Ensure the effective operation of the mortuary and to assist colleagues in providing dignified care of the deceased.
This standard has options. Display duties and KSBs for:
This occupation is found in the death care industry, typically within funeral organisations, NHS and private hospitals, Universities, Schools of Anatomy, private and public mortuaries.
A Funeral Mortuary Technician prepares, dresses and encoffins the deceased, ensuring that they are cared for and presented with dignity and respect in line with religious and cultural requirements.
An Anatomical Pathology Technologist assists with post-mortems, evisceration and dissection, removal of organs and tissue retrieval, and reconstruction of the deceased following post-mortem.
The broad purpose of the occupation for both options is to ensure the effective operation of the mortuary and to assist colleagues in providing dignified care of the deceased.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with internal and external stakeholders for example, the deceased, relatives, funeral directors, embalmers, crematoria, cemeteries, funeral arrangers, funeral service operatives, drivers, embalmers, doctors, police, coroners, regulatory agencies (for example, Human Tissue Authority), religious/cultural leaders, bereavement services, midwives, trade organisations, hospital and care home staff, suppliers, managers.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for three broad areas of work:
Mortuary technicians work as part of a team in either a funeral business, NHS or private hospital, University, School of Anatomy, private or public mortuary. They normally work set hours, however they may occasionally work unsociable hours if required by the business.
| Duty | KSBs |
|---|---|
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Duty 1 Monitor the safety and hygiene of equipment and mortuary in line with legislation and business standards |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 K16 K17 K18 K19 K26 K33 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S28 |
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Duty 2 Ensure facilities, equipment, consumables and sundries are available and serviceable |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K8 K9 K10 K11 K16 K17 K18 K21 K22 K24 K26 K30 K33 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S10 S11 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S23 S24 S25 S26 S28 S30 S35 S36 S37 |
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Duty 3 Manage the receipt and release including identification check and personal effects in line with business policies and procedures |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K25 K26 K32 K33 S1 S3 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S30 S31 |
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Duty 4 Carry out initial and on-going assessments of the deceased to monitor the condition of the deceased and any changes that occur due to natural decomposition |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K20 K21 K23 K25 K27 K28 K29 S1 S3 S7 S8 S9 S10 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S29 S32 S33 |
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Duty 5 Manage risks within the limits of own responsibilities, notify the wider team of any concerns and escalate high risks to the senior manager |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K16 K17 K18 K20 K21 K23 K24 K26 K30 K31 K33 S1 S2 S3 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S28 S29 S30 S32 S33 |
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Duty 6 Carry out initial care such as cleaning of deceased and removal of soiled items |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K21 K24 K25 S1 S3 S7 S8 S9 S10 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S29 S30 S32 |
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Duty 7 Manage the flow of cases in line with business and client priorities and liaise with team members to ensure that the service user or client is kept informed |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K24 K25 K26 K29 K33 S1 S2 S3 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S28 S30 S32 |
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Duty 8 Maintain the register of deceased |
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Duty 9 Ensure correct documents and permissions are in place in line with legislation |
K1 K2 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K26 K32 K33 S1 S3 S7 S8 S11 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S23 S24 S25 S28 S30 S31 S32 |
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Duty 10 Clean the mortuary before/after procedures to maintain infection control |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 K9 K10 K11 K16 K17 K18 K33 |
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Duty 11 Communicate with third parties, clients, doctors, internal and external stakeholders to ensure the business delivers the highest level of care to the service user, client and the deceased |
K1 K2 K3 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 K25 K26 K31 K33 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S28 S29 S30 S31 S32 S34 S35 S36 S37 |
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Duty 12 Carry out stock / chemicals inventory and ensure stock replenishment |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K7 K9 K10 K11 K16 K17 K18 |
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Duty 13 Participate in on-going learning and continuous development of self and team |
| Duty | KSBs |
|---|---|
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Duty 14 Assist in the embalming where necessary |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K18 K21 K22 K23 K26 |
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Duty 15 Prepare the deceased for their funeral, such as; washing, setting features, dressing, hair, make-up, encoffining where necessary |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K21 K22 K23 K24 K25 S1 S3 S10 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S23 S24 S25 S26 S27 S29 S30 |
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Duty 16 Maintain and audit the standard of care within the mortuary in line with organisational policies and procedures |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K8 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 S1 S3 S10 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 |
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Duty 17 Support viewings of the deceased |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K8 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K25 |
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Duty 18 Support the out-of-hours function of the mortuary |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 |
| Duty | KSBs |
|---|---|
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Duty 19 Prepare the deceased for post-mortem examination, such as checking for bruising, jaundice, trauma and implanted devices |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K27 K28 K31 K32 K33 |
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Duty 20 Assist with internal examination of the deceased, including evisceration and dissection of organs and structures |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K27 K28 K33 |
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Duty 21 Carry out reconstruction of the deceased following a post-mortem |
K1 K2 K4 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K27 K28 K33 |
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Duty 22 Carry out tissue retrieval and recording under the direction of supervisory staff |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K27 K28 K29 K30 K33 |
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Duty 23 Assist the pathologist where necessary |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K14 K15 K16 K18 K27 K28 K29 K31 K32 K33 |
K1: Industry standards, regulations and legislation relating to mortuary procedures and governance
Back to Duty
K2: Organisational policies, protocols and standard operating procedures, systems and applications
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K3: The required stock levels for consumables and sundries based on scope of practice
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K4: The importance of ensuring the Mortuary area is safely set up
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K5: The identification and prevention of further deterioration and decomposition of the deceased and the process to escalate issues
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K6: The importance of infection control and how to prevent and control the spread of infection within the workplace
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K7: The risks and control of chemical exposure
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K8: The implications of excessive size and weight of the deceased and how to safely handle the deceased
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K9: Risk assessments and the employee's responsibilities in line with organisational standards
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K10: The limits of own responsibilities
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K11: The equipment available to support and mitigate risks, how and when to utilise the equipment and how to report faults
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K12: How and when to safely remove medical equipment from the deceased
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K13: The implications of implants, when to remove from the deceased and escalation procedures
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K14: The organisation’s databases and systems for recording the journey of the deceased and their care information
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K15: The importance of treating each deceased with dignity and respect at all times
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K16: The importance of continuous professional development and how to research opportunities for development
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K17: Coaching and mentoring methods
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K18: Methods of communication
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K19: The importance of and how to complete and process all relevant paperwork
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K20: The legal implications surrounding specialist funeral services such as burial, cremation and repatriation
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K21: The individual needs of clients and family members and the impact that these have on the deceased’s time in mortuary care (such as: cultural, religious, age, gender requirements)
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K22: Mouth and eye closure techniques
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K23: How to, and the reasons for packing orifices
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K24: Personal grooming techniques in the care of the deceased including cosmetic application
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K25: Dressing techniques and rituals in the care of the deceased
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K26: The embalming process and specific requirements when supporting the embalmer
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K27: The anatomical structure of the human body
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K28: The physiology of anatomical systems in the human body
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K29: The structure and life cycles of bacteria, protozoa, fungi and viruses of relevance to human health
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K30: The procedure to record and retrieve tissue from a deceased person
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K31: The requirements for specialist post-mortem examinations
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K32: The documentation requirements for post-mortem examination consent and subsequent procedures
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K33: The specific requirements when supporting the pathologist
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S1: Follow safe operating procedures to monitor and maintain the safety and hygienic condition of equipment and mortuary
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S2: Organise the repair and replacement of faulty / damaged equipment if necessary
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S3: Complete all relevant documents for each deceased in line with organisational system requirements reporting any discrepancies to the appropriate person
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S4: Carry out opening checks to ensure mortuary environment is safe and ready for use
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S5: Carry out stock rotation, control and replenishment in line with organisational systems and procedures
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S6: Order supplies as required within limits of authority
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S7: Carry out correct identification of the deceased, checking condition and recording personal effects and details on organisational database/system as required
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S8: Triage the deceased by assessing, prioritising and carrying out initial care as necessary and permitted within scope of practise
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S9: Complete on-going assessments, acting on and communicating any issues arising
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S10: Monitor the available spaces and communicate to line manager in line with organisational procedures
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S11: Complete necessary risk assessments on equipment and mortuary environment as required in line with organisational procedures
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S12: Dispose of or return soiled items according to legislation and organisational procedures
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S13: Carry out cleaning and disinfection processes in the care of the deceased according to client wishes
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S14: Prioritise workload to meet business and client demands
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S15: Demonstrate the use of communication methods, tools and skills, adapting technique and style to suit the individual
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S16: Monitor the progress of the deceased through the mortuary area reporting any issues to the appropriate person
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S17: Carry out quality checks at every interaction with the deceased
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S18: Carry out cleaning schedule in line with organisational requirements, reporting any issues to the appropriate person
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S19: Assist other colleagues within the mortuary environment as and when required
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S20: Apply manual handling and safe working practices in the completion of duties
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S21: Prepare the deceased for release and complete final quality checks before the deceased leaves the mortuary
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S22: Monitor the standard of care within the mortuary, identifying training and development needs and reporting to the appropriate person
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S23: Identify areas for self-development and maintain continuous professional development
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S24: Demonstrate and share best practice with the team
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S25: Prioritise workload considering initial assessment of the deceased, business, family members and client requirements, timescales and collaborate with the wider team
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S26: Accurately measure the deceased considering size and weight implications, communicate any concerns to the appropriate person
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S27: Prepare the deceased for embalming
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S28: Support the embalmer in the embalming process
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S29: Carry out preparation of the deceased for example, washing, feature setting, orifice packing, dressing, application of cosmetics, personal grooming and any specific individual requirements respecting religious and cultural beliefs
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S30: Implement family-specific and cultural needs and wishes
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S31: Carry out identification and personal effect checks at every interaction with the deceased
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S32: Prepare the deceased for post-mortem examination
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S33: Carry out external examination of the deceased
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S34: Carry out evisceration and dissection of the deceased under the direction of supervisory staff
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S35: Carry out examination of dissected organs and structures
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S36: Carry out reconstruction of the deceased following post-mortem examination
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S37: Carry out procedures for tissue retrieval and recording under the direction of supervisory staff
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B1: Treat colleagues and the deceased with respect and dignity
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B2: Maintain professionalism at all times
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B3: Be considerate of the diverse needs of individuals
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B4: Demonstrate attention to detail
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B5: Demonstrate empathy and sensitivity
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B6: Be adaptable and flexible to situations as they arise
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| Option qualification | Applicable options |
|---|---|
High Level QualificationRSPH Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology)Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 363 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) 615 hours Level: 3 Additional information: This qualification is mandated for those learners using the APT option |
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| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 30/03/2022 | Not set |
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