Probation Service East of England
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 Probation Service East of England 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 Probation Service East of England 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
- UK Reservists
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Additional Leave For Reservists
We also pledge the following:
-
Engaging with the Career Transition Partnership.
-
Provide ways for our staff to learn about the Armed Forces community.
-
Create a dedicated Armed Forces community section on our website.
-
Establish an internal Armed Forces Network within our organisation, to enable staff members with an Armed Forces connection to meet and support one another.
-
Appoint an Armed Forces lead within our organisation to coordinate support for the Armed Forces community.
-
Promote awareness of housing and homelessness services among the Armed Forces Community.
-
Organise, facilitate, promote and/or take part in remembrance and other ceremonial activities.
-
Improve identification and support for veterans on probation.
-
Proactively identify veterans and ex-service personnel at every stage of the probation journey.
-
Ensure veterans are connected to specialist support services, mentoring opportunities and community resources.
-
Promote trauma-informed and veteran-aware practice across our services.
-
Champion fair treatment and inclusion.
-
Ensure veterans and their families are treated with dignity, respect and understanding.
-
Recognise the strengths, skills and experiences that military service brings.
-
Challenge stigma and barriers that may prevent veterans from accessing support.
-
Support veteran employment and career opportunities
-
Promote probation careers to the Armed Forces community.
-
Encourage veterans to apply for roles across probation services.
-
Recognise transferable military skills and experience within recruitment and development processes.
-
Support reservists and military families.
-
Foster a workplace culture that supports reservist commitments.
-
Encourage managers to understand the needs of reservists and military families.
-
Promote flexibility wherever operationally possible.
-
Develop staff awareness and capability.
-
Provide opportunities for staff to learn about the Armed Forces community and veteran-specific needs.
-
Support Armed Forces Champions and local veteran networks.
-
Share good practice across teams and regions.
-
Strengthen partnerships
-
Work with Op NOVA, veteran charities, local authorities, healthcare providers and Armed Forces organisations to improve outcomes for veterans.
-
Build strong referral pathways so that veterans receive timely and appropriate support.
-
Continue our flagship rehabilitive work in the MCTC
-
Increase our footprint and profile by utilising UPW groups to provide services for ex armed forces Charites.
-
Celebrate and recognise service.
-
Mark Armed Forces Day, Remembrance events and other military commemorations.
-
Promote the contribution of veterans, reservists and military families within our workforce and communities.
-
Share positive stories that highlight successful rehabilitation, contribution and achievement.
-
Be accountable.
-
Review our progress annually through our Veterans Forum and regional governance structures.
-
Seek feedback from veterans, staff and partners to continuously improve our support.
-
Maintain visible leadership commitment to delivering our Covenant promises.
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.