Support for Veterans and the Armed Forces community: report 2018

Looking to the Future

Veterans are assets to our society, and in the year ahead we will focus on promoting the benefits that they bring to both employers and Scottish society. We remain fully committed to ensuring that members of the veterans and Armed Forces community in Scotland do not experience disadvantage when accessing services. We will continue positively to support veterans in the year ahead through the Scottish Veterans Fund.

We have committed to the continuing scrutiny of our service provision through the appointment of the Scottish Veterans Commissioner, Charlie Wallace, to improve the lives of veterans and inform wider policy for Armed Forces families in Scotland. We will continue to drive forward work to address the previous Commissioner’s recommendations, and look forward to working with Charlie on his priorities.

We have a strong track record of support, but there is more that we can do. The demographics of the veterans community are changing and we need to ensure we adapt to the shifting challenges ahead. As a priority this year we are therefore looking again across all Ministerial portfolios to review current service provision. To underpin this work we are acutely aware that accurate data and better identification at the point of referral are essential if we are to develop a clearer picture of the needs of the Armed Forces community. We will focus efforts, along with our partners, to develop better data to target future service provision. We will also continue to drive progress in the following areas:

Employability

In the year ahead we will continue to work with our partners in the Veterans Employability Strategic Group to focus efforts on the Veterans Commissioner’s recommendations to support veterans and personnel transitioning from the Armed Forces into fulfilling civilian careers. Employers have a key role to play in helping to identify the barriers that Service leavers face. Our 2017 publication Capitalising on Military Talent was well received, and we will continue to look at ways in which we can do more to highlight the benefits of employing ex-Service personnel.

We will focus efforts to support the entrepreneurial skills of spouses, partners and veterans by accelerating opportunities to create business workspaces to help those who want to run their own businesses. This includes working closely with the Armed Forces in Scotland and other partners to develop hubs near main Armed Forces bases. For those early Service leavers and other veterans and families who are keen to start an Apprenticeship, Skills Development Scotland will continue to offer support and engagement though events - including Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019.

Skills and Education

Through the Scottish Funding Council ( SFC) we will work with partners in the Expert Group throughout the next year to develop a “Network of Champions” for the Veterans and Armed Forces Community for both further and higher education. The project to map learning pathways and accredit prior learning for veterans is also expected to deliver in March 2019.

Healthcare

We have accepted the recommendations in the Veterans Commissioner’s 2018 report on Veterans Health and Wellbeing, and will be taking forward work, including refreshing the structure and remit of the Armed Forces and Veterans Joint Health Group. We will work with stakeholders and veterans champions in NHS Boards to establish a distinctive Scottish approach to veterans’ health that is in line with our ambition for safe, effective and person-centred healthcare as set out in the healthcare quality strategy for NHS Scotland.

Collaboration

We are fortunate in Scotland to have a strong charity sector and an extensive network of champions in Local Authorities and Public Sector bodies. Key to our efforts moving forward will be the continued support and collaboration of our partners. We have proven that our close working relationships here in Scotland can deliver real benefit to the Armed Forces community, and we are keen to see these relationships developed further with more opportunities for the sharing of best practice to drive up service standards. We are also working collaboratively with the UK Government and other Devolved Administrations on the development of plans for a new Veterans Strategy.

Housing

Following on from our recent letter to council Housing Conveners which highlighted that the housing requirements of the Armed Forces community should continue to be considered fully when councils are preparing their Local Housing Strategies, we have committed to ensuring that the guidance which assists Local Authorities in preparing their Local Housing Strategies is refreshed in 2019 to reaffirm the need to consider the requirements.

On Homelessness, the Veterans Minister and Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, have agreed to focus efforts to ease the burden of homelessness amongst our Armed Forces veterans, including through discussions with Local Authorities and stakeholders.

The Scottish Government publication Social Housing Allocations – A Practice Guide is being reviewed with stakeholders. Due for publication before the end of 2018, it will contain practical advice for social landlords on allocations for veterans and Service leavers. It will include guidance on ensuring that local connection does not put Service personnel at a disadvantage when applying for social housing.

Social Isolation

We are developing an ambitious strategy to tackle social isolation and loneliness, which is focused on community empowerment and everyone playing their part. The strategy, A Connected Scotland, takes a whole population approach however we recognise that particular groups of people, like veterans, may be at increased risk of social isolation and loneliness. The consultation for the draft strategy closed at the end of April 2018 and the final strategy will be published before the end of the year.

Service Families

We look forward to supporting Service families here in Scotland, including those moving to Scotland for the first time. Support for transitions between education systems will remain a key priority. The Scottish Service Children Strategy Group will continue to engage with key partners to develop advice and guidance on issues of importance to the education of, and support for, children from Service families, and is keen to explore opportunities to engage directly with young people from Armed Forces families. We are also working to ensure that the recently extended MOD Education Support Fund is promoted and used as intended to support children and families impacted by frequent mobility and deployment.

We will continue to look at ways in which we can support further the families of veterans and Armed Forces personnel.