Families often talk to us about their experiences of separations, whether through deployment, weekending, or other causes. In response to their feedback, we have put together the below information to help support families, carers, and schools.
1. NFF Resources
‘Navigating Periods of Separation’
This is an updated suite of resources for all naval families dealing with periods of separation and time apart, whether that is through deployments, crew rotations or weekending. We recognise the challenges naval families may face during time apart, how adult relationships may change and how children experience the absence of their serving parent, as well as the impact on the wider family. These resources share information on what to expect, insights into the Emotional Cycle of Deployment and the support available. We have also created a new guide specifically for schools, sharing guidance and best practice for supporting naval children at school.
The purpose of this resource is to go further than the previous Experiencing Parental Absence guide, making it more relevant to the wider family, providing further insights for families and education professionals, and reflecting current service life.
The resources are split into 4 sections and all are available online:
- Navigating Periods of Separation is the guide for all naval families dealing with periods of separation and time apart
- Section 5a: What about the wider family and 5b: Hearing and valuing children’s perspectives share the voice of children, how they have experience separation and what tools or strategies have helped them.
- How Education Professionals Can Help is our guide for schools supporting naval children, full of information, guidance and best practice.
Hard copies are not currently available, but will be available on request later in the year.
2. Useful links
Other sources of support for parents and children during deployment:
Aggie’s Storybook Waves helps members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines maintain the link with their children by recording a bedtime story for them to listen to when a parent is serving away from home.
Coram Family Lives (formerly Parentline Plus) provides advice and support for parents.
- Helpline: 0808 800 2222
Gingerbread provides expert advice, practical support and campaigning for single parents.
- Helpline: 0808 802 0925
Personalised Huggable Heroes, perfect for cuddles when loved ones are not at home.
Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting all children with parents serving in the British Armed Forces (Regular/Reserves). Resources, initiatives and events to ease and aid repeated separation periods aiming to keep parent and child connected and bonded even when miles apart.
Military Kids’ Club Heroes (formerly HMS Heroes) is a national support group for the children of Service men and women and their relatives. A tri-Service network of after-school clubs, MKC Heroes brings together members of Service families aged between 3 and 18 years old from all over the country.
PMK is a support network set up by the NFF and Portsmouth City Council. It is free to join and open to schools across Portsmouth with at least one Service child enrolled. Led by Aggie Weston’s, it allows schools to share good ideas and best practice through collaborative working. Their events also enable young people to meet new friends and support each other! If your child’s school is not already part of the cluster, please encourage them to get in touch with Aggie’s.
If you are due to deploy and are organising childcare arrangements with a relative or close friend, please check the regulations regarding private fostering. If an individual is looking after someone else’s child for more than 28 days they must notify their local council – failure to do so is a criminal offence.
The NCC is the only charity dedicated to supporting the children, up to the age of 25, of serving and veteran personnel from all branches of the Royal Navy including the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, Reserves and RFA. Any need is considered and their dedicated caseworkers are always available to discuss any issues your family and children are facing. They provide grants directly to the families where there is need and have free books to support younger children understand and cope with separation. They work closely with other Charities and RN FPS to ensure you get the help you need.
NSPCC is a charity championing child protection. Useful resources and guidance for keeping children safe, to give the primary caregiver during deployment confidence in their choices.
Their ‘Home Alone’ guide gives sound advice and useful tips to help parents decide in which situations they may leave their children home alone, and what they need to do to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Reading Force provides free books and scrapbooks to Service children of all ages, to support and encourage Service families with shared reading both at home or when separated by assignment orders. You can find out more about Reading Force from their brochure.
If you are in crisis or need professional support, the RN FPS Portal can provide specialist advice and guidance on personal or family matters.
Contact details:
Tel: 0800 145 6088 or 02392 728777
E-mail: navypeople-psrnfpsportal@mod.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 0800 – 2000; Sat & Sun (& Public Holidays) 0900 – 1600
For emergencies outside of these hours, the Duty Worker can be contact via the Officer of the Watch.
YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Helpline and information for parents concerned about a child or young person.
- Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544
The Families Federations have collaborated with Service Children In State Schools (SCISS) to create this useful resource with links and signposting to raise awareness of support offered by organisations to help children from an Armed Forces background during times of deployment.
4. Memory boxes from RN FPS
You can request deployment support, including memory boxes for your children, from RNFPS – apply through the RN Forum Login | Royal Navy (mod.uk). Once registered, go to Topics/Deployment/Resources.