Institute of Professional Investigators Limited
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 Institute of Professional Investigators Limited 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 Institute of Professional Investigators Limited 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 Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Discounts
We also pledge the following:
Communications, engagement and outreach o Promote and provide a route map to specific investigative training, such as e-learning, for the Armed Forces Community. o Promote the Armed Forces Covenant, and your support for the Armed Forces Community to your staff, customers/service users, supply chains and the wider public. o Support or promote Armed Forces events, such as Armed Forces Day/Week, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance activities. o Use the Covenant in your communications and marketing. o Create a dedicated Armed Forces page on your website. o Establish an internal Armed Forces Working Group within your organisation, to enable staff members with an Armed Forces connection to meet and support one another and provide feedback to you as an organisation. o Appoint Armed Forces Ambassadors within your organisation to act as a focal point for organising and promoting support for the Armed Forces Community. o Signpost members of the Armed Forces Community to available support inside the IPI membership or to external support agencies. o Run, facilitate or promote support networks (such as regular zoom meeting, mentors, etc) for veterans and other members of the Armed Forces Community within the IPI. o Develop relationships and work collaboratively with other organisations supporting the Covenant and the Armed Forces Community in your locality/region. Commercial o Offer a lifetime 10% commercial discount on full IPI member membership for eligible veterans and members of the Armed Forces Community either via the Defence Discount Service or direct through the IPI website Armed Forces membership page. o Ensure the Armed Forces Community has fair access to your services and is not put at a disadvantage by their service, for example as a result of their high mobility. Training support o Support eligible members of the Armed Forces Community IPI training courses through the Armed Forces ELCAS learning credit scheme. o Provide advice and guidance on IPI training options through a dedicated Armed Forces page on the website. o Provide email and in telephone support on IPI training options to veterans and other members of the Armed Forces Community through the IPI Armed Forces working group and Armed Forces Ambassadors. o If required provide a specific point of contact and mentor to veterans and other members of the Armed Forces Community to support and guide them on their investigative training journey.
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.