By hearing about the issues and challenges you face, we can learn from them. By asking you questions either directly, or through surveys, we can capture evidence. Sharing your views and opinions allows us to work with policy and decision makers, to inform important changes that benefit you, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines families of today and those of tomorrow. Explore how your voice has helped us to influence these policies and make an impact on the support available, for the better.
NHS England support to the Armed Forces Community
NHS England have a statutory duty to engage with patients and they have established a Patient & Public Voice Group especially for the Armed Forces community, to better understand your unique needs.
Your voice heard
The Naval Families Federation are part of this PPV Group, ensuring that the anonymised evidence and feedback you share with us about NHS England services is presented to those who manage and deliver the policies that impact upon the whole community. You can learn more about this in their latest Impact Report.
Immigration Fees
In 2021 we contributed to the Immigration Fees Public Consultation.
Your voice heard
Following the consultation and contributions from specialists in the armed forces immigration world, the government announced a fee waives for personnel who meet certain requirements on termination of service.
Armed Forces families are subject to ‘Appendix Armed Forces’ of the immigration rules and previous successes in this area include the elimination of serving families paying the immigration health surcharge (IHS), which saves them (from January 2024) £1035 a year, on a standard 5 year limited leave to enter visa which is how the majority of spouses and children enter the UK, this saves them a massive £5175! The IHS fee until January 2024 is £624 per application, per year.
Further & Higher Education Funding in Scotland
In May 2023, the Armed Forces community were acknowledged in the Further and higher education – residency criteria for access to financial support: consultation analysis.
Your voice heard
We presented evidence to the Scottish Government using the experiences you shared with us about access to funding in Scotland. Their response details some of the complexities in this area for our families and states that “Scottish Government officials will consider this matter further”. We continue to advocate on this subject – to share your experiences get in touch with us at contactus@nff.org.uk.
Overseas Car Finance
A new protocol was launched in June 2022 to help ensure that motor finance works better for those who are assigned overseas.
Your voice heard
After being contacted for advice by Service personnel, our team took the experiences shared to the MOD and the Defence Relationship Management (DRM) team, alongside other stories and feedback from the wider Service community.
Forces Children Scotland Deployment Rollercoaster
During 2024, Forces Children Scotland (FCS) worked with children and young people to create a child-friendly emotional cycle of deployment resource.
The visual of the rollercoaster was developed by the children and young people themselves to help explain the different stages of the cycle.
Championing Naval families in all their diversity
During the development, the NFF’s The Emotional Cycle of Deployment in our Parental Absence Guide helped to inform discussion with the children and young people around different stages of deployment, including anticipation of loss, withdrawal and renegotiation.
We are delighted that children and young people from all families, wherever they live, now have access to this interactive, child-friendly emotional cycle of deployment.
The rollercoaster is supported by accessible resources for children, young people and parents to help support their child’s mental health and wellbeing at each stage of the ride: The Deployment Rollercoaster.
