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The Armed Forces Covenant

Learn about the Armed Forces Covenant and the initiatives in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, from housing support to veteran services. Discover the unique challenges faced and how to provide assistance.

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The Armed Forces Covenant

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  1. The Armed Forces Covenant The Covenant is a promise between the nation, the government and the Armed Forces community, ensuring that those who serve, and have served, in the Armed Forces and their families, are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged by their service. https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/about/

  2. ‘Parity not priority’

  3. What the Covenant covers • Access to services • Education • Housing • Health • Mental Health • Employment • Transition • Family support • Criminal Justice • Welfare • Community and Social Isolation • Veterans strategy and Annual reports can be found on the links.

  4. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough local view Bases: RAF Wittering, RAF Wyton and Bassingbourn (All are expanding over the next two years) overseen by 7th Infantry Brigade based at Kendrew Barracks. US bases of Molesworth and Alconburyand links with Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Reserve regiments: 158 RLC in Peterborough, 254 Medical Regiment in Cambridge and University Officers Training Corps in Cambridge, Wyton and Wittering. Dispersed Families Cadets and Adult Cadet volunteers Veterans: Estimated around 10% of our population. Anyone that has served one day or more. Average veteran age is 40-50 but can be in their 20’s and upwards. You will have colleagues from the Armed Forces Community that you were not aware of.

  5. Military Life • Regular serving, reservists, veterans and their families • Unique way of life – not just a job. • Supportive and tight knit community • Dispersed families – Future Accommodation Model • Mobility – Moving around every 2-3 years, overseas postings. • Postings are an ORDER! • Deployment/long periods of separation • Last minute changes due to operational needs, military comes first • Different Language and humour • Lack of understanding by civilian community • Transition – Military to Civilian • Physical injury and Mental Health

  6. Civilian-Military Partnership Boards • Provide a strategic link within partner organisations with regard to the Armed Forces Covenant • Give strategic direction in order to strengthen links between communities and the Military • Champion the Armed Forces and honour the commitment given by the men and women of the Armed Forces • Review the work of the Armed Forces Covenant on an annual basis • Acknowledge and promote the valued role Reservists play within the community • Encourage recognition and remembrance of the role played by the Armed Forces • Work collaboratively with the task groups and act as final arbiter

  7. Current Project • Coordination and support for the Covenant Boards (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) • Strategic oversight and policy change • Data gathering • Training • Raising awareness • Community engagement and public events • Digital Presence development, signposting and referral pathways • Further projects to improve lives of the military community • Further funding for housing project to tackle Veteran homelessness.

  8. Housing • Removal of local connection criteria for anyone who has left service within last 5 years. • Priority banding for those being medically discharged • Divorcing spouses not covered but new consultation may change this • No specific veteran housing in the county at present • STOLL – Veterans Nomination Scheme wanting to expand into Cambridgeshire • Support for rent and deposits • Transfer of care, OT and adaptions – MOD recovery pathway • Hidden Homeless and Rough Sleeping • Data – Homelink report – last quarter 226 AFC applications, 22 requesting move due to medical condition, injury or disability.

  9. Helping those who have helped us • Ask the question! • Are you, or have you served in the Armed Forces? • Are you a spouse/Partner or child of someone who is or has served in Armed Forces? • Once we have established this it opens up a lot of doorways for support that the civilian population don’t get. • 2500 registered military charities and central government committee dealing with the Armed Forces Covenant. • Different legislation and policies. • Cost savings to our services if we get the right support to people at the right time. • Unique lifestyle means some unique issues so we need to look differently at how we deal with the situations presented to us.

  10. Armed Forces Covenant – Support organisations • Amicus Housing - https://www.amicustrust.org/ • Benevolent Funds: • Army - https://soldierscharity.org/ • Navy - http://www.rnbt.org.uk/ • RAF - https://www.rafbf.org/ • Blesma - https://blesma.org/ • Blind Veterans UK - https://www.blindveterans.org.uk/ • Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childrens-education-advisory-service • COBSEO - https://www.cobseo.org.uk/ • Combat Stress - https://www.combatstress.org.uk/ • Covenant – National Website - https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/ • Covenant Trust Fund - https://www.covenantfund.org.uk/ • Career Transition Partnership (MOD resettlement provider) - https://www.ctp.org.uk/ • Domestic abuse strategy - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-defence-for-abuse-a-strategy-to-tackle-domestic-abuse-within-the-defence-community • DWP - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobcentre-plus-services-for-the-armed-forces-and-their-families/armed-forces-enhanced-access-to-jobcentre-plus-services-and-armed-forces-champions • Families Federations: • Army - https://aff.org.uk/ • Navy - https://nff.org.uk/ • RAF - https://www.raf-ff.org.uk/

  11. Forces in Mind Trust - https://www.fim-trust.org/ • Help for Heroes - https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ • MOD Directorate of Children and Young persons (DCYP) https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/directorate-children-and-young-people • Project Nova - https://www.rfea.org.uk/our-programmes-partnerships/project-nova/ • Royal Air Force Association - https://www.rafa.org.uk/ • RFEA (Forces Employment Charity) - https://www.rfea.org.uk/ • Royal British Legion - https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/ • Service Pupil Premium - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-service-pupil-premium/service-pupil-premium-what-you-need-to-know • SSAFA - https://www.ssafa.org.uk/ • STOLL Housing Support - https://www.stoll.org.uk/ • Veterans Advisory and pensions Committee/ Veterans UK • https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterans-uk • Veterans and Families Research Hub - https://www.vfrhub.com/ • Veterans Gateway - https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/ • Veterans Mental Health – Transition, Intervention and Liaison service - https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/military-healthcare/ • Veterans Welfare Service - https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/veterans-welfare-service • Warrior Programme - https://warriorprogramme.org.uk/ • Additional: Regimental and Unit associations across all three services. Too many to list here.

  12. Contact details Vikki Barr Armed Forces Covenant Development Officer for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Victoria.barr@cambridgeshire.gov.uk T: 01223 703258 M: 07776679592 Armed Forces Champions: Cambridgeshire – Cllr Mac Maguire Peterborough – Cllr John Fox

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