Manchester People - Issue 37, New Year 2009

When Barry Higginson injured his back eight years ago, he feared that he would struggle to find a job he enjoyed as much.

Barry was an HGV technician servicing the Council's fleet of vehicles when he suffered the injury and qualified for medical redeployment. He accepted a completely different role in Bereavement Services at Blackley Cemetery and embraced his new job with such gusto that he has just won Manchester City Council's Employee of the Year award.

Forty-eight-year-old Barry from Blackley admits that his career change initially seemed daunting: "The injury was hard to deal with at the time and I worried about what I would do next. Then this job came up, and although you couldn't really think of anything more different, it appealed to me because it is very customer-focused.

"I needed to adapt my skills a lot and took a number of courses provided by the Council. They included customer service and computer skills, and I was encouraged to take an excellent course about dealing with bereavement."

Barry's role now involves providing customer services for the Council's four cemeteries and one crematorium in north and east Manchester. It was Barrie Jones, Head of Bereavement Services, who spotted Barry's talent after joining the service six months ago and nominated him for the award. He explains: "Sometimes people are understandably very upset and at the same time you have other people queuing up at the counter. It impressed me that Barry had just the right sensitivity and judgement to deal with that situation.

"In everything he does, he cares about delivering excellent service and always goes the extra mile. I've known him to come in on a Saturday because a family wants to scatter ashes. His enthusiasm for improving the service is also outstanding; it is never a matter of standing still for Barry - he is committed to building a world-class service."

The service receives a regular stream of thank you letters and one person recently wrote of Barry: "He demonstrates a level of patience that is becoming rare these days. He was able to give me the information I needed - and more - to locate the grave of my mother's maternal grandparents."

Barry says: "I always think 'If I were in this person's position, what kind of service would I like to receive?' Every bereavement is individual, so you have to listen carefully and use the right tone to make the person feel comfortable, as well as giving appropriate reassurance and information."

By Clarissa Langham