02/08/2026
Like many of you, we've followed the sentencing relating to the funeral director in Hull with great sadness. Our thoughts remain with every family affected. No one should ever have to question whether the care their loved one received matched the trust they placed in those looking after them.
It's natural that cases like this make people wonder who they can trust.
The difficult truth is that the funeral home in Hull looked professional. Its front-of-house was well presented. To the families walking through the door, there was little to suggest that anything was wrong.
So why should you trust us?
Not because we ask you to.
Because trust should be earned through accountability.
Funeral directing remains a profession that is still not fully regulated. We have never believed that simply saying, ‘trust us,’ is enough.
Families deserve more than reassurance, they deserve evidence of professional standards.
That is why we chose to become licenced funeral directors and why we work hard to maintain that licence. It is why we continue to uphold our membership with SAIF (It’s members commit to meeting professional standards and are required to follow the organisation's Code of Practice, which sets expectations for ethical conduct, transparency, and quality of care) and willingly subject ourselves to independent standards and inspections.
It's also why we invested the time and effort required to become financially regulated. We believed it was the right thing to do. When families entrust us with their money, whether they're arranging a funeral today or planning ahead for the future, they deserve the confidence that those funds are protected and handled with the same care and integrity as every other part of our service.
But beyond licences, regulation and memberships, there is something even more important.
Every person who comes into our care is someone's Mum, Dad, Husband, Wife, Son, Daughter or Friend.
Every person in our care has lived a life, has a story and is deeply loved by someone. We never lose sight of that.
Our responsibility is to care for them with the same dignity, respect and compassion we would expect for our own family.
That isn't simply part of our job, it is the very reason we do it.
For anyone who may sadly need the services of a funeral director in the future, we'd encourage you to take your time. Read the online reviews. Ask around in your community. A reputation isn't built by what funeral directors say about themselves, it's built by what families say about them when they no longer need them.
Sadly, as this case has shown, someone can falsely claim to hold a professional membership. You can check whether a funeral director is a member of SAIF by clicking this link https://saif.org.uk/find-a-member/
As a family company, supported by a dedicated and compassionate team, we understand that every funeral entrusted to us represents one of the most significant moments in a family's life. We never take that responsibility for granted.
We hope the day comes when every funeral director is held to the same high standards and licensing becomes the norm, not the exception. Until then, we will continue to go the extra mile, not because we have to, but because we believe it's the right thing to do.
That isn't extraordinary.
Our community deserves nothing less.
With our sincere thanks for the trust you place in us,
Catherine, Shannon and the Harty team x
