Registration, bereavement and archives services customer charter

Registration, Bereavement and Archives Services covers key life events, these areas being Births, Marriages, Bereavement, Cemeteries, Crematorium and Genealogy. The service is delivered from four Registration Offices located throughout South Ayrshire at Ayr, Girvan, Maybole, Troon and at Masonhill Crematorium, near Ayr.

Girvan and Ayr Registration Office also deal with specific Educational duties such as clerking Education Appeals and School Attendance Councils, processing Footwear, Clothing and Free School Meal applications.

All information given to us will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Services provided

Births

Births must be registered within 21 days. If the parents are married to each other either parent may register the birth. If parents are not married to each other they should normally attend together if the father's name is to appear on the entry.

Bereavement

All deaths occurring in Scotland must be registered by a registrar within 8 days of their occurrence. The duty to provide the particulars for registration rests with a relative of the deceased or if no such person is available the duty may be performed by any person present at the death, deceased's executor or other legal representative or the occupier of the premises where the death took place.

Please do not delay contacting the registrar if you do not have the required documents to carry out the registration.

We are able to contact the relevant office to obtain the information provided it is in Scotland.

Cemeteries

Within Registration and Bereavement Services we are responsible for the efficient running of 51 cemeteries and churchyards. In most of the remaining 27 operational cemeteries, burial lairs are available for purchase. We are able to advise on all aspects of burial and memorialisation and maintain close links with funeral directors, the clergy and memorial masons in order to provide the best possible service.

Crematorium

Set in seven acres of countryside on the eastern edge of Ayr town, Masonhill Crematorium was opened in 1966 and has served the community for over thirty years. We will be pleased to offer our advice and services both when arranging a funeral and when deciding the final resting place of the cremated remains. Access for the disabled and a loop system for those with hearing impairment is available.

Marriage

Whether you wish a small informal ceremony or the full works, our experienced registrars will be delighted to offer assistance and advice on any aspect of your forthcoming wedding.

Your civil marriage ceremony may be held at a Registration Office, an Approved Venue, or some other alternative location.

Civil Marriages can take place during office hours, Monday to Friday and on a Saturday afternoon by prior arrangement.

Civil Marriages at an Approved Venue can take place 7 days a week between 9.00am - 7.00pm (except 25th & 26th December and 1st & 2nd January).

Genealogy

Records of Births, Deaths and Marriages dating back to 1855 are held in our four Registration Offices. Each office holds the records for all areas within their own district boundaries.

All Offices have access to indexes held at General Register Office. Which covers the statutory records from 1855, Old Parish Registers and Census Records (1881, 1891, 1901), for the whole of Scotland. In the near future Digital Imaging of Genealogical Records Of Scotland's (DIGROS) people will be introduced at each of the five offices. This facility will mean that more extensive genealogical research will be possible at local level.

We have a team of courteous and experienced staff who will be happy to offer advice and assistance with any enquiries you may have.

Service standards

When you contact us either in writing or by email we will:

Endeavour to deal with general correspondence within 5 working days of receipt.
If the subject is complex, we will let you know within 5 working days of receipt of your letter when you will expect to get a full reply. We will also give you the name and contact telephone number of the person dealing with your correspondence.
Try to give you a full reply with as much information as possible.
Observe privacy and confidentiality in all matters.

When you contact us by telephone:

We will give our name and section when answering the telephone.
We will try to deal with your telephone enquiry at the time or pass you to an officer who can.
If the person you need to speak to is not available, you can choose to speak to someone else who can help. If you leave a message we will get back to you within 1 working day.

Specific service standards

Process all applications for Purchase of Lairs, Interments, Cremations and Memorialisation timeously.
Deal with Footwear and Clothing Grant and Free School Meal application as promptly as possible
Acknowledge your suggestions and complaints within 5 working days and act upon it immediately if possible. If we cannot do so, it will be passed to the relevant Head of Service who will reply to you as soon as possible and within 20 working days of receipt.

What you can do to help

Keep us informed of any changes in your personal circumstances that may affect any service that we provide to you.
Attend any appointment in time, or let us know if you cannot do so.
Behave in a considerate and polite way so we can give you and other customers the standard of service you would expect.
Provide the information we ask for when we ask for it. This will help speed up the process.
Ensure that you read all information that we provide for you, it is to your benefit.
Please be patient as there will be times when we are exceptionally busy. We will however, make every effort to keep waiting time to a minimum.

What if I am not satisfied?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact us and we will try to resolve any problems quickly and explain what we have done and why.

If we do not respond satisfactorily, you can take your complaint further by using our feedback procedure. You can get a leaflet titled 'Help Us To Get It Right' directly from ourselves or from any South Ayrshire Council Office. Alternatively you can phone 0300 123 0900 or email customerservices@south-ayrshire.gov.uk. You can also use this procedure for comments, suggestions and complaints about other South Ayrshire Council services.

Any suggestions?

We hope you will find this information helpful and that we continue to meet the standards we have set. Please let us know what you think by using our feedback procedure or by contacting us directly.

How and when you can phone or visit us

Hours of Registration: 9.00am - 4.00pm

Registration, Cemetery Offices and Masonhill Crematorium
Opening hours:

Monday - Thursday: 8.45am - 4.45pm
Friday 8.45am - 4.00 p.m
Weekends and Public Holidays 10.00am - 1.00pm (Crematorium)