Frequently Asked Questions
For answers to individual enquiries please contact the Registrar at NAMM or post a message on the online forum.
1 Castle Mews Rugby CV21 2XL or enquiries@namm.org.uk
NAMM recommends to all Burial Authorities that they allow at least 12 months from the time registration becomes a requirement of their rules.
This allows each business time to have their fixers assessed and to gain the required qualification.
Contact the NAMM Registrar and request an application form, or download the application form. Submit the completed form with the required documents to the Registrar at NAMM 1 Castle Mews, Rugby, Warwickshire. CV21 2XL.
Click the "Add me to The Register" button above to download the application form.
Your certificate of registration shall be sent to you and your business shall then appear on the Register.
Please note that it is a requirement of business registration that within one year of registration each business has at least one qualified fixer registered to the business.
You may list your branch office details on the form; each branch shall receive a separate registration certificate for that address.
Click the "Add me to The Register" button above to download the application form.
The administration cost is £5.00 per branch
Your business Registration lasts for one year, and each year you shall be required to confirm that your business still meets the required criteria to remain on the Register.
Failure to renew your Registration shall result in your business being removed from the Register.
Only those persons engaged in the fixing or repair of memorial masonry need to be registered, an unregistered employee can assist a registered memorial fixer.
Burial Authorities have the right to request that those persons who fix or repair memorials in their burial grounds can provide proof of competence; the NAMM City and Guilds qualification or QCF194 unit of the Stonemasonry S/NVQ are the only nationally accredited qualifications, which provide such proof.
Your Burial Authority regulations may require you to provide proof of appropriate qualifications, insurance cover and Health and Safety knowledge. The NAMM Register provides this information if requested on your behalf.
It is a requirement of registration that all businesses or individuals give a written agreement that their memorials shall be fixed or repaired in Accordance with the NAMM Code of Working Practice. Almost all Burial Authorities require that memorials are fixed or repaired to the NAMM Code of Working Practice specifications.
Members of NAMM are not required to submit any information or documentation, which is already a requirement of NAMM membership. NAMM members also enjoy free access to the NAMM Code of Working Practice and any amendments to that code, which are issued from time to time.
Being a NAMM member ensures that your business is always aware of any significant changes in legislation or standards, which apply to the installation of memorial masonry.
As a National Association NAMM provides valuable information and back up to its membership and also provides professional training if required.
For a list of the benifits of being a member of NAMM please see the NAMM website
There is no restriction on who registers with the NAMM Registration Scheme, provided you or your company meet the required criteria.
Many Burial Authorities accept and recognise the NAMM RQMF as proof that a business is properly insured and fulfils Health and Safety requirements, Fixer qualifications are nationally accredited awards so it would be difficult for any Burial Authority to refuse a permit or entry to a Cemetery to any business or person on the RQMF register, If you encounter this problem please contact NAMM HQ who shall investigate on your behalf.
The NAMM registrar can give you all the information you require to gain an award.
You may already be registered with an approved awarding body, in which case you shall not need to re register as a candidate. If you are not registered with an approved awarding body, the Registrar can do this on your behalf, you shall need to complete the application form and at this point your assessment can be arranged at a time and place to suit you.
You have the choice of which specific award you wish to attain and which awarding body you wish to use to facilitate this, The NAMM Registrar can assist with the relevant information, however the NAMM Register has been developed to allow candidates as much freedom of choice as possibe.
Contact the NAMM Registrar for further information.
Contact the NAMM City and Guilds Test Centre at NAMM Head Office.
The National Association of Memorial Masons
1 Castle Mews
Rugby
Warwickshire CV21 2XL
Tel: 01788 542264
Fax: 01788 542276
The Test Centre shall issue you with a registration/information pack. You shall have to complete the City and Guilds registration form for the award you require and return it to the test centre. Once you are registered with City and Guilds as a candidate you can apply to be assessed for your award.
There are two NAMM City and Guilds accredited awards available at present:
- the NAMM Fixing a Memorial to the Code of Working Practice, City & Guilds accredited Qualification.
-
the NAMM Safety Inspection and Assessment of memorials City & Guilds accredited Qualification.
Your employers can arrange to have you assessed by contacting the NAMM Registrar.
You can apply for any nationally recognised qualification without you or your business being registered with NAMM. You only have to be registered as a candidate with an appropriate awarding body.
The assessment is carried out at your normal place of work, local burial ground and during your normal working hours.
Once registered as a candidate and an appointment for an assessment is arranged the assessor shall contact you and discuss with you what is required.
NAMM do occasionally organise assessment days at a specific location where a number of candidates can be assessed on the day, please contact NAMM for further details of planned assessment days.
For any persons with learning difficulties, or a physical disability the Assessor shall discuss the process to ensure those candidates are not disadvantaged.
All awarding bodies have to comply with the National Occupational Standards and follow a format, which ensures that all candidates can be assessed without prejudice
Contact the NAMM Registrar if you require further information on this issue.
NAMM run several training courses including pre-assessment courses for the NAMM City and Guilds awards.
You can be assessed for your Fixing award without taking a pre-assessment course.
You cannot be assessed for the Inspection and Assessment of Memorials award unless you have attended the full day training course for this particular subject.
For more information on available courses look at the NAMM website www.namm.org.uk or contact NAMM Head Office
The National Association of Memorial Masons
1 Castle Mews
Rugby
Warwickshire CV21 2XL
Tel: 01788 542264
Fax: 01788 542276
The City and Guilds or VR 194 awards are Nationally Accredited and are for life. Your card is only issued as proof of your identity and to confirm that you hold this award. Unless the card is lost, stolen or requires updating because you have moved, changed your employment, has become illegible or you have achieved a further qualification then there is no requirement to renew you card.
The decision as to whether you shall be able to fix or repair memorials in a burial ground shall be at the discretion of the relevant Burial Authority in whichever area you wish to work.
The scheme is designed to allow a Burial Authority to check that memorial fixers and repairers working in their burial grounds have relevant qualifications, insurance and health and safety knowledge of safe working practices.
If a Local Authority is satisfied that you or your company meet their required criteria without being on the Register or have a Registration Card then they have the right to allow you to work in their Burial Grounds.
However as more Burial Authorities make having a qualification and being registered with a nationally recognised registration scheme a requirement of their burial ground management rules it would be advisable to become registered.
The Registrar
The National Association of Memorial Masons
1 Castle Mews
Rugby
Warwickshire CV21 2XL
Tel: 01788 542264
Fax: 01788 542276
NAMM using its network of Qualified Assessors does carry out randon follow up inspections of the quality of the workmanship of those registered to fix. These random inspections are carried out as part of the registration scheme and are paid for from the business subscription fees.
Where a Burial Authority has signed up for an annual inspection scheme these inspections shall be more frequent (at least one inspection per business per anum) and may be charged to the Burial Authority.
Non NAMM members may not display the NAMM corporate logo.
Only full retail members of NAMM have the exclusive right to use the NAMM corporate logo.
NAMM have created two different RQMF logos, one for NAMM members and one for non NAMM members, the NAMM member RQMF Logo has the corporate logo of NAMM incorporated within it, while the non NAMM member RQMF logo is similar to the the NAMM associate member logo.
The NAMM member RQMF logo has a gold border while the non NAMM member RQMFlogo has a silver border.
Both logos are available as stickers for vehicles or windows and for use on business stationery.
For further information or to order stickers please contact NAMM Head Office ot the RQMF registrar.
The British Standard 8415:A1:2009 is the current standard which all the components of a memorial are required to meet, including foundations, dowels, ground support systems, cement, concrete, resins or other fixatives used in the construction of a memorial. The memorial itself including the headstone, base, kerbs, crosses, figures, plaques and any other structural parts of a memorial. NAMM is represented on the British Standards Institute Commitee. The standard also describes the recommended testing procedure for memorials including the inspection and safety assesment of memorials as well as the accreditation procedure for ground support systems. The standard is currently under review with the next revision due for publication in 2011.
The NAMM Code of Working Practice describes and demonstrates how to meet the requirements of the British Standard and how to acheive the required standards. The NAMM Code of Working Practice is a live document and is constantly under review to ensure it reflects the requirements of the current version of BS 8415.