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UHNM and The Armed Forces

          

Our Trust is one of many NHS organisations from across the UK signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and has received accreditation awarded by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA). 

The Veteran Aware mark highlights NHS trusts which have made a series of pledges around sharing and driving best practice in NHS care for people who currently serve or have served in the UK Armed Forces and their families.

Supporting our Veteran patients

Being identified as a veteran in your NHS medical notes will ensure you are able to access specific veterans’ health services, such as those for mental health, hearing loss, limb amputation and wheelchairs. Please ensure that you are also registered as a veteran with your GP.

All veterans are entitled to priority access to NHS care for service-related conditions; however, this is always subject to clinical need and does not mean that you will automatically be treated ahead of others who have a more urgent clinical need.

Please let a member of staff know if you, or your spouse/partner, have ever served in the UK Armed Forces so that we can best support your care needs.

For more information, read our Veterans Patient Information Leaflet

Employing Veterans

Employed across both Royal Stoke University and County hospitals, there are several staff members who are active members of the Armed Forces and Reservists or Armed Forces Veterans.  The NHS and our Trust recognises the transferable skills and cultural values that the Armed Forces community develop during their time in the Armed Forces environment and how they are compatible with those required within NHS roles. 

UHNM Trust has signed up to the 'Step into Health' national programme, designed to help all ex-Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their spouse/partner to join the NHS and we are a member of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) of which we proudly hold the highest achievable award (Gold).

  • We support the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant.
  • We are committed to ensuring no disadvantage and giving special consideration where appropriate.
  • We will have educated and trained all relevant staff to identify and respond to veterans’ needs, signposting them to local support services where required.
  • We also support the UK armed forces community as an employer.

AUHNM we are committed to working together with the Armed Forces community to help serving members and veterans. The Trust has a very positive, long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Defence and we currently have a number of current staff who are either reservists or veterans. 

In February 2017, University Hospitals of North Midlands welcomed members of the Armed Forces to the Trust to sign the 'Armed Forces Covenant'.

The Armed Forces Covenant is aimed at promoting fair treatment for the Armed Forces community, removing disadvantage and ensuring that they get the same access to services as the civilian community. The Covenant also sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and the Armed Forces it recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the Armed Forces and their families.

The two main principles are that:

  • the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services in the area where they live;
  • special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.​
  • We have created veterans information posters and leaflets in our inpatient and outpatient areas to signpost our services and other charitable organisations that can offer assistance (where required) to Armed Forces Veterans.
  • We ask “have you ever served in HM Armed Forces?” to reach more veterans and this is documented in our patient records.
  • We have trained up several Armed Forces Service Champions who are located around the hospital who are able to use their understanding of the Armed Forces culture and the needs of Veterans and offer a source of advice and guidance to staff and patients.
  • Training modules are available to our staff to highlight both the similarities and the differences to allow healthcare personnel to understand both the context of military life and also how to appropriately respond to specific requirements around caring for and supporting Armed Forces Veterans.
  • We support treatment for our Veterans ensuring priority access to NHS care for service-related conditions and clinical need.
  • We have regular meetings with our local military base at MOD Stafford to keep us up to date with current services and also to keep us replenished with information posters and leaflets that are widely distributed to both patient and staff areas.
  • We help support those who choose to be members of the Reserve Forces, including accommodating their training and deployment where possible.
  • We support Veterans who may wish to transfer into careers within the NHS via the Defence, Step into Health scheme and the MOD Career Transition Partnership (CTP) networks.
  • Our Armed Forces Veterans meet regularly via a breakfast club to discuss our services, future events and Veteran support.

We know that asking for help, and talking about your experiences in the armed forces, can be extremely difficult. But our friendly team of professionals is here to help you. We understand that many ex-service personnel worry that a civilian service may not be able to understand or help them, but our team is experienced in working with veterans and also works closely with other veterans' organisations across Staffordshire.

Armed Forces Week at UHNM –  20 - 26 June 2022

Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday of June with celebrations taking place nationally.  Reserves Day is the Wednesday ahead of Armed Forces Day which celebrates their contribution to the Armed Forces.  During the week of Armed Forces Day and Reserves Day, UHNM will proudly be raising the Armed Forces Day flag at our hospital sites and displaying banners to show our support and thank you to the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, from our regular serving troops and members of the reservists to service families, veterans and cadets.

UHNM has a large community of regular and reservist forces, veterans and forces family members.  Together with our volunteer Veteran Aware Champions this makes up our UHNM Armed Forces Community.  During Armed Forces Week, we will be celebrating Armed Forces week with a breakfast and catch up to share military banter.  On Thursday 23rd June, the UHNM Armed Forces Champions and Tri Services Veterans Centre staff will be located in a stall outside the main atrium at RSUH to offer information, assistance and guidance to help support our Armed Forces Veterans.  Please pop over to show your support.

Armed Forces Day - Saturday 25 June 2022

Armed Forces Day poster PDF

Royal Marines poster PDF

 

Employment Opportunities for Armed Forces Community members.

Have you ever considered working for the NHS? 

As a Veteran Aware and Defence Employer Recognised (Gold) accredited Trust, UHNM recognises the key skills and values that the Armed Forces Community possess.  Just like the military, there are various roles that are essential to supporting our front line clinical teams. 

A number of part time/ full time vacancies and apprenticeships exist at our Stafford and Stoke hospital sites and we are looking for like-minded individuals that share our passion for providing the best service we can for our patients.         

      

Benefits of working at UHNM:

  • Competitive Salary
  • Good Holiday allowance
  • Flexibility towards supporting leave around partners deployments
  • NHS Discounts
  • Free Courtesy Bus between our hospital sites at hourly intervals
  • Education & Training opportunities
  • Be a part of our UHNM Armed Forces Community
  • Ability to gain experience in working in the NHS (future jobs as required) 

Interested?                                                     

Scan the QR Code to see current vacancies and complete the online application process.

  • The NHS is the UK’s largest employer, involving over 1.5 million people over 350 career roles.  Many of the roles are not clinical, such as administration, human resources, project management, facilities and estate management, operational management and support, domestic support, to name a few,  Opportunities are available everywhere across the country and could be close to where you live or wish to settle after leaving the Armed Forces. Many NHS roles do not require prior healthcare training or experience and everyone in the NHS works together to make the difference to people’s lives every day. 
  • As an Armed Forces Service Leaver, Reservist, Veteran, or family member of someone who is, you have a wide range of experience and skills that are not only transferrable to the NHS but are also extremely sought after. These may include:
  • Communication skills
  • Leadership & Management
  • Information technology
  • Problem solving
  • Decision making
  • Team working
  • Commitment
  • Resilience
  • Flexibility
  • Adaptable to change

 

Find the role that’s right for you by taking the NHS careers quiz and exploring the different roles on offer.

 

Take our careers quiz | Health Careers

Explore roles | Health Careers

NHS Career Booklet for Service Leavers

 

Looking for a new career and have you considered the NHS?

UHNM is signed up to 'Step into Health' national programme to help all ex-armed service personnel, veterans and their spouse/partner to join the NHS.  The Step into Health programme has been created because the NHS recognises the transferable skills and cultural values that Armed Forces personnel develop when serving, and how they are compatible with those required within NHS roles.

Developed in conjunction with The Royal Foundation and Walking With The Wounded, Step into Health provides a dedicated pathway for the Armed Forces community to access the numerous career opportunities available in the NHS.

Step into Health is open to all Service Leavers and Veterans and their spouse/partner. It is an incredible opportunity in which employers are working with the Armed Forces Community to provide career and development opportunities within the NHS.

Find out more at here

Gold winner award in employer recognition scheme by the armed forces

UHNM achieved the gold award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in 2019, the scheme encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same.

To help achieve this UHNM signed The Armed Forces Covenant, which is aimed at promoting fair treatment for the Armed Forces community, removing disadvantage and ensuring that they get the same access to services as the civilian community.

More information.

In accordance with our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, where practicable to do so, we will endeavour to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for service spouse’s partners, before, during and after a partner’s deployment. 

Click here to visit our Working Here section to find out about work experience and volunteering at UHNM. You can also find our current vacancies and apply online.

  1. If the job application process includes a tick box asking whether you are a member of the Armed Forces community, make sure to tick this. – some organisations offer guaranteed interview schemes if you meet the minimum essential criteria.
  2. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the point of contact cited on the job advert. It is always useful to have an initial conversation to ask more about the role and identify the key skills and attributes they are looking for as this is often difficult to articulate on a job description.
  3. Highlight the skills you gained from the Armed Forces or being part of the community. For example, operational skills could help you implement new systems within the NHS. Being able to make difficult decisions under pressure would be a valuable attribute to many teams across the NHS. 
  4. Do not undersell yourself or underestimate the importance of your personal skills, leadership and management skills you have learnt whilst part of the Armed Forces Community.  Many of these form part of what is known as transferable skills.
  5. When completing the application form, answer directly to the person specification. Use headings and subheadings to clearly show how you meet each requirement.
  6. Get to know about UHNM Trust and its Strategic Objectives, Corporate Values and Promises. See how you can link them to your military values and standards.  Check out the UHNM webpage: https://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/about-us/
  7. Where applicable, use the ‘situation, task, action, result (STAR) or ‘challenge, action, result (CAR)’ techniques to articulate your answer to questions in the job application.  Subject to being shortlisted for interview, you can also use this approach when answering questions as part of an interview process.
  8. Being able to quickly adapt to changing environments and uplift others while managing a crisis would help the NHS during difficult periods, such as tackling the current COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure you emphasise all relevant experiences you have.

Veteran Support Organisations

There are many service charities and organisations available to assist Veterans. The Veterans’ Gateway is a first point of contact for veterans and their families. It provides information, advice and support by phone (0808 802 1212), text (81212) and online at www.veteransgateway.org.uk

Tri service and veteran support centre

Based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the centre is run for veterans by veterans and they utilise a 'hub' based approach to supporting veterans in need. The centre has extensive links with local services and businesses such as SSAFA, Veterans UK, Walking with the wounded and many more.

Visit the veteran support centre website here.

Help for Heroes
Provide support to veterans and their families who are suffering with anxiety, depression, stress, anger and alcohol.            

www.helpforheroes.org.uk\get-support
Helpline 01980 844280

The Royal British Legion
Help support veterans and their families.

Helpline 0808 802 8080

Battle Back Centre

The Battle Back Centre Lilleshall was established by the Royal British Legion in 2011 to support wounded and injured service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

If you’d like to find out more about our Battle Back Centre please get in touch with our team on 01952 815 670 for serving personnel or on 01952 815681 for veteran

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/physical-and-mental-wellbeing/recovery-centres/the-battle-back-centre

Veterans Helpline     

The Ministry of Defence’s Veterans UK helpline provides assistance on many issues including benefits, housing and welfare.                

veterans-uk@mod.gov.uk
0808 1914 218

Walking with the Wounded (WWTW)

WWTW supports disadvantaged veterans who have served in the Armed Forces and their families, empowering them to regain their independence, thrive and contribute in our communities. 

info@wwtw.org.uk
01263 863900

More information on the service available to veterans and an easy to use service locator tool can be found on NHS Choices.  

Discharged servicemen and women are able to access Defence Mental Health Services up to 6 months after leaving the armed forces.  It is important that once an individual knows their location after discharge that they register with a local GP as soon as possible.  This will enable better continuation of care and alert services of their needs.

Togetherall

Provide safe anonymous support to anyone struggling with common health issues.

www.togetherall.com

Via a smartphone app members can talk to each other anonymously and share experiences and follow guided self-help courses and topics such as managing anxiety, dealing with alcohol, getting better sleep. Tests and guides to improve wellbeing and trained counsellors are on hand at all times to moderate the service and provide support.

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

This is the new name for:

  • The Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS)
  • The Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (CTS)
  • The Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service (HIS)

 

To contact the MIDLANDS or EAST of England service directly, call 0300 323 0137 or email: mevs.mhm@nhs.net

More details around this service can be found at:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-and-veterans-healthcare/veterans-nhs-mental-health-services/

Contact information for all Op COURAGE centres

Combat Stress/Rethink
Emotional support, a listening ear and signposting service     

helpline@combatstress.org.uk
24 hour Freephone Helpline 0800 138 1619

Help for Heroes Recovery College

They offer educational courses about mental health and recovery which are designed to increase students' knowledge and skills and to help them feel more confident in self-management of their own mental health and well-being. Help for Heroes have opened one that is specifically for veterans suffering these issues. 

To access these courses you ideally need to be referred to a H4H case worker. Someone can approach H4H direct, but there is an aspiration to be able to referred through other mechanisms such as a ‘social prescriber’ at a GP surgery

https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-support/recovery-college/self-help-guides-to-recovery/

Headfit

IMO Headfit is a really useful website for giving you some tips and ideas on how to improve your mental resilience, aimed at the serving soldiers but more than suitable for everyone:

https://headfit.org/home/

All Call Signs
All Call Signs is an award-winning peer support organisation for veterans and serving military personnel. Our chat app is manned by over 700 volunteer listeners with experience of life in uniform and our digital caseworkers bridge the gaps in veteran’s mental health services for hundreds of users seeking help.

https://allcallsigns.org/
CALL 023 9438 7914

 

Walk Talk Action provide signposting, retreats and programmes to people in Stoke on Trent & beyond in order to help those with: Depression (including postnatal depression), Anxiety, Midlife crisis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Isolation/Loneliness and/or are a Veteran; As well as general health and well-being.  The charity organises regular walks, offers a ten week programme  to suit each persons’ individual needs; through walking, talking and taking action.  Every Friday (1300 – 1430) at St Claire’s Church Centre in Meir Park, Stoke on Trent ST3 7TW there is a professional and community drop in where you are invited to come along and meet other people and organisations within the area.

Website: www.walktalkaction.co.uk  

Phone: 07804577783

Email: info@walktalkaction.co.uk

 

Our Hidden Wounds service provides free and confidential psychological wellbeing advice and support to eligible veterans and their families.  We offer a clinical assessment to help identify the most appropriate treatment plan, followed by a range of evidence-based psychological therapies tailored to individual needs.

Sessions are run by a qualified psychological wellbeing therapist and include access to self-guided support and one to one and group therapy sessions.

Website:  Hidden Wounds Service | Help for Heroes

Landau Ltd

Landau offer individualised support in finding the right job for each person, as well as time-unlimited assistance in the job, to both the veteran and the employer. We have Veterans specific Employment Specialists and advisors who have previously serviced in the Armed Forces and/or have strong connections to the forces.

We work in close conjunction with RBL caseworkers who support Veteran’s in Staffordshire and their families in a multitude of areas                        

https://www.landau.co.uk/veteran-employment-services/

Contact 01782 324398

Landau Training & Enterprise Centre

Waterside Drive,
Stoke-on-Trent
ST3 3NW

Tel: 01782 324 398

SSAFA
Provide lifelong support to veterans to help them settle into life and work outside the forces.

Staffordshire@ssafa.org.uk
01785 212680 or Helpline 0800 731 4880

The Poppy Factory
Employment support for veterans with mental and physical health conditions.

admin@poppyfactory.org
0208 940 3305

Samaritan Veterans Support

Samaritans works with the Ministry of Defence and other charities to support serving personnel in the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/military/  A veterans app in conjunction with the MOD is also available for Apple and Android devices. 

 

A veterans app in conjunction with the MOD is also available for Apple and Android devices.

Charities and organisations exist to help support veterans who are homeless. The Staffordshire Connects link below signposts to several local organisations that can help. 

https://www.staffordshireconnects.info/kb5/staffordshire/directory/results.page?coverage=stokeontrent&adultchannel=7-1

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

 

Homeless or at risk?

 

Click here to find out what support is available

Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council

 

Facing Homelessness

 

Click here to find out what support is available

 

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

 

Click here to find out what support is available

 

Stafford Borough Council - Housing Advice - I have lost or I am worried about losing my home

 

Click here to find out what support is available

Website:  Home - Macari Foundation (macari-foundation.co.uk)

Phone:   07500 771 682 or 07884 586 129

Email:  via webpage Contact - Macari Foundation (macari-foundation.co.uk)

The Macari Centre is committed to helping end homelessness in Stoke-on-Trent.  The centre provides support and accommodation to around 50 individuals, along with four meals a day, at their base on Regent Road, Hanley.  The Macari Centre in Hanley is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day, including Christmas Day (this includes accepting new customers, where capacity allows).

 

Website:  Home | Veterans Connect

Phone: 07723238943

Email: info@veteransconnect.org.uk

Veterans Connect is a community-based organisation in and around Stoke founded by veterans with lived experience in the areas that we cover. We have a welfare van that we take out into community with a team of volunteer nurses and support staff. We engage with the homeless, identifying health and social needs and provide instant access to medical treatment. We can also signpost and refer to other services such as mental health or ensure access to the correct medical equipment.

 

Leaving the Armed Forces support guide

 

Naval Families Federation - Championing Royal Navy & Royal Marines families (nff.org.uk)

contactus@nff.org.uk

 

Tel: 02392 654374

 

We’re a totally confidential service, we understand the challenges of Navy life but aren’t a formal part of the Naval Service.

 

Whether you need help with schools, where you live or work, your finances, your future, a posting overseas, relationships or your health, our concern is always for you, our Naval Service family.

 

Army Families Federation - Supporting Army families worldwide (aff.org.uk)

 

contact@aff.org.uk

 

Tel: 01264 554004

 

The Army Families Federation (AFF) is the independent voice of Army families and works hard to improve the quality of life for Army families around the world – on any aspect that is affected by the Army lifestyle.

 

AFF is independent of the Army and offers confidential advice. We will deal with your enquiry without revealing your identity.

RAF Families Federation Home > RAF Families Federation (raf-ff.org.uk)

 

https://www.raf-ff.org.uk/report-an-issue-form-2/

 

Tel: 01780 781650

We work to improve quality of life for RAF personnel and their families around the world – at work or at home. We help to resolve issues such as; access to education or healthcare for children and young people, sorting out problems with accommodation, benefits and visas, or helping military spouses find meaningful employment – all issues that arise from having a mobile lifestyle.

 

By telling us about a problem you face, we can provide practical support and advice, as well as lobby for change with politicians, the Chain of Command and policy makers in the British Government and across Scotland, Wales and NI.

Home - Little Troopers

 

info@littletroopers.net

 

 

 

 

Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting all military children who have parent(s) serving in our British Armed Forces, regular or reserve.

 

These children often face unique challenges including frequent house and school moves, as well as regular periods of separation from their serving parent(s) for varying lengths of time due to exercises, training, operations and other service commitments.

 

As a charity, Little Troopers ensures our British Armed Forces children and their families have access to child-focused support, providing fundamental resources and initiatives.

The Charity for Bereaved Military Children | Scotty's Little Soldiers (scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk)

 

hello@scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk

 

Tel: 0800 0928571

 

 

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting bereaved military children & young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.

 

Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott following the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity is currently providing assistance to hundreds of bereaved Forces children and young people around the UK.

Home - Reading Force

 

info@readingforce.org.uk

 

Tel: 07566 200 299

 

 

At Reading Force, we are passionate about using books to bring Forces children and families closer together. Our shared reading initiative encourages families to read, talk, and scrapbook about a book, improving communication and enriching relationships with books and each other – one page at a time.

Their purpose is to facilitate Veterans and serving Armed Forces personnel to meet face to face in a relaxed safe, social environment to enjoy breakfast and banter, to combat loneliness and allow veterans to 'return to the tribe'.

Crewe - https://www.afvbc.net/find-a-club/crewe-armed-forces-veterans-breakfast-club/https://www.afvbc.net/clubs/stoke-south/

Stafford - https://www.afvbc.net/clubs/stafford/

The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust

www.rnbt.org.uk - More information

Make a Will with our free Will writing service - Click here

Soldiers Charity

https://soldierscharity.org/

Royal Air Force

https://www.rafbf.org/

They provide a range of support aimed at serving and former RAF personnel and their dependants. This includes welfare breaks, grants to help with financial difficulty and getting about inside and outside the home, specialist advice on benefits and support with care needs, as well as support for young people through our Airplay programme. Take a look at a guide to their services.

 

Reservists and Cadets

The Reserve forces play a crucial role in national security from countering security threats, peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts abroad to supporting communities at home.

Some of the benefits of joining the reserves are:

Find out more at - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/armed-forces-reserves-a-quick-guide/armed-forces-reserves-a-quick-guide

202 Field Hospital is a hospital that can be deployed anywhere in the world and set up using tents or existing buildings to provide medical care to soldiers and if need be, civilians, in the field.

The hospital has a proud history of service on the front line. It was the first Reserve Field Hospital during operations in Iraq and also saw action in Afghanistan.

It is made up of dedicated healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and medical staff from hospitals across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Find out more here or email 202HOSP-RHQ-Recruiting@mod.gov.uk

WM RFCA is one of 13 RFCAs across the UK that came into existence at the same time as the Territorial Army in 1908.

Their role is to support the Reserve Forces and Cadets from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines,  Army and Royal Air Force within the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry.

https://www.wmrfca.org/wm-rfca/

Home to over 1200 cadets and 200 adult volunteers in 38 detachments across staffordshire and west midlands.

https://armycadets.com/county/staffordshire-and-west-midlands-north-acf/

Sea Cadets is different from school. There's a lot of learning. But it's done through activities – on the water and off the water – and our volunteers leading by example. 

It's also different from home, a break from screens and being cooped up inside. The platform we offer is built on the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy. It inspires our work and commitment to supporting young people today.

Find a sea cadets near you - https://www.sea-cadets.org/

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