Tag: Research

Understanding Veteran Families Bereaved by Suicide in NI

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast – funded by Forces in Mind Trust – are conducting a study to explore the experiences of families bereaved by the suicide of a Northern Ireland veteran.

This research aims to understand how the loss has affected survivors (a term used for families and friends impacted by a suicide death) and the support they received during this difficult time.

The team is seeking participants from anywhere in Northern Ireland for interviews. We understand this is a sensitive topic, but your contribution will help improve our understanding of this issue and enhance the quality of services offered.

If you are interested or know someone who may wish to participate, please contact them at vetfamilies@qub.ac.uk

30th October 2024
Value of Military Service on Post-Service Life

The FiMT Research Centre are inviting you to take part in their new research exploring the perceived value of military Service on post-Service life.

We often state that the majority of personnel transition well, but the evidence of what that looks like and how Service may have added value to post-Service life is limited.

The purpose of this new research, The Outcomes Study, is to build evidence about the impact of military Service that focuses on the ‘normative’ experience, rather than on the challenges and difficulties.

If you are ex-British Forces, and left service between 2 and 10 years ago, please consider taking part in an online focus group – FiMT would love to hear from you

Follow this link to learn more and take part and please share with your networks.

19th August 2024
Trauma Informed Benefits Assessments

New research with veterans has called for a ‘trauma informed’ approach towards assessments for benefits. This is just one of the recommendations set out by experts at the University of Salford who have today published a new report Benefits assessments and
veterans.

The new research highlights the key challenges of the benefits assessments process, as well as reporting on good practice and how this can be built upon to address inconsistent veteran experiences.

Since 2017, Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has funded the University of Salford to carry out the only substantive research in the UK to focus on the experiences of former Service personnel within the social security benefits system.

Led by Professor Lisa Scullion, the University team has interviewed 108 military veterans over six years about their experiences of social security, including benefits assessments for today’s report; as well as consulting with stakeholders, holding ongoing discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and speaking to healthcare professionals (HCPs) at the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments.

Commenting on the Report Mims Davies MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work said: “As a firm supporter of and campaigner for the Armed Forces Covenant, I welcome the chance to have an open and meaningful dialogue with the research team to help improve the experience of veterans when they access our services.

“This long-running research provides good insight which allows us to learn from the expertise of those with lived experience of our services and we are very pleased to work alongside Professor Scullion, her team and the Forces in Mind Trust to inform the ongoing delivery of our work to support veterans and how we can be more trauma informed.”

The Report recommends that trauma informed approaches by HCPs should be integrated within assessment processes. Secondly, it calls for improvements in benefit assessment staff’s understanding of veteran experiences and challenges. Thirdly it calls for improvements in veteran understanding of the benefit assessments through closer working between DWP, assessment providers and veteran support organisations. Finally, it calls for greater engagement of assessment providers in future research to improve understanding of different perspectives.

The report lead author Dr David Young said: “Benefit assessments are a very important part of claiming benefits for those with long-term health conditions and disabilities. During our research, we heard about the significant challenges military veterans have faced navigating assessment processes.

“Being able to consult with HCPs from the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments has also given us unique insights from the perspective of those undertaking benefits assessments. Our report sets out some very specific and practical ways that benefits assessments processes can be improved.”

Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, Michelle Alston added: “Most Ex-Service personnel make a successful transition to civilian life. However, those with long-term health conditions or disabilities can face barriers leading to disadvantage when claiming benefits. This research articulates how a “trauma-informed” approach can improve their lives and ensure that our benefits system is committed to the Armed Forces Covenant.

“The DWP has made progress with supporting ex-Service personnel through the embedding of Armed Forces Champions within the benefits system and we look forward to seeing continued work on transition within the DWP as the recommendations are developed further.”

Emma-Jane Banister, Customer Director at the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments, said: “We were pleased to contribute to this important research, which makes a number of helpful recommendations on delivering an improved experience for veterans throughout the assessment process. This is an issue that many of our HCPs care passionately about, and we’ll continue to work with DWP to build on some of the successful initiatives outlined in the report.”

A roundtable of the report with research participants and stakeholders took place in May 2024. The report can be read in full here: Benefits assessments and veterans

20th May 2024
Registration for the FiMT Research Centre Conference Closing Soon

The FiMT Research Centre conference will be held on 13 May 2024 in London and provides a platform for individuals from across service provision, government, and research to present topical evidence involving the Armed Forces Community.

The theme for 2024 is ‘Research with impact for ex-Service personnel and their families’. In line with this, speakers will highlight high-quality research with clear pathways to advance understanding, policy, and/or practice for the benefit of ex-Service personnel and their families. The full agenda is now available to view on the website, and registration is closing soon and places are going quickly.

Presentations on the day will include Keynote Mark Ormrod MBE in conversation with Professor Sir Simon Wessely, discussing the value of research and how it can positively impact ex-Service personnel and their families. As well as speakers sharing insight into topics such as The Roadmap to No Homeless Veterans, and how childhood experiences impact grown-up children of Military families.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network with a diverse delegation from across the Armed Forces Community and learn about key topics impacting UK ex-Service personnel and their families.

Registration will close on the 28 April. Register now to attend as a delegate.

17th April 2024
PTSD Intervention Shows Promise in UK Study

The feasibility trial of a potential new non-trauma focused talking therapy with veterans showed promising results, and has led to new funding for a larger-scale study.

Funded by Forces in Mind Trust, King’s College London undertook a small-scale study of ex-Service personnel with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which compared Trauma Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (TF-CBT) with the new therapy, Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM).

Forces in Mind Trust is now co-funding a large follow-on study to further explore the viability of a new therapy. It is co-funded by FiMT and a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories is a ‘talking therapy’ with its roots in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) which seeks to understand and change verbal and non-verbal language patterns to enable someone to think differently about something that has distressed them.

The feasibility trial was conducted with 35 ex-Service personnel undertaking the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories therapy over two to four sessions in a period of three weeks, and asked participants to recall their memory of their experience, without requiring them to directly visit the traumatic event.

The results from those who took part in this new psychological intervention showed a large reduction in their PTSD scores and nearly half (48%) of participants no longer had a PTSD diagnosis at 20 weeks after therapy, compared to just 16% of those receiving TF-CBT in the study. In addition, no adverse effects were reported by the participants.

The trial met seven of the eight tests necessary to demonstrate feasibility, with the results highlighting the possibility of Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories as a viable alternative to the current Trauma Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, offering greater reductions in PTSD over a shorter time period, also resulting in notable cost-savings.

However, this was a small-scale study to show the feasibility of this new intervention in the UK, and requires further research with a larger sample. Thanks to the promising results in this study, Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £329,000 for King’s College London to further explore the viability of NLP-based therapies as a treatment for PTSD in UK veterans in a larger trial. The remainder of this £1.9m study will be funded by the MRC and NIHR partnership.

The new study will trial an NLP-based intervention for PTSD called Fast Imagery Reversal Script for Trauma-release (FIRST), which has modified and improved upon Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories. A further study delivering the intervention is now also being trialled with NHS workers with PTSD in a study funded by the NIHR.

Jackie Sturt, Professor of Behavioural Medicine in Nursing, King’s College London, said: “Mental health therapies too often have long waiting lists and, unfortunately, therapies offered do not always have the best scientific evidence supporting their use. We are grateful to FiMT, MRC and NIHR for supporting our research to develop and test brief and effective interventions to military veterans and NHS staff living with PTSD.

“These communities give so much in the course of their employment and yet can suffer so much as a consequence. Our research holds the real opportunity of shortening those waiting lists and getting welcomed therapies to people much more quickly so they can continue to live their working and personal lives to the full.”

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust said: “Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories has shown positive results so far in helping veterans with PTSD. The non-trauma focused nature of the intervention, its quick time-scale and lack of adverse effects are impressive, and offer a potential promising alternative for those ex-Service personnel living with PTSD.

“FiMT are very pleased that funding has been awarded by the NIHR to further explore NLP-based trauma intervention treatment, and that we are able to co-fund the next step in bringing a new treatment for ex-Service personnel experiencing PTSD.”

9th April 2024
Research: Ex-Service Personnel in the Criminal Justice System
A new report produced by Nacro and the University of Northampton, and funded by Forces in Mind Trust, explores the barriers to identification of ex-Service personnel in the criminal justice system, and the barriers to uptake of support.

Whilst the majority of ex-Service personnel transition successfully to civilian life, some become involved with the criminal justice system. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data about those in this situation, making it challenging to provide effective support. Identifying the barriers to this data deficit is essential to future decision-making and improved service delivery.

Barriers to Identification

The research found several barriers to the identification and uptake of support of ex-Service personnel in the criminal justice system. These include:
- There is a lack of understanding about why ex-service personnel are being asked about their previous service when they are in contact with the criminal justice system, and what will happen as a result.
- A reluctance amongst ex-Service personnel to seek help for which pride and a sense of self-reliance were given as reasons.
- The word “veteran” was not always understood to include ex-Service personnel with shorter periods of service or those without combat experience. This has led to some ex-Service personnel being unaware that their time serving in the military made them eligible to access veteran-specific services.
- The support landscape for ex-Service personnel in the criminal justice system is complex and both former personnel and some practitioners were unaware of the support available and eligibility.
Recommendations

The recommendations of the report aim to address these barriers to improve identification of, and support for, ex-Service personnel in the future. A full list of barriers identified and recommendations can be found in the full report. These include:
- Ensuring that the rationale for asking about service history is explained clearly when the question is asked.
- Building multiple opportunities for ex-Service personnel to share their service status into each part of the criminal justice pathway. This includes building opportunities for identification into time with the police, in probation services, justice social work, prisons, charity engagement and in courts.
- Standardising the identification question to clearly convey eligibility and who the term ‘veteran’ or ‘ex-Service personnel’ covers.
- Expanding and ringfencing resources available for the Veterans in Custody Support Officer (ViCSO) role and make this a full-time paid position in prisons, particularly those with significant numbers of identified ex-Service personnel.
Further recommendations were made to support ex-Service personnel who may be at risk of offending before they reach the criminal justice system, providing veteran-informed training, as well as building trust with veterans in the criminal justice system.

Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Nacro, said: “This report shows how much more we can do to support ex-Service personnel in the criminal justice system. When we spoke to people who had previously served in the Armed Forces, or stakeholders who supported them, they told us they were often reluctant to seek help and there were a range of barriers to them disclosing their service history, as well as to taking up support. This report, as well as outlining these barriers, looks at what can be done to remove them, create better understanding and ensure tailored support for ex-service personnel that do come into contact with the criminal justice system – this is the start of something better.”

Professor Matthew Callender, Director of the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, said: “This research provides a rich insight into the experiences and perspectives of ex-Service personnel in the justice system. Based on the accounts of over 100 ex-Service personnel in England, Scotland and Wales, this report represents a significant contribution to furthering our understanding of the complexities of delivering high quality support across the criminal justice system. Overall, the findings act as a guide to make positive changes to better identify ex-Service personnel and deliver support based on their needs.”

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “Forces in Mind Trust recognised the importance of understanding how we can more effectively identify those ex-Service personnel within the criminal justice system to better understand their needs and ensure that they have access to appropriate support. This key report highlights those barriers throughout an individual’s journey through the system and is an essential step to improving support for the small minority of ex-Service personnel in the criminal justice system and their families.”
2nd April 2024
New Study Reveals Veterans Feel Lack Of Recognition

New research conducted by Defence Discount Service has revealed that nearly four in five (75%) veterans feel they are not sufficiently recognised or rewarded by society for their service, despite many sacrificing key family events.

The study, which surveyed 11,500 veterans in the UK, found that while in service, 40% had missed key life events such as Christmas, anniversaries, weddings, funerals and even the birth of their own children.

Over a third (37%) of veterans agreed that now they have left the military, spending time with family is helping to make up for lost time. Half said that they are closer to their grandchildren than their children as they are able to spend more time with them.

Joining the military is a life-defining decision and one not to be made lightly, with those choosing the career often having to accept that it will have an impact on them and their families. Despite missing key life events, 34% of respondents still stated that although they found it difficult, they were proud to serve their country.

Since leaving the service, veterans expressed how they have made up for lost time and what they now enjoy doing with their free time such as going on holiday (74%), gardening (43%) and spending quality time with their pet (28%).

Simon Weston CBE knows first-hand the family impact of military service, having grown up with parents in the Royal Air Force and serving with the Welsh Guards during the Falklands War. Simon said: “I’m immensely proud to have served for my country. But it undoubtedly came with many sacrifices.

“When I spend time with my children and grandchildren today, I can’t help but reflect on family times lost through the years, but it means that I appreciate the time we have together now, even more. It’s so important that our veterans are recognised, acknowledged and supported with their integration back to civilian and family life, because I know how difficult it can be.”

Adding to this, Rachel Ramsay, director of marketing at Defence Discount Service, said: “All of us at Defence Discount Service deeply appreciate the dedicated service of veterans in the UK, acknowledging the sacrifices they make, often missing out on key life milestones while serving. The commitment and hard work demonstrated by these individuals contributes immeasurably to the safety of our country.

“Our discount service is not just about providing savings; it’s a heartfelt gesture of gratitude, recognising and honouring the sacrifices made by veterans, as highlighted in this report. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the MoD to provide financial relief for veterans in the UK.”

29th February 2024
Reducing Food Insecurity Among Veterans

Academics are calling for early intervention for those at risk of becoming food insecure within the veteran community, potentially introducing cost-saving benefits for the NHS and supporting charities.

A study led by Northumbria University’s Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research looked at wider household poverty among veterans, with a particular focus on food security in veterans’ families – meaning they are without reliable access to nutritious and healthy food.

The Tri-Service Food Insecurity Study, which was funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and SSAFA, the UK’s oldest tri-service military charity, found that younger veterans of working age are most at risk of becoming food insecure.

Using survey data from UK veterans and their families, researchers have identified those veterans who may be at greater risk of food insecurity, which can be used to help identify those within the community who are likely to experience food insecurity, and wider financial hardship, before they reach a ‘crisis’ point.

Age, having a long-term medical condition, living in rented accommodation, receiving benefits, lower military rank on leaving the services and marital status are all associated risk factors. This information creates an opportunity to provide veterans who are at the most risk of food insecurity, with tailored support and in doing so, enables early intervention and the early allocation of resources.

Professor Matthew Kiernan, Director of the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research at Northumbria University said: “Now that we have an idea of what a veteran who is experiencing food insecurity and financial hardship looks like, we can consider how we might coordinate services to intervene to avoid crisis and build support around the causes of food insecurity and not just addressing the symptoms.

“A multi-organisational approach needs to be adopted so that the findings of studies such as this can make a difference to the everyday lives of veterans. The next step is to look at how health and social care services can better work in tandem with military charities to identify veterans who might be reporting, or experiencing, these difficulties, so that they are referred to an appropriate service within the military charities sector.”

Using preventative measures would not only benefit veterans and their families, but could also reduce the economic cost of crisis and the need for additional support from the NHS and charities, which is often costly.

Anna Wright, Chief Executive of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, said: “‘The Trust welcomes this important work to identify the risk factors of food insecurity. This knowledge could help organisations to provide early intervention and support that is tailored to individuals, particularly those most at risk. Early intervention means that less resource is required and, crucially, that Veterans are supported before they reach crisis point.”

The research team now want to understand what drives the identified risk factors to address these issues within a proposed model for early referral within primary healthcare.

This study is part of a programme of research from the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research and the Healthy Living Lab at Northumbria University, working closely with SSAFA and their volunteer network to collect and analyse a range of anonymised data from serving personnel, veterans and families from all three branches of the Armed Forces community.

The Tri-Service Food Insecurity Study can be found on The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website.

Visit the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research’s webpages to find out more about their work to improve the health and social wellbeing of veterans and their families.

Northumbria University is dedicated to reducing health and social inequalities and improving social, economic and health outcomes for the most marginalised in society. Through its new Centre for Health and Social Equity, known as CHASE, researchers will be delivering world-leading health and social equity research and creating innovative, evidence-based policies and data-driven solutions to bring impactful change across the region, the UK and globally.

22nd February 2024
New Report Calls For More Support For Armed Forces Families
Families of ex-Service personnel need to be consistently identified, recognised, and supported, according to new research published by Queen’s University Belfast and King’s Centre for Military Health Research at King’s College London, funded by Forces in Mind Trust.

Partners and children of ex-Service personnel may be impacted by the nature of Service life, including as a result of frequent moves and due to family separation. However this is not always as well recognised as the impact on the serving person or veteran by policy makers or those delivering services to the Armed Forces community.

The majority of veteran families who participated in this study reported positive health and wellbeing outcomes. However, the report identified that some families would benefit from additional support, including families of those ex-Service personnel who have been rapidly discharged from Service for a medical or disciplinary reason. These families were more often negatively affected during their transition from military life, due to the lack of time to plan and prepare for civilian life.

A minority of families of ex-Service personnel also reported experiencing financial worries during transition – reporting that the military can leave Service personnel and families unprepared for the financial pressures of civilian life. Given significant living costs, such as accommodation, can be taken before Service personnel are paid, this can mask the real cost of living for many families. However, most veteran families described themselves as either “doing well” or “getting by”.

The research found that there was a strong sense of belonging amongst families of ex-Service personnel in relation to the Armed Forces Community. Families recognised the importance of a support network of people who have shared similar experiences and valued the community’s continued existence into post-Service life. The researchers published their findings after surveying over 700 partners and adult children of ex-Service personnel, as well as conducting in-depth interviews with 71 members of families of ex-Service personnel.

Recommendations

To address the issues faced by families of ex-Service personnel the report made a number of recommendations including:
- Consistent definitions of family members within and across public services including the NHS
- Development of alternative ways of identifying and connecting willing families into services
- Improving financial literacy of Armed Forces Families, whilst Serving in the Armed Forces
Professor Chérie Amour Professor of Psychological Trauma & Mental Health from the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast said: “A review of the existing research literature shows that partners and children of veterans are often forgotten when trying to understand how being part of the UK Armed Forces may benefit or hinder wellbeing.

“We know that families are an integral part of the Armed Forces Community and so were delighted to be commissioned by the Forces in Mind Trust to conduct a two-year programme of research focused directly on the health and wellbeing needs of veteran families in the UK. This research is the largest study on the families of UK veterans conducted to date. Along with important findings on health and wellbeing, including the strengths of veteran families, we have made key recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

“These include greater identification of veteran families where possible, and greater specificity in policies relating to the wellbeing of veteran families, which focus on a range of issues including improving financial literacy and optimising support services .We believe that support provided to the UK Armed Forces community must regard families and their needs as being equal to that of veterans and Serving personnel and worthy of support in their own right.”

Prof. Nicola Fear, Professor of Epidemiology from the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience, King’s College London added: “It was a privilege to co-lead this ambitious study alongside colleagues at Queens University Belfast. The UK Veterans Family Study brings together quantitative and qualitative data on veteran families from all four nations of the UK, to improve our understanding of their needs and to make recommendations for policy, practice and future research.

“We hope that the results of work will lead to improvements in how family members are supported. Research recognises the impacts that serving in the Armed Forces can have on personnel during and post-service, the UK Veterans Family Study highlights the impact of service and transition on family members. This work makes a number of recommendations which if implemented will lead to improvements in how family members are supported.”

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We know that the challenges and opportunities of military life do not affect the serving person alone and that the family provides a significant, but an often unrecognised, contribution to Defence. However, the needs of the family members can be overlooked, which is why this research – the first UK wide study on the health and wellbeing of veterans’ families – provides welcome evidence and understanding of some of the unique issues they may face.

“This research highlights that family members are individuals separate from the former Service person and the importance of their own needs being considered separately, not only as a support for the veteran. By recognising the need for their individual support, and better understanding the key risk factors and any barriers to accessing services, we can better support the more vulnerable families.

“We urge the Ministry of Defence to recognise the need to provide clearer information and support for families on health and wellbeing within the Armed Forces Families Strategy, to not only support families during their service but also to enable a successful transition into a fulfilling civilian life.”
30th January 2024
Veteran Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Reform

Produced by researchers at the University of York, The Roadmap to End Homelessness Amongst Veterans, provides a blueprint to ensure current and future generations of veterans have the skills and support required to avoid homelessness and establish a long-term sustainable home.

The research highlights that some veterans, particularly those who join and leave the Service at a young age, are not well enough prepared to find and maintain a home after their time in the Armed Forces. The report, which has been funded by the Forces in Mind Trust and supported by the Riverside Group and Cobseo, says that large-scale reforms are needed to tackle the issue.

The government have created a dedicated referral pathway for support for veterans experiencing homelessness in 2023 but this report clearly sets out the preventative actions which should be taken to help ex-Service personnel avoid reaching a point of crisis in the first place.

The report is based on first hand interviews with a range of Service personnel, veterans, and other military stakeholders. It sets out how the Ministry of Defence, the Office for Veterans Affairs, local authorities, and housing providers can work together to prevent veteran homelessness in the first place and provide support in life after Service.

The majority of recommendations focus on identifying and eliminating potential causes of veteran homelessness, including:

– Reviewing Chain of Command discretion for immediately discharging Service personnel without confirmation of stable, secure accommodation.

– Reviewing the welfare assessment process to make sure it is conducted for every Service person as they leave the Armed Forces.

– Developing a bespoke welfare and resettlement service for non-UK Service personnel, and ensuring all non-UK Service personnel complete applications to remain before discharge.

– Providing “floating” support (support not linked to housing) for those transitioning out of military accommodation and/or at risk of homelessness.

– Ensuring medically discharged personnel are automatically entitled to remain in service family or single living accommodation until stable and sustainable accommodation is available.

The research identified that Service leavers who are discharged quickly on medical or disciplinary grounds, or the failure to complete training are at particular risk of homelessness. Researchers highlighted that some of these leavers had to find housing at short notice, sometimes the same day as being discharged from the Armed Forces.

The research highlighted that younger Service leavers have had less time to financially plan, often have fewer skills than older personnel, and are more likely to have been discharged at pace. Providing support for younger Service leavers is key. Data on Service leavers published in September 2022 shows more than half of those leaving the Armed Forces were under 30 years of age (52.6%).

The research also identifies that the gap between military and civilian life is widening for some due to the cost-of-living crisis and housing market challenges which are causing rents to rise.

Paul Chadwick, a veteran with lived experience of homelessness, said: “When I became homeless at 60 and moved into supported housing I met a few younger lads and realised that not much had changed from 30 years ago.

“They still didn’t know much about civilian life and there isn’t enough in place to prepare you for life after your military career. The research that has been done shows that there is a greater need for support, specifically knowing how to apply for jobs, how to write a CV, how to apply for housing, and what third sector support is available.”

Research lead, Dr Lisa O’Malley, Senior Lecturer at University of York, said: “The backdrop to this research is a very stretched housing market across the UK, which increases the risk of housing exclusion and homelessness for all members of society.

“However, from our first-hand conversations with veterans, as well as data analysis, we discovered that the gap between military and civilian life is getting wider – the impact of a widening inequality in society generally; increasing employment insecurity; the cost-of-living crisis; the housing crisis and a lack of preparedness among some Service leavers makes leaving the Service increasingly uncertain for more and more veterans.”

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “Supporting former Service personnel and their families into a successful transition to civilian life is key and we recognised the importance of secure housing in achieving this.  We were therefore keen to partner on this research with the University of York and Riverside Housing Group to identify a preventative approach to addressing these challenges.

“It is therefore key that this report considers all of the touchpoints in the life of Service personnel to help them avoid homelessness.  The report highlights that some veterans, particularly those who join and leave at a young age, are not sufficiently prepared during their time in the Armed Forces to find and maintain a home after they leave. By implementing this roadmap, we can help support veterans and their families to secure their housing and experience fulfilling civilian lives.”

24th January 2024