What is The Armed Forces Covenant?

An Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community.

The Orkney Armed Forces Community Covenant was signed by The Orkney Partnership in 2012 and it gave a commitment to ensuring appropriate support for Armed Forces personnel and their families in health and wellbeing, learning, housing, employability services, and a joined up approach between those support services. You can read more about that below.

We have remained committed to the support and welfare of its service personnel and veterans and their families by working with Armed Forces representatives and partners across health and housing services in our community, including our own housing, emergency planning, lifelong learning and human resources services – as well as with colleagues in NHS Orkney, JobCentre Plus, Voluntary Action Orkney, Orkney Housing Association and the Royal British Legion.

This partnership working saw us achieve a silver award from the Ministry of Defence through a scheme which acknowledges employers who have provided support to the armed forces community and defence, often going above and beyond their covenant pledges.

The 2022 Census in Scotland asked if people were armed forces veterans – a question which has never been asked before. We don’t know at present how many veterans reside in Orkney, because they are under no obligation to tell us – but through the Census we hope soon to be much better informed.  We can then get a better idea of whether the services we offer are reaching them.

In 2021 new legislation was passed through a refreshed Armed Forces Bill which placed new duties on us to ensure that armed forces veterans are treated equally and fairly and that special consideration is given to their needs when appropriate to do so.  This supersedes our voluntary undertaking to do so via our Armed Forces Community Covenant.

On the back of the new legislation, we’re now looking to refresh our approach to this and aim for the ‘gold’ award.

As part of this we want to hear from you – what more we could do as an employer to identify and support service personnel, veterans and their families?  Drop us an email at communications@orkney.gov.uk

Support for Veterans

An Orkney Firm Base working group has existed since April 2011 and meets regularly to discuss relevant service areas such as employment, health and housing. Participants include representatives of the Council's housing, community planning, community learning and human resources services, NHS Orkney, JobCentre Plus, Voluntary Action Orkney, Orkney Housing Association Limited and the Royal British Legion Scotland, along with Armed Forces representatives. Orkney Firm Base meetings are chaired by Councillor David Dawson, Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, supported by Garry Burton, Head of Active Communities.

Useful links for support

Veterans Scotland

Veteran’s Scotland signpost and connect the Veterans’ Community, including their families, with the organisations and services best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need from across Scotland. This includes information on the various Armed Forces and Veterans Champions to information on healthcare, housing, employability, finances and much more.

Veterans UK - GOV.UK

Veterans UK provide free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments. Veterans UK is part of the Ministry of Defence.

Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association

Our vision is a society in which the Armed Forces, veterans and their families can thrive.

Our mission is to be a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families in their time of need.

More about The Orkney Armed Forces Community Covenant signed by The Orkney Partnership in 2012:

The Covenant signed in Orkney in 2012 gave a commitment to -

• Children, young people and their families - We will raise awareness among teaching and support staff, pupils and students across the Orkney learning community that we recognise the circumstances and potential needs of children and families of Armed Forces personnel, and will provide a contact point within the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Service for information, advice and assistance.
• Health and wellbeing - We will seek to identify the health and wellbeing issues affecting serving and veteran Armed Forces personnel residing in Orkney, and ensure that relevant services are available and readily accessible with a minimum of bureaucracy.  We will raise awareness among health professionals of the potential circumstances and needs of Service personnel and veterans.
• Housing - Social housing providers in Orkney will continue to offer a specified level of priority to serving, transitioning and veteran Armed Forces personnel residing in Orkney, in line with housing legislation.  We will provide advice as to the housing options available locally, and access to shared equity schemes to assist with house purchase. 
• Employability - We will raise awareness among partner agencies offering employability support in Orkney of the needs of veteran and transitioning Armed Forces personnel and their families.  We will identify any specific targeted measures which might improve employment outcomes for this group, and take steps to implement them.
• Joined-up services - Orkney Firm Base working group will ensure that a seamless front-line service is offered to serving and veteran members of the Armed Forces and their families.  A named individual, with experience of the Forces, will be nominated to act as a single point of contact for clients who need assistance to identify and approach the services that they require.  Contact details will be publicised and posted in public places.  

Find out more about the Armed Services Covenant at their website: www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk