funeral directors is excluded from the professional body and won’t be able reapply for membership for the period of five years.

Allegations raised comprised a mixture of severe breaches of the Funeral Director Code, indicating a pattern of 'unprofessional behaviour'. 

The infringements cover multiple principles and outcomes of the Code detailing the requirements for a funeral business.

Code provisions allegedly violated by Dale & Sons include acting in the clients' best interests, maintaining the deceased individual's dignity, promoting public trust, and properly managing the business.

More specific alleged breaches involved inappropriate storage of deceased persons, incompetence in staff, data protection non-compliance, and inadequate systems to safeguard client confidentiality.

The NAFD's committee considered each alleged breach individually and determined that cumulatively they met grounds for exclusion.

As part of the expulsion, Dale & Sons must remove NAFD signage from their funeral home, official paper, marketing materials, and their website to remove any confusion for bereaved families.

The committee is clear it wants the home to remove any affiliation to the body so the public knows it no longer endorses this funeral home. 

This includes revoking their right to offer access to NAFD's independent complaints and redress service.

The decision will remain valid until October 2028.

A spokesman for the NAFD said it is now recommending people in Buckinghamshire who are looking for a funeral directors to visit funeral-directory.co.uk to find funeral directors who abide by the industry’s standards.

NAFD is set to uphold standards and trust in the funeral profession, using disciplinary action when breaches occur, as illustrated in the Dale & Sons case.

Dale and Sons has been approached for comment.

What has your experiences been like with this funeral director? Email isabella.perrin@newsquest.co.uk to share your story.