Guidance

VAPC East Midlands: meeting minutes 19 February 2024

Updated 24 October 2024

Date

Monday 19 February 2024

Location

Daedalus Hall Officers’ Mess, RAF Cranwell

Present

• Barry Smith (BS) (Chair)
• Ian Crowe (IC) (Vice-Chair/Health Lead)
• Philip Brooks-Stephenson (PBS)
• Ian Bustin (IB)
• Helen Carter (HC)
• Karen Cox
• Graham Heath (GH)
• Andrew Holt (AH) (CJS Lead)
• Richard Hurwood (RH)
• Ron Moonesinghe (RM)
• Thomas Smith (Housing Lead)
• David Tomlinson (DT)
• Michael Whitehead (MW) (Communications Lead)
• Brendan Daly (Co-opted Member)
• Paul Drury (Co-opted Member) (PD)
• Debbie Nicholls (Co-opted Member) (DN)
• David Houghton (DH) (Secretary)

In attendance

• Gail Craggs (MOD Vets Services)

Apologies

• Bill Dixon-Dodds (Co-opted Member)
• Stav Melides (SM) (Industry Lead)

1. Welcome

The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting, and extended his thanks to the PMC and Officers’ Mess staff for supporting the meeting.

2. Introduction of new members

The newly-appointed Members (PBS, IB, HC, GH and DT) introduced themselves are were welcomed warmly to the Committee.

3. Apologies for absence

The Chair accepted pre-notified apologies from those who were unable to attend the meeting.

4. Declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest that would affect the work of the Committee.

5. Veterans Services (VS) update

The MOD VS representative provided an update on Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence Transition Services (DTS) and Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans (IPC4V) issues. It was noted that there were currently 23 staff vacancies across VS but Members were informed that, while there was a requirement for VS staffs to provide greater justification to undertake face-to-face visits to service users, the shortfall in staff numbers was currently manageable.

Members discussed the potential impact on the support available to veterans from planned future changes to VS structures, particularly in light of continuing changes to the type of support available to veterans from organisations such as the RBL and SSAFA. The potential for VS to liaise with local social prescribing organisations was also discussed and PD undertook to provide the VS representative with details of a social prescribing initiative he is involved with.

6. Minutes of last meeting and actions arising

The minutes of the last meeting were accepted. 

Updates on Actions from the meeting held on 16 October 2023 were provided during the individual Member reports/updates at Item 9.

7. Out brief from ministerial engagement and chairs’ activity, Update on departmental sponsorship of VAPCs, ministerial tasking for 2024 and VAPCs’ secondary legislation

The Chair highlighted that the VAPCs’ 2023 Report had been well-received by the Minister for Defence People and Families (Min DPF), The Rt Hon Andrew Murrison MP. However, as noted at a previous EM VAPC Meeting, the potential value of the Report will only become more apparent as/when the Report’s recommendations are addressed. The meeting was informed that the VAPCs remain under the auspices of Min DPF who, despite the recent change in his Ministerial title, retains responsibility for policy matters relating to Veterans UK and the Armed Forces Covenant. Nevertheless, it was agreed that establishing/confirming the relationship between the VAPCs and the Cabinet Office Veterans Advisory Board was important.

Members noted the imminent departure from post of the Cabinet Office Independent Veterans Advisor (IVA), David Richmond and the useful final meeting held between the IVA and VAPC Chairs. The review/refresh of the Veterans Strategy Action Plan later this year was also highlighted.

With such significant changes in mind, Members discussed the importance of identifying issues/initiatives in the EM area that could be used to drive wider best practice across other VAPC areas and inform the VAPCs’ 2024 Report to Min. It was noted that it would be particularly important to provide inputs to the 2024 Report that address the Min’s specific tasking question for the VAPCs, i.e. ‘capture the lived experience of veterans of the MOD’s veterans support services at local and regional levels’.

At a previous meeting Members had welcomed the granting of Royal Assent for the VAPC Act 2023. However, it was noted that significant Secondary Legislation (SL) now needed to be put in place to support the current and future activities of the VAPCs.

Members discussed the recently-distributed SL-related Schedules that aimed to inform the MOD’s SL Working Group (WG), and noted that pan-VAPC WG meetings on this issue had taken guidance from a former regional VAPC Chair who is also a former High Court Justice. The guidance provided by that individual was that the Schedules should focus on what is need to directly support the eventual SL, with other elements incorporated into a ‘Handbook’. As a result, the proposed SL Schedules had been revised, and Members were requested to review the revised schedules and provide comments/suggestions to the Chair by 26 February 2024.

Members also discussed the continued need to focus on ensuring that the AF Covenant ‘Duty of Due Regard’ was being implemented in the prescribed areas (healthcare; housing; education). More broadly, Members noted and supported the development of pan-VAPC Common Interest Groups (CIG), with the CIGs aligned broadly with the 6 key themes (community and relationships; employment, education and skills; finance and debt; health and wellbeing; making a home in civilian society; veterans and the law) in the Government’s 10-year ‘Strategy for Our Veterans’.

8. Potential housing initiatives and update on EM housing conference

Members discussed a number of initiatives that have the potential to support the development/improvement of the provision of housing for veterans, including the AF Covenant Fund Trust Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund that offers grants up to £25k, the Refurbishment Grants Programme that offers grants up to £75k, and the Major Capital Grants Programme that offers grants from £75k to £500k.

It was noted that securing the various levels of grants available from the AF Covenant Fund Trust requires the involvement of a third sector organisation, and Members noted the exemplar work of the Armed Forces Outreach Service (AFOS) in the NE of England, which they undertook to highlight to EM area AFCPBs. The meeting also discussed the potential for organisations such as Amicus Trust to act in the required third party role.

Members discussed the impact of the MOD’s restrictions on T&S on the previously-discussed pan-EM Regional Veterans’ Housing Forum, and whether alternative strategies may be more appropriate to achieve the envisaged aims of the Forum. RM and DN undertook to form a ‘task and finish group’ to assess how best to take this issue forward.

9. Individual member report updates

Regional Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Boards (AFCPB)

Members allocated/assigned to individual EM AFCPBs provided updates on continuing work, emerging issues and new initiatives from their respective AFCPBs, and noted the Warwickshire AF Covenant e-Learning Programme available to LAs et al. It was noted that the LLR Board have agreed 4 specific goals for 2024: supporting the ICB to increase GP veteran friendly accreditation; maintain and encouraging sharing of best practice between local statutory bodies; managing veterans’ expectations; promoting and supporting local services that help reduce social isolation.

The meeting was also briefed on the use of welcoming spaces in Northamptonshire that are helping to reduce social isolation, including amongst some veterans in the County. Members welcomed the news that Lincolnshire has established a funded Shared Service ‘Covenant Officer’. The meeting was also briefed on work being undertaken by PD to discuss social prescribing initiatives in Lincolnshire with the MOD Covenant Team.

The meeting welcomed developments relating to the Derbyshire AFCPB, including the general progress made under the new AFCPB Chair and a new police member joining the Board. Although Nottinghamshire’s AFCPB was waiting for its new Chair to be appointed, Members welcomed the fact that DT would represent the EM VAPC on future Boards to ensure continuity of engagement from BS.

Communications

The meeting discussed the possibility that VAPC Members may be issued (at a future, yet to be determined, date) with individual @mod.gov.uk email addresses to support their work. While Members generally welcomed this potential initiative, concerns were expressed that the use of such email addresses should not require Members to be issued with MODNet laptops with commensurate security/custodianship considerations.

Health

Members noted the PTSD research project being undertaken by Leicester University and were encouraged to publicise the project within their networks.

As an example of potential ‘best practice’, the formally-established acceptance of the principle of due regard (i.e. the provision of services must take into account/weave-in the Duty and take account of the needs of the local AF Community) by LLR ICB was welcomed by Members.

Members noted developments in the noise-induced hearing loss initiative, and welcomed the news that the relevant report will be published in the near future.

Industry/Transition

SM remains a Member of the pan-VAPCs’ Employment and Transitioning CIG (see Item 7.6) which, it is hoped, will become more active now that the key CIGs have been agreed. Of note, SM has spoken at several business networking events where he has been able to highlight the work of the VAPCs and the benefits to companies of hiring veterans.

It was noted that SM continues to work with Rotary Satellite Clubs to support peer-to-peer networking opportunities for veterans, with such veterans’ focussed support also being provided via links established with the Institute of Directors.

Veterans interaction with CJS

The CJS Lead Member highlighted that Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes has been formally appointed as the National Lead for the Armed Forces, and that almost all UK police forces (together with Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar) have appointed AF lead officers. Although the Norfolk and Suffolk forces have yet to nominate their AF lead officers, it is anticipated that this will take happen in the near future. An approach has been made to the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner with a view to establishing a similar forum within the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Members noted that all the forces in the EM VAPC region have engaged with this initiative, with Derbyshire Police being recognised by the National Lead as making significant progress on veterans-related issues. The meeting was informed that a national online meeting of all forces will take place on 12 March 2024 at which work streams for the coming year will be agreed/established. Such workstreams are likely to be: working to ensure that all forces reach ERS Gold Standard; embedding personnel policies to encourage the recruitment of veterans; establishing working liaisons with Service charities.

Training

Members were cognisant of the need for new Members to be mentored as they develop their knowledge of EM VAPC activities. The Chair will allocate mentors to PBS, IB, HC, GH and DT once such individuals have been identified/agreed.

Post-meeting note

Mentors for each new Member were identified and allocated as follows: SM to provide mentoring support to PBS; AH to provide mentoring support to IB; BS to provide mentoring support to HC; MW to provide mentoring support to GH; DH to provide mentoring support to DT.

10. Any other business

Members were made aware of the work being undertaken by Salute Her UK.

The meeting was advised that Warwickshire ICB has funded (c.£150k) 2 health care positions to run veterans’ health and wellbeing clinics.

This was the final EM VAPC that RH will attend. Members thanked RH for his long-standing, unstinting and highly-effective support to the AF Community and the EM VAPC.

11. Date of next meeting

The next EM VAPC meeting will be a face-to-face meeting, and will take place at RAF Cranwell on 17 June 2024 from 10.30am.