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Leaving the Service

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Announcements, NFF News, Leaving the Service

 

Launching the second Edition of Families transition too! A Transition Guide – for the families of Royal Navy and Royal Marines Service Leavers.

 

The Naval Families Federation is delighted to introduce the second Edition of Families transition too! A Transition Guide – for the families of Royal Navy and Royal Marines Service Leavers.

 

When we first produced this guide, we wanted to ensure that families of Service Leavers were supported during their Service person’s transition out of the RN/RM.  The guide was received so well by our audience that we wanted to ensure that you had all of the latest information available.

 

The new edition highlights some key new additions that we wanted families to be aware of such as the new Defence Transition Service, the newly launched Veterans Railcard, new employment support for spouses and partners and changes to policies, that for the first time, recognise the important role that families have to play in their Service person’s transition.

 

We hope that this updated version helps you and your family to prepare and plan for your transition out of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines.

 

Please click here to read the eBook or click here to download as PDF.

 

Posted on: 8th January, 2021
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Announcements, NFF News, Leaving the Service, RN/RM Announcements

 

Armed Forces personnel and their families are to receive enhanced support from the MOD as they re-join civilian life, the Defence Secretary has announced today.

 

The expanded support includes the launch a new organisation, the Defence Transition Services (DTS), which will provide comprehensive support to service leavers.

 

Dedicated MOD staff across the country will help those few service leavers who may struggle as they transition into civilian life. More responsibility will also be placed on commanders to identify those who are likely to face the greatest challenges in making a successful transition.

 

Previously, transition support was mainly focussed on ensuring that personnel find jobs when leaving service, through the MOD’s longstanding and successful Career Transition Partnership (CTP). Now, personnel and their families will also receive expanded support and guidance, including in areas such as personal finance, accessing healthcare, housing costs and paying council tax.

 

The new measures announced today also include:

 

  • Regionally based teams with dedicated staff will provide support to individuals and their families assessed as facing the greatest challenges during the transition stage
  • Placing responsibility on a service person’s unit to assess each service leaver’s preparedness for transitioning into civilian life. Those assessed as someone who may struggle in civilian life will then be referred to Defence Transition Services
  • New guidance for all service leavers on issues to consider when leaving the armed forces, including housing, finances and access to healthcare, as well as the crucial issue of their family’s transition away from being an integral part of Service life
  • A new Defence Holistic Transition Policy

 

Bespoke support from the DTS is provided for a member of the armed forces while they approach their date of discharge and will not stop start when they leave the military. The support can continue for as long as it is needed.

 

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“We have a duty of care to our service personnel and veterans and today’s stepped up support will help ensure that no veteran is left behind.

“While the vast majority of those who leave the armed forces go on the lead happy, healthy and successful lives, we need to do everything we can for those who do struggle.

“Providing more comprehensive support at the crucial transition stage will help in giving service leavers an extra boost when they re-join civilian life.”

 

A successful transition is key for the majority of service leavers to ensure they build successful lives as civilians. The MOD recognises its crucial role in ensuring its service leavers are as well prepared and supported as possible to re-enter civilian society.

 

Today’s announcement also delivers against the government-wide Strategy for Our Veterans, ensuring the approximate 15,000 service leavers each year contribute fully to society and setting the standard for future recruitment to the armed forces.

 

The new initiatives, which will be run by the MOD, will ensure that service leavers are fully considering all relevant aspects of their departure from the Armed Forces, the effect of that departure on their families, and the appropriate steps to be taken to ensure that the transition, both in the short and long term, is as successful as possible.

 

Providing an extra layer of care for those preparing to leave the military, DTS will deliver specialist support for personnel who are most likely to face challenges as they adjust to civilian life. Service leavers will be offered unique solutions to the challenges they face, including help with employment.

 

The DTS will also be responsible for providing signposting and connecting with external support from other government departments and public bodies, as well as trusted charities.

 

The increased support comes after the Government established the Office for Veterans Affairs, bringing together all relevant Government departments to ensure that veterans are receiving the support they need and deserve.

 

We are pleased that the tri-Families Federation research ‘Lifting the Lid on Transition‘ has helped to inform this new policy.

 

The Naval Families Federation welcomes your feedback. Please do contact us via our website with any comments you make have. Click here to access the NFF’s Transition Guide for Royal Navy and Royal Marines families.

 

Posted on: 1st November, 2019
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Employment, NFF News, Leaving the Service

Tri-Service research, Military Spouse/Partner Employment: Identifying the barriers and support required, conducted by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research resulted in a key recommendation, the need to create a central portal for employment and training opportunities for Service spouses, partners and family members.

 

Forces Families Jobs (FFJ) – ForcesFamiliesJobs.co.uk – has been produced through collaborative working between the three Families Federations in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence Relationship Management Team.

 

The overall aim of this employment platform is to create a free-of-charge site that bridges the gap and enables the link between spouses and family members on the one hand, and employers training providers, on the other.

 

There are two main sections on Forces Families Jobs – ‘Jobs’ and ‘Training and Career Development’. 

 

  • The Jobs section allows employers to advertise jobs suitable for family members of serving personnel, free of charge. All employers will be asked to identify how they are ‘Forces friendly’.
    Spouses will be able to search for jobs in similar ways to many other job  However, uniquely, all employers have committed to support Forces families. This is important as 45% of spouses interviewed in the research undertaken by Warwickshire University felt they had been discriminated against due to their connection to the Services.

 

  • The training and career development section will bring together all the excellent existing initiatives available for serving families into one place, making it easier for spouses and partners to find. There will also be a section for training and courses that have been discounted specifically for Forces families.
Eligibility
Who is eligible to use the site?
  • Spouses/partners and adult children (aged 18-25) of currently serving personnel (Regular and Reserves)
  • Spouses/partners and adult children (aged 18-25) of Service personnel who have left the Armed Forces within the last 12 months
  • Bereaved spouses/partners and adult children (aged 18-25) for up to two years, post-Service.
Success Stories

Take a look at the success stories from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines community as a result of using FFJ/ services provided by FFJ partners here.

Information for employers
  • Advertise your jobs to this audience free of charge.

    Click on this image to access a downloadable leaflet. (Employers information)

  • Search our candidate database and download candidate CVs free of charge.
  • Fulfil your commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and progress through the Employment Recognition Scheme (ERS) by demonstrating your commitment to Service spouses.
  • Have your own company profile where you can articulate your specific commitments to the Armed Forces Covenant and your ERS level.
  • This is not a paid for service but is provided free to those who have signed the AFC.

 

As a business you will be required to provide us with a link to your website, a logo and a few paragraphs about the support that you can provide to service families.

 

Please email help@forcesfamiliesjobs.co.uk for further information and to request a copy of the registration form for employers.

 

 

We recently held a webinar for employers providing more information about Forces Families Jobs and the benefits of using our site, take a look:

Information for training providers

Advertise your opportunities and courses to this audience free of charge, by completing a form and returning to us by email.

 

Within the training section of the site, have a summary of your own company profile where you can articulate your specific commitments to the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and the support services that you provide.

 

This is not a paid for service but is provided free to those who have signed the covenant.  

 

As a training providers you will be required to provide us with a link to your website, a logo and a few paragraphs about the support that you can provide to families.

 

Please email help@forcesfamiliesjobs.co.uk for further information and to request a copy of the registration form for training providers.

 

Who will be able to advertise opportunities?

The training and career opportunities section does not require the training provider to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant or proof of Employer Recognition Scheme Status, but they will need to meet one of the following criteria to advertise on Forces Families Jobs:

  • Provide a FREE service to Armed Forces Families
  • Provide a discount or subsidised rate specifically for Service families
Information for spouses/partners and family members

Are you looking for a new job? Are you ready for a change in career? Forces Families Jobs is here to help. Forces Families Jobs is the go-to place for training and employment for family members of current serving UK Armed Forces personnel.

 

You can apply for jobs and access employment and training opportunities with companies and organisations who are Forces family friendly. You can use the website with confidence, knowing that all of the employers have signed the Armed Forces Covenant or are able to demonstrate their commitment to the Armed Forces. This is your gateway to accessing information about acquiring new skills, upgrading your existing skills or applying directly to employers who are understanding of the unique challenges that come with being a family member of a Serving Person.

We already have a whole host of specially chosen employers who’ve shown us that they celebrate military families and are waiting to employ someone like you! This site can give you access to hundreds of current, high quality jobs through its powerful search engine. By subscribing for job alerts you can pro-actively receive new job notifications directly into your inbox daily, weekly, or moments after the job is posted. To increase the ways through which you can find a job, you can upload your CV, create a profile and make your details searchable. This will make you visible in our candidate database, which will be searched by prospective employers looking to fill their vacancies, and which maximises your chance of finding a new job through Forces Families Jobs.

Webinars

Did you know that the FFJ team hold webinars to provide employers/jobseekers up-to-date information and top tips to help with your job hunt? Below are links to some of the recordings from the past webinars. For information on future events, please kindly visit FFJ homepage.

 

  • What is FFJ? Information for families – click here
  • What is FFJ? Information for employers – click here
  • CV writing with RFEA – click here
Further details
  • Listen to this podcast to find out more about the platform.

 

  • Forces Families Jobs launched on 17th September 2019. Please click here to read the news story.

 

  • If you have any questions, please get in touch with our Family Engagement Officer, Wendy Quinn at Wendy.Quinn@nff.org.uk.
Posted on: 21st May, 2019
Updated on: 30th June, 2021
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Leaving the Service, Useful Links

Veterans’ Gateway, alongside the NFF and our colleagues at the Army and RAF Families Federations, have launched a ‘Plan Early’ campaign to encourage Service leavers and their family members to look ahead when transitioning into civvy street.

 

As highlighted in a recent reports by the three Families Federations, ‘Lifting the Lid of Transition’, findings revealed that 51% of the survey respondents did not know where to go for welfare services, and 33% of respondents believed they would be worse off financially. With that in mind, Veterans’ Gateway have come up with this campaign to ensure that Service leavers and their families are prepared for some of the challenges they could possibly be facing.

 

The campaign’s website covers important aspects and challenges Service leavers and their families may face when transitioning out of their Service, such as housing, employment, finance, mental and physical wellbeing, and family life. There are also lists of other organisations that could be useful.

 

You can watch a short video on this campaign here:

 

Visit this page for a list of FAQs on leaving the Services, written by the Families Federations. Visit this page to access the ‘Plan Early’ campaign, which holds a wealth of information.

 

Posted on: 3rd April, 2019
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NFF News, Leaving the Service, Research

A two-year tri-Federation project comes to fruition today (Thursday 1st November) with the publication of a report into transition. This report, funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), has revealed that more awareness about the demands of transition is needed for families of Service leavers.

 

The report contains a list of recommendations including the need for:

  • A shift in culture (for policy makers, service providers, Service leavers and families themselves), which better appreciates the breadth of transition and the need to engage with it from an earlier point in a Service leaver’s career.
  • Raising awareness of the importance of advance planning.
  • An education piece to cover transition entitlement and processes.
  • Tailoring support to families’ specific needs.

 

The report, the first to specifically look at the lived experience of Service families, reveals the complex nature of transition and affirms the six ‘elements’ of transition: housing, health, education and children, employment, finances and wellbeing.

 

It also highlights the need for further research to better understand specific cohorts of families such as Foreign & Commonwealth, those whose Service leaver is being medically discharged and the challenges faced by Service children.

 

Anna Wright, CEO Naval Families Federation, said:

“The unique nature of Naval Service life is reflected by the ‘can do’ attitude of our families. However, it doesn’t automatically follow that all Naval Service families find the transition process to be without challenge. This report provides those in decision making roles with an insightful and honest bank of information to help support their thinking and consider the needs of Naval Service families when reviewing or updating appropriate policies.

“We are hugely grateful to all the families who took part in the research, offering their time and

sharing their ‘lived experience’ to inform this report.”

 

Sara Baade, Chief Executive, Army Families Federation said:

“The Army Families Federation is very grateful to FiMT for the opportunity to conduct much-needed research showing more needs to be done to support those going through transition out of the military. This work strengthens existing evidence in this area and the report’s recommendations are invaluable in supporting the case for improved resources and services that families can use to ensure their transition is successful, whatever their make-up. This key evidence also supports the Veterans’ Strategy announced by the Defence Secretary earlier this year; those transitioning out of the Forces are the veterans of tomorrow, and ensuring families overcome the many challenges transition can pose goes some way to ensuring a successful civilian life.”

 

Graeme Spark, Acting Director, RAF FF said:

“We have been delighted to have been part of this project – understanding completely the need for a holistic approach to transition to best support RAF families now and in the future. We now look forward to helping deliver where we can some of its recommendations.”

 

Ray Lock, Chief Executive of the Forces in Mind Trust, said:

“The process of transition is not solely about the Service personnel, it affects the entire family unit. What has become clear, from the library of research funded by FiMT, is that the earlier planning for leaving the Armed Forces starts, the more successful and sustainable is the transition.

“The recommendations within this report highlight the need to do more to ensure that the families of Service personnel are given the support required to successfully navigate the transition pathway.”

 

You can read the full report here. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a hard copy.

 

If you have an experience of transition that you’d like to share or have any questions or concerns, contact: transition@nff.org.uk.

 

Posted on: 1st November, 2018
Updated on: 14th November, 2018
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Leaving the Service

 

If you and your family are considering leaving the Royal Navy or Royal Marines or are already on your way out, find out all of the information that you need to know about your transition in these guides:

 

  • Front cover of NFF Transition Guide - for RN/RM Service leavers and their families. Full guide can be found on our website.Most Service leavers and their families leave the Armed Forces with no problems at all. However, for some, transition can be an unsettling and anxious time. Do have a look at our Transition Guide for Royal Navy and Royal Marines Families here (v2 updated in January 2021), which includes all of the information that you need to know when you are thinking about or are leaving the Royal Navy or Royal Marines.

 

  • You can also find the latest edition of the Service Leavers Guide produced by MOD here for additional information.

 

Additional information
  • Our Employment Specialist joined forces with colleagues in the Army and RAF Families Federations for a two-year project supported by the Forces in Mind Trust. The project, which came into fruition in November 2018, has given us an insight into the challenges faced by families during the transition period and highlighted the need for further research to better understand specific cohorts of families. Read more about this project and access the full report here.

 

  • We are pleased that the tri-Families Federation research has helped to inform a new Holistic Transition Policy, announced by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on 1st November 2019. Read more about this here.

 

  • Veterans’ Gateway has launched a ‘Plan Early’ campaign to encourage Service Leavers and their families to plan early for their transition into civvy street. Watch a short video about this campaign below, or visit their site for more information.

 

 

If you have an experience of transition that you’d like to share or have any questions or concerns, contact: contactus@nff.org.uk.

 

Posted on: 3rd May 2017
Last updated on: 4th October, 2021
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