Biscoes Solicitors
We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant
1.1 We Biscoes Solicitors will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment
2.1 Biscoes Solicitors recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Discounts
We also pledge the following:
-Offer discount and fixed fee charges to members of the armed forces community throughout the firm where appropriate -Become a member of the defence discount services -Offering an initial appointment for legal advice free of charge to members of the armed forces community -Offer expert high quality legal advice to the armed forces community with an understanding of the unique needs of serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families -Setting up and running proposed legal advice clinics at out premises -Investigate the opportunity to offer weekly legal support clinics in conjunction with RNRM welfare -Aim to expand the legal signposting clinics to include at the armed forces community support services such as RBL, SAFFA etc -Work with the CTP in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for service leavers including a focus page and advertising suitable vacancies -Support the employment of the wounded, injured and sick -Offer guaranteed interviews to veterans and spouses if they meet the requisite criteria -Consider special paid leave where appropriate to those mobilised or for training days -Recognise military skills and qualification when interviewing for new positions -Focus recruiting efforts on the armed forces community, such as advertising through service friendly recruitment agencies and services and also on our military website -Promote we are an armed forces friendly organisation through our website, shop front space and social media platforms -Display the armed forces covenant and employer recognition scheme logos on our website, marketing material and office collateral -Show our support for armed forces day on our social media platforms by posting messages and a link to the armed forces day website -Offer a dedicated area on the Biscoes website with information on the work we do as well as general information pertinent to the armed forces community -Offer a dedicated area on our website to our involvement with both forces laws and the armed forces covenant -Continue our affiliation with the forces law network -Encourage employees to volunteer with the MOD sponsored cadet forces -Encourage employees to volunteer, collect for and/or take part in events for service charities -Develop relationships with our local armed forces community so as to better identify and understand its needs, and ascertain how we can provide services which its members value -Support the royal British legion in the sale of poppies for armistice day
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.