Liverpool City Council
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 Liverpool City Council 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 Liverpool City Council 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
We also pledge the following:
Formation, reinvigoration, operation and maintenance of the Liverpool City Strategic Armed Forces Group, which will bring together leading organisations and their representatives from the Armed Forces Community to positively influence support for Reservists Cadet Force Adult Vol-unteers - Veterans & Military Spouses, Partners and their dependents. Promoting the Armed Forces: We commit to using the following methods of promotion of the Armed Forces:- Websites within the control of Liverpool City Council including : Service Leavers Website - www.serviceleaversliverpool.co.uk Intranet sites within the control of Liverpool City Council Social Media Channels under the control of Liverpool City Council Organisation and marketing promotion of Armed Forces related Events Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: Via the Liverpool City Strategic Armed Forces Group, we commit to organising Employment Opportunity related events & initiatives for the Armed Forces Community Offer of a guaranteed interview for internal Liverpool City Council job opportunities. Health Via the Liverpool City Strategic Armed Forces Group, we commit to organising Health & Wellbeing related events & initiatives for the Armed Forces Community Housing: Via the Liverpool City Strategic Armed Forces Group, we commit to organising Housing re-lated events & initiatives for the Armed Forces Community Education: Via the Liverpool City Strategic Armed Forces Group, we commit to providing support to the children and young people of our armed forces to overcome some of the unique chal-lenges families face with regard to school places and related transport. With regard to wider education we commit to educating wider stakeholders on the role they can play in support of our Armed Forces Community Civic responsibilities: Wherever possible we will lend our Civic endorsement to Armed Forces Community events, initiatives and promotion. Liverpool City Council is committed to supporting people serving in the regular and reserve Armed Forces and veterans, as well as their families. As part of this commitment, we have developed Service Leavers Liverpool a dedicated website for people who are preparing to leave the Armed Forces and planning to make their home in Liverpool. Service Leavers Liverpool has plenty of information on how to get a job, find a new home, and stay fit and well. Strategic Group for Armed Forces Communities: We also develop services for Liverpool’s Armed Forces communities. It oversees the delivery of the Armed Forces Community Covenant and ensures that the welfare needs of service personnel, veterans and their families are captured in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Military Veterans. The group is chaired by the Armed Forces Champion for Liverpool, Lord Mayor/Councillor Roy Gladden. Key strategic partners include representatives from NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, Liverpool Veterans HQ, Armed Forces Charities and representatives from each of the services. The group meets on a quarterly basis.
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.