Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation to those who serve. It says we will do all we can to make sure they are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. This includes offering injured servicemen and women and bereaved families extra support where suitable.
Broadland District and South Norfolk Councils signed the Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant at an official ceremony on 7 March 2012. We are proud to have signed the Covenant Pledge to show our support as an employer of choice to the Armed Forces community.
The Covenant Duty
Alongside the Covenant, the Armed Forces Act 2021 introduced a separate legal obligation onto certain public bodies in Healthcare, Housing and Education to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant Duty requires that decisions about the development and delivery of services in healthcare, education and housing are made with conscious consideration of the needs of the Armed Forces Community. It ensures armed forces personnel, veterans and their families are better supported when accessing these essential services.
Armed Forces Champions
We have two Armed Forces Covenant Member Champions, Councillor Ken Kelly for Broadland residents and Councillor Florence Ellis for South Norfolk residents.
What we offer
Housing
To support the Armed Forces Covenant, our housing allocations policy has special consideration for the armed forces community.
In undertaking this, we:
- disregard injury and disability payments; whether these are periodic or a lump sum
- overlook lack of connection for current and former members. We allow up to five years for divorced and separated spouses, eligible partners and civil partners
- all applications qualify from current or former members (having left service within the preceding five years, as defined by s.374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006)
- if they are divorced, separated or a civil partner of service personnel required and are required to move out of Ministry of Defence accommodation, they will qualify to join the housing register.
Information on how to apply for housing can be found on our Housing Register.
Employment
Our vacancies are advertised on the Careers Transition Partnership and Forces Families for Jobs websites. We offer a guaranteed interview to anyone leaving the forces who meets the essential criteria of the role applied for.
We recognise that service life has equipped all our ex-defence employees with resilience and flexibility and value the contribution they bring to the organisation. Our annual leave policy helps with leave for spouses and partners and other policies support flexible working, and volunteering. Reservists receive 10 days extra paid leave to attend their redeployments.
Staff can take e-learning sessions which give them extra skills to help our armed forces:
- the Armed Forces Covenant for frontline staff
- housing, homelessness and the Armed Forces Covenant
- adjusting to life outside of the Armed Forces
If you are a business, or a community organisation, you can find out how to show your support by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
Our Armed Forces Lead can help any parish council or business who want to sign up. Please email sarah.oldfield@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk for further information.
Help and support
The Royal British Legion in Norfolk plays an active role in your local area to support the serving and ex-Service community. The Royal British Legion recently launched Cost of Living Grants Programme is available to anyone eligible for support and will help in a quick and easy way with everyday essentials such as kitchen appliances, clothes, and energy costs. They aim to assess online applications within 5 days of submission.
SSAFA in Norfolk can help provide practical, financial and emotional support for service personnel, veterans and their families.
Veterans Gateway is the first point of contact for veterans seeking support:
Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families. To make a referral you can call direct on 0300 323 0137, email mevs.mhm@nhs.net or you can ask your GP to refer you.
The Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant has more information on the different types of support available to our armed forces community, including funding for the Armed Forces Community.
The Armed Forces Covenant website offers information on support available, including the latest Annual Report. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust funds projects that support the Armed Forces community. Covenant on a page 2021
Employer Recognition Scheme – Gold Award
The Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire other organisations to do this.
We are proud to have been given a Gold Award in national recognition of our commitment to support our Armed Forces community, past and present.
Steve Williams, Waste Senior Operations Manager and former RAF Acting Squadron Leader, said:
"The organisation has helped me settle in after leaving the RAF and the support that it gives to ex-service personnel is brilliant. The transition from the military way of working to a civilian way has gone smoothly, but I know that if I needed extra support, it would be readily available.”
Proudly supporting those who serve
