On Scene Solutions
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, His 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 On Scene Solutions 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 On Scene Solutions 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
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Discounts
- Armed Forces Charities
- UK Wounded, Injured And Sick
- Additional Leave For Reservists
We also pledge the following:
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Supporting any mobilisations.
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Engaging with the Career Transition Partnership.
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Working with sector-led employment schemes aimed at the Armed Forces community, for example ‘A Great Place to Work’ and ‘Step Into Health’.
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Considering ways in which remote-working solutions might benefit the mobile nature of the Armed Forces community.
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Engage with any local Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) presence – for example, local Army units, RAF stations and/or Naval bases.
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Provide ways for our staff to learn about the Armed Forces community.
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Create a dedicated Armed Forces community section on our website.
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Establish an internal Armed Forces Network within our organisation, to enable staff members with an Armed Forces connection to meet and support one another.
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Appoint an Armed Forces lead within our organisation to coordinate support for the Armed Forces community.
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Signpost members of the Armed Forces community to available support, for example from Cobseo members, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs directory of support and statutory services in your area.
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Deliver or promote external events for veterans and other members of the Armed Forces community.
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Develop relationships and work collaboratively with other organisations supporting the Covenant and the Armed Forces community in our local area and/or our industry sector.
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Waive cancellation fees for utility and other contracts for those posted overseas or to areas outside the service provision.
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Ensure the Armed Forces community has fair access to our services and is not put at a disadvantage due to their service, for example due to deployment or mobility.
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Take part in and/or promote awareness-raising schemes, such as veteran-friendly accreditation for GP practices and the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance.
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Ensure available dedicated healthcare services for members of the Armed Forces community, such as Op COURAGE in England, are signposted and promoted.
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Offer concessionary access to leisure centres and sports facilities for members of the Armed Forces community.
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Waive the local-connection requirement for eligibility for social housing for veterans (statutorily, the requirement must be disapplied for those who left the Armed Forces within the last five years, but local authorities can choose to disapply it for all veterans).
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Provide “additional preference” in your social housing allocation scheme for certain members of the Armed Forces Community.
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Promote awareness of housing and homelessness services among the Armed Forces Community.
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Note, promote and/or make use of the provisions for Armed Forces families in the School Admissions Code (England), for example by allocating school places in advance of a family arriving in a local area.
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Promote and/or use resources such as the Service Children Progression Alliance’s Thriving Lives Toolkit.
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[For schools with Service children among their pupils] Develop a clear strategy for the effective use of any dedicated funding (for example the Service Pupil Premium in England) in support of Service pupils.
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Support and promote the wellbeing of Service children, recognising the particular experiences and challenges they may face.
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Promote training and further/higher education opportunities for Service leavers, veterans and their families.
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Ensure upkeep of war memorials and war graves (with support from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) if you are a local council.
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Organise, facilitate, promote and/or take part in remembrance and other ceremonial activities.
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The military has always been a big part of my life and my family. Both my wife’s family and my own family have strong local and international roots, dating back to the 1800s. That connection to our community and to the people who have served and sacrificed for it, is something I’m incredibly proud of. I’m already a member of a number of military groups and have been fortunate enough to receive support from organisations and people within Doncaster’s military community. For me, supporting the Armed Forces is about giving something back as well. Our connection is also very much an on going family one. Our son is currently serving in the Royal Navy, so we understand first hand the commitment, pride and sacrifices that come with serving in the Armed Forces. Throughout my time serving the local community, I have always tried to promote and support our Armed Forces. Remembrance is particularly important to me. Every year I take part in remembrance and give a public prayer in memory of those who served, those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who continue to serve today. Through On Scene Solutions, I want to continue that commitment in a practical way. Whether that is supporting veterans and serving personnel, promoting military values, helping members of the Armed Forces community with opportunities, or simply standing alongside the organisations that do so much locally. Applying for the Armed Forces Covenant is important to me because I don’t want it to simply be a badge or something displayed on a website. I want it to reflect what we already believe in and, more importantly, what we continue to do. The Armed Forces community has supported me and my family in many ways over the years. I believe it is only right that we support them in return. For me, it is personal. It is about family, community, remembrance and making sure that those who serve, those who have served and their families know that their contribution is valued and appreciated.
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.