Resources
Whether you are a Veteran or not, you may like to know more about how the various stakeholders in the veteran Community who work together to support and assist our veteran community. Those people and organisations supporting Veterans can also access resources here, which we will continue to developed further over coming months.
Veterans Scotland Information Guide
This booklet includes details of the Veterans Champions, who have been established across Scotland to ensure that those who have served are not disadvantaged as a result of their service. It also brings together a wide range of help available to both the Veteran Community and those supporting them, the majority of which is available via the Internet. It lists some but not all of the organisations that provide support and advice to the Veteran Community in Scotland. Additional information is available from the Veterans-Assist website.
THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT -
A Guide for Local Authorities: How to deliver the Covenant in your area
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served, and their families, are treated fairly. This commitment is made in recognition of the sacrifices they make on behalf of the country. The Armed Forces Covenant is not designed to give the Armed Forces, Veterans and their families’ preferential treatment compared with other citizens but it should ensure that they get a fair deal and are not disadvantaged because of their Service.
There is a huge network of organisations supporting the Armed Forces community, so finding the right one for your needs can be tricky.
We make it quick and easy by being your first point of contact for whatever support you need, whether you are based in the UK or abroad.
Find Out more
Scotland Guide
This guide has been produced to provide information on a range of topics to consider as you plan for your transition to civilian life in Scotland. It aims to give useful information on the sort of help you available and importantly who can provide it.
The guide was developed as a collaborative effort between Veterans Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and Army HQ Scotland. Its aim is to provide information to those currently serving in the Armed Forces, Service Leavers and their families who are thinking of settling in Scotland. The Scottish Government aims to make Scotland the destination of choice for service leavers and their families and a great quality of life is certainly here for the taking.
Supporting the Armed Forces community with Housing in Scotland A Best Practice Guide
Civilian Life in the Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders Council have recently re-issued their guide "Civilian Life in the Scottish Borders" which aims to support veterans and thier families who already live within the Scottish Borders or are looking to settle within the area. It looks to give information and advice on a number of areas which may be of interest to the veterans community. The link below will take you to a PDF verion of the document, however copies are avaiolable from the Borders Council on request.
(Click here to view the document)
Veterans First
A guide for people leaving the Armed Forces in Perth and Kinross. This has been produced in partnership between Perth & Kinross Council and the local SSAFA branch. It looks to deliver information about what is available to support our Armed Forces veterans in Perth & Kinross. If you wish to view the booklet please click on the link below:
Armed Forces and Veterans Guides (Edinburgh & Lothians)
Several guides are available to assist across a range of subjects that those leving the service may wish to engage with. Copies of the guides are available on the local authority websites as well as links below:
Edinburgh
East Lothian
Midlothian
West Lothian
Shown below are links to external websites:
For those who are looking to become self employed Business Gateway have a range of information on starting up your business, funding of your business and growth of your business.
Self-Reporting & Evaluation Tools
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In July 2018, the Cobseo Executive Committee issued a Governance Practices Aide Memoire and supporting Information Note. These documents are designed to cover the governance topics found in the non-statutory Charity Governance Code in England & Wales and similar codes in the other home nations.
Following the release of these documents, a self-reporting tool has been produced for Members to self-assess the consistency of their governance practices with the Aide Memoire.
The tool was developed by a Working Group of large and small Members, and is designed to be easy and quick to use. After conducting a pilot exercise with 15% of the Membership in late 2018, the Cobseo Executive Committee approved its use by all Full and Regimental Members once every two years of continuing Membership, starting in 2019.
The self-reporting tool assists Members to demonstrate that they are achieving a good level of governance or show where they can improve their governance measures to achieve a good level of governance.
Please note, this is a living document that will be amended if or when the law or guidance changes. Any changes will be highlighted and explained in the Cobseo Weekly News.
Members are invited to discuss their self-evaluation with Cobseo to identify the support and assistance available. To do so, please complete the self-reporting tool and then forward the Excel file to enquiries@cobseo.org.uk with the subject line ‘Member Self-Reporting Tool *Organisation Name*’.
The 2019 target date for current Full and Regimental Members to complete the tool on behalf of their organisations is Friday 28 June 2019. The tool can be downloaded using the link below:
There is also a short how-to guide available for any Members requiring additional help – click here for the guide.
A WEBSITE FOR ARMED FORCES COMMUNITY MORAY AND HIGHLAND
Moray and Highland Councils have launched a website to support members of the Armed Forces community in Moray and Highland, which was briefly mentioned at the Veterans Gathering in November 2018.
A joint project, supported with an award from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, the website features information on local services and assistance available to the Armed Forces community including schools and learning, employment and training, financial advice, health and wellbeing, housing and moving to north of Scotland.
View the website
Use My Money Steps to get free online debt help
Benefits and Financial Support
Government Guide to Benefits, Tax Credits and Other Support
A number of veterans are unaware of the various benefits and other support that they may be eligable for and as such the link below will offer advice and guidance.
Working Together to Meet the Housing Needs
of Ex-Service Personnel: Examining the
Challenges of Transition and Collaboration
The housing system is complex for anyone facing housing difficulties. It can be particularly difficult for ex-Service personnel to navigate because Armed Forces accommodation is completely separate from the civilian system. Finding a path through the housing maze can be additionally complicated by the number of organisations involved, including local authorities, housing associations, advice organisations and a plethora of Armed Forces charities. Collaboration between these organisations is therefore key to meeting the housing needs of ex-Service personnel. This study, funded by the Forces in Mind Trust, examines how organisations work together to support ex-Service personnel with housing problems,
with a particular focus on the process of transition as people leave the Armed Forces.
To understand how organisations are attempting to collaborate in different contexts, we did five
area-based case studies across England, Scotland and Wales 1. In each area we interviewed key staff from all of the organisations involved in meeting the housing needs of ex-Service personnel (70 interviews in total), as well as a number of individuals who had left the Armed Forces within the last ten years
(20 interviews in total). Throughout the interviews, we explored what is working well to help ex-Service personnel find their way smoothly through the system and get into sustainable housing, and where things still need to improve. We also examined policy documents and, where possible, we reviewed
the local data on numbers of ex-Service personnel passing through the housing support system.
Positive Futures - Getting Transtion Right in Scotland
Aim of the report
‘Transition’ is the term most commonly used to describe the period of change around reintegration into civilian life from the Armed Forces. The timeframe is fluid, so this and the language of ‘resettlement’ can lead to confusion over expectations of where, when and how it happens and exactly where the responsibilities lie. I consider transition as a journey, not a single process or a point in time.
This report focuses specifically on the areas of employment, skills and learning. It makes suggestions and broad outcomes-based recommendations to the Scottish Government and others, for improvements aimed at getting transition right to benefit the individual and their family as they transition and become veterans, living and working in Scotland.
Scottish-Veterans-Commissioner-Positive-Futures-Getting-Transition-Right-in-Scotland-Health-and-Wellbeing-2022-ONLINE.pdf (scottishveteranscommissioner.org)
Positive Futures: Getting Transition Right in Scotland – Health and Wellbeing (2022)
Positive Futures: Getting Transition Right in Scotland – Health and Wellbeing (2022) is the third and final report in my Positive Futures series of reports, which examines different aspects of transition from the military back to civilian life.
Too many veterans still struggle to adapt and find it difficult to access and navigate healthcare in the civilian world. The first Scottish Veterans Commissioner, Eric Fraser looked at the considerable challenges that some veterans face engaging with Scotland’s health and social care services in 2018 when he published his report: “Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing: A Distinctive Scottish Approach”. This new report looks again at health and wellbeing but from a transition perspective specifically.
The report makes four broad, outcomes-based recommendations intended to build on the solid progress made to deliver the recommendations from the 2018 report and ensure that we get health and mental healthcare right for those transitioning now – and for their families. They will do that at a time where world events are having a profound impact and as the NHS struggles to recover from 2 years of Pandemic and all its associated harms.
Mental health and wellbeing stands out in the report as a key area for early attention. In researching the report, unmet need and the frustrations of veterans and their families struggling to find support or treatment were issues that came up, time and again. The Scottish Veterans Care Network completed its work to produce a Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan in December 2021 and implementing the Plan to get the structure right and address a long-standing need is the standout recommendation. By doing so, we can ensure our veterans and their families can access consistently high quality support and services, whenever they need them, wherever they live in Scotland. The report is aimed at ensuring all Service leavers and their families choosing to settle in Scotland experience fewer difficulties, smoother access and better health and wellbeing outcomes. An overview of the report’s findings, including the recommendations in full, can be found here.
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