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Brighter Future for Veterans and their Families

Published: 21/04/2017

Veterans and their families across North Wales are set to benefit from additional support from local authorities following the award of over £230,000 from the Ministry of Defence. The award will fund the employment of two Armed Forces Liaison Officers (AFLO) dedicated to strengthening the delivery of the Armed Forces Community Covenant across the region by ensuring the fair and respectful treatment of serving personnel, veterans and their families. The officers’ remit will include reviewing existing policies and procedures in areas including Human Resources, Social Care, Education and Housing. Officers will also ensure the needs of the Armed Forces Community are considered in new strategic plans and service changes linked to, for example, the Well-being of Future Generations Act, and the Social Services and Well-being Act. The officers will seek to establish the size and complement of the region’s Armed Forces Community, and to establish clear lines of communication so that information can flow to and from community members more effectively. There will be a focus on training for front line staff too, allowing them to better understand and support the needs of the Armed Forces Community. Flintshire County Council’s Chief Executive, Colin Everett, said: “Having been awarded the bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) by the Ministry of Defence earlier this year, Flintshire is delighted to hear this news. We are fully committed to supporting armed forces personnel and veterans and will work closely with other North Wales authorities to ensure that this award will be used to further develop opportunities for them and their family members.” The award will be administered by Wrexham Council on behalf of the six local authorities in North Wales.