Support for our Armed Forces Community

• Education Representative/s to be invited and to regularly attend the DAFCB
• Gain understanding of how Service Pupil Premium (SPP) is used in Doncaster and work to ensure that it is utilised to its full potential going forward
• Design, offer and deliver AF&V Training package to educational & family establishments
• Ensure that educational & family establishments ‘ask the question’ around AF&V
• Ensure that all first conversations, in both Adults’ and Children’s Service ‘ask the question’ around AF&V
• Explore the current position for priority educational places for children from the Armed Forces Community
• Establish what, if any, support is available for young people from the Armed Forces Community
• Promote Cadet & Adult Volunteer Leader opportunities throughout Doncaster
• Update and distribute Armed Forces Resource pack and share with Educational Establishments through DAFCB
• Promote e-learning and Face 2 Face training packages to all educational, children’s and adult’s services establishments to increase understanding and awareness
• Request Education, Children & Adult Services to nominate Veteran Link Officers (champions) throughout their teams

• Amendment of St Leger Allocations Policy to include priority for separated and divorced partners of service personnel
• Design, offer and deliver AF&V Training package to Housing & Customer Service staff
• Ensure that Housing & Customer Service staff ‘ask the question’ around AF&V
• Understand how many people on the Housing Waiting List have left the Armed Forces within the last 5yrs and explore engagement options with those people
• Understand the offer from other social housing providers
• Understand the offer from community, voluntary and charitable organisations to support with accommodation and housing issues
• St Leger Homes Website to be updated to include information for Armed Forces & Veterans
• Request St Leger to nominate a number of Veteran Link Officers (champions) throughout their organisation
• Explore options for having bespoke support sessions for Veterans and those leaving the Armed Forces to receive support for completing housing registration forms
• Make links with local Prisons to ascertain what support is offered to Veterans leaving prison and requiring accommodation and if this requires improvement

• City of Doncaster Council to work with partners to host an annual employment and further education fair to be targeted towards the Armed Forces Community
• Work in partnership with Business Doncaster and other providers to ensure further education and employment opportunities for Armed Forces Cadets
• Work with those preparing to leave school and further education and ensure that Armed Forces Career opportunities are promoted and explored
• Promote opportunities for joining the Reservists
• Review and promote Council Policy for Reservists and Adult Cadet Volunteer Leaders
• Update internal Council intranet page to ensure all staff are aware of information and support to the Armed Forces Community and support provisions for Reservists and Adult Cadet Volunteer Leaders
• Actively encourage Doncaster employers to sign up to Employer Recognition Scheme Awards
• Explore links and opportunities between City of Doncaster Council and the Forces Employment Charity (inc. Career Transition Partnership) to highlight Council Employment opportunities to those leaving the Armed Forces and their families
• Explore opportunities for an Apprenticeship Open day specifically for Cadets

• Establish a specific Healthcare Sub-Group to bring together all interested parties to drive this priority forward
• Ensure that Health (inc. GPs, Mental Health and Hospitals) are represented at the DAFCB
• Establish how many GP Practices in Doncaster are already Veteran Friendly
• Encourage GPs to become Veteran Friendly through GP Target Training
• Offer the opportunity for face to face training for those healthcare professionals not able to commit to Veteran Friendly status but still wanting to raise awareness and upskill
• Establish what, if any, information is recorded in other healthcare settings (other than GPs) about veterans
• Update and distribute Armed Forces Resource pack and share with Health Colleagues through DAFCB
• Make links with Health lead for ‘Op Courage’ and ask that they are represented at either the DAFCB or the Healthcare Subgroup. Also ensure that information on  Op Courage is disseminated to the DAFCB and the Armed Forces Community
• Update Armed Forces Resource Pack to ensure that all Veteran Friendly or specific information is included
• Promote the Veteran Friendly Suicide Prevention Training at every opportunity to help to reduce the risk of Veteran suicide
• Explore how the voluntary and community sector can support the AFV Community with access to healthcare

• Update Council and/or YLD Website with what financial assistance is available for the AF Community
• Promote all available new funding opportunities for individuals and families through all networks, inc. the AF Distribution Lists (DAFCB & General mailing list) and through the Facebook page
• All information on Grants and Funding for organisations to be shared through all networks, inc. via email and at the DAFCB meeting
• All DAFCB Members to support one another in applications for funding and grant opportunities
• Update Resource Pack and share via distribution lists, on websites and on social media
• Build links with Citizen’s Advice Bureau to ensure better support for the Doncaster AF Community
• Specific article in the newsletter to promote what funding is available to the AF community
• E-Learning and Face 2 Face Training to include what financial assistance is available for the AF community to ensure that staff and volunteers are able to share this information
• Utilise all available funding opportunities to support the Armed Forces Community
• Build relationships with all community and voluntary financial advice services to ensure that this information can be shared with the AF Community
• Build relationships with Vets UK to enable the DAFCB to have a greater understanding and to use this understanding to support the AF community

• Work with partners, including DCLT and Club Doncaster Foundation for discounts for the AF Community specifically around Armed Forces Day
• Establish all national and local military discount schemes and promote via Council Website – ‘Heroes Welcome’ and via distribution lists, Newsletter and Facebook page
• Explore the advantages of the ‘Military Discount Card’, encourage more organisations to recognise this and promote to the AF community
• Promote the advantages and use of the ‘Blue Light Card’
• Work with local businesses and Doncaster Chamber to encourage more businesses to offer discounts and incentives to the AF community
• Explore and promote the use of Fit Forces and the related Gym Discount Scheme associated with this
• Work with DCLT to ensure that ‘Veteran’s Discount’ is promoted more clearly and separated from that of the ‘Corporate Discount Scheme’

The cross-cutting factors include: Collaboration between Organisations / Data on the Armed Forces Community / Veterans and the Law / Perception and Understanding of the Armed Forces Community /Communication / Preparation for Local & Nation Events.

• Establish Terms of Reference and Information Sharing Agreement for the DAFCB
• Update Resource Pack and share link on Website with DAFCB and wider distribution list. Also ensure printed copies are available to teams if required
• Production and distribution of a Qtrly Newsletter to ensure that the Armed Forces Community, all partners and the wider community are aware of what is happening and what is available for Veterans, serving Personnel and their families
• Formation of a Veteran’s Forum to ensure the voice of the individual is captured through all of our work
• Creation of an email distribution list for Veterans and anybody interested in the Armed Forces to keep up to date with communications
• Update and improve information that is held on the Intranet / Council Internet / Your Life Doncaster
• Make links with all local Prisons to ascertain what support is offered to Veterans on release or preparation for release
• Update the City of Doncaster Council E-Learning Package and share access with DAFCB Members
• Offer regular face 2 face training that can be accessed by all partners, including voluntary, community and faith sector
• Explore options for adding ‘Military Connection’ either serving, served or a family as an identified group on Mosaic
• Stronger Communities Wellbeing, Veteran Link Officers to host Qtrly Armed Forces Specific CLS sessions, linking in with other services as required
• Explore the options for a ‘Military Games’ event, bringing together organisations and the AF Community to celebrate the AF in Doncaster
• Utilise the SYP Armed Forces Rep to link in with Veterans and ensure early identification of issues within the community and reduce escalation
• Work together with all partners involved in the Criminal Justice System (inc. Prisons, SYP, Probation, Courts, Op Nova) to ensure that nobody is missed and that re-offending is reduced at every opportunity