Local authorities
As a local authority, you can support the Armed Forces community and the Covenant by:
Mitigating the impacts of Service life on your service users from the Armed Forces community
You might provide services to:
- Currently serving Regular or Reserve members of the UK Armed Forces
- Family members of someone serving, or formerly serving, in the UK Armed Forces
- Bereaved family members of someone who died on service in the UK Armed Forces
- Service leavers and former members (‘veterans’) of the UK Armed Forces
Some of these service users might face disadvantages compared to the general population, arising from Service life, such as being unable to access certain services while serving overseas. You might be able to mitigate some of these disadvantages. There might also be opportunities for you to offer special provision to those who have sacrificed the most, such as the injured and the bereaved. Follow the links below to find out more about mitigating the impacts of Service life.
Employing members of the Armed Forces community
You might employ:
- Currently serving Reserve members of the UK Armed Forces
- Family members of someone serving, or formerly serving, in the UK Armed Forces
- Bereaved family members of someone who died on service in the UK Armed Forces
- Service leavers and Veterans of the UK Armed Forces
You can be a forces friendly employer of members of the Armed Forces community, receive awards that recognise your commitment to the Covenant, and get help and advice. Follow the link below to find out more about employing members of the Armed Forces community.
Show your support
Sign the Covenant, apply for Covenant funding, or use the Covenant branding. Follow the link below to find out more.
Local authority guides
Guides for practitioners in local authorities have been published by the Covenant team at the Ministry of Defence. As part of their work to take forward the recommendations of the Our community – our covenant report, they consulted closely with Covenant stakeholders to put together guides to the Armed Forces Covenant. ‘A guide for local authorities’ provides an overview of what the Covenant is and how it can be delivered within the local community. A Welsh language version is available. It is aimed specifically at local authorities and their partners. As public services are delivered differently in each of the UK’s four home nations, detailed guidance has been prepared for each, and can also be found by following the link above.
Best practice local authority websites
Here is a list of local authority websites that provide helpful information for their users Sandwell Metropolitan Borough: easy to read advice and support guides specific to the armed forces community on several different topics including housing, education, leisure discounts and jobs/training/volunteering Hampshire County Council: detailed guide on access to support services Surrey County Council: directory page for armed forces members settling in Surrey Oxfordshire County Council has produced a helpful leaflet that shows relevant organisations for the armed forces community in an easy-to-read format Additionally, the Covenant in Action section has many examples of the type of projects that local authorities can get involved with. This includes the ‘Crofton Cabin’ for forces children in Fareham, where children receive support and are able to contact their parents on deployment.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority have produced a useful Guide to Armed Forces Covenant delivery across the region.
Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award winning Liverpool City Council has set up a ‘Making it happen’ group to oversee the local delivery of the covenant and ensure that the welfare needs of service personnel, veterans and their families living in the city are captured. They have also created a dedicated website for people leaving the armed forces and settling in Liverpool.
Forces in Mind toolkit
The Forces in Mind Trust is a charitable organisation that aims to enable ex-service personnel and their families to lead successful civilian lives. The Trust frequently commissions research, and has produced reports on effective delivery of the Covenant within communities. This includes a toolkit for councils to help implement the Covenant, which is based on a review of successful councils and how they help deliver the Covenant in their area.
Research documents
Understanding Military Culture: York St John University published a report on for staff in local authorities and medical services who have dealings with serving and veteran personnel.
The Local Government Association has written a report for local authorities and healthcare professionals on meeting the public health needs of the armed forces.
