Guidance

VAPC south east England: meeting minutes 7 March 2022

Updated 11 July 2023

Attendees:

Rob Nitsch (Chair, RN)
Graham Cable (GC)
Robin Draper (RD)
Simon Furlong (SFL)
Clive Hunt (CH)
Stephen James (SJ)
Patrick Lyster-Todd (PLT)
Kate Steels (KS)
Ian Talbot (IT)

Invitees:

Anne Da Rocha (Veterans Welfare Service, ADR)
Baz Melia (Always a Rifleman, BM)

Apologies:

Dan Brooks
Steve Fradley
Amran Hussain
Craig Jones
Andrew McHugh
Ash Merry
Carron Snagge
Neil Strachan
Fiona Sweny

1. Welcome

RN opened the meeting and thanked RD for organising the venue and catering. He extended similar thanks to all EBB staff concerned.

RN also thanked ADR for agreeing to attend and making herself available at such short notice.

RN then outlined the format for the meeting (principally focused on better understanding the role of the Veterans Welfare Service and how we can support and collaborate) before inviting ADR to take the floor.

2. Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) update

ADR reminded the meeting of the VWS remit and updated attendees on both national and regional activity and challenges before inviting questions.

A range of questions were then posed by members present, and associated discussion ensued. Chief among this was how the VWS and DTS (Defence Transition Services) delineated their coverage and how effectively War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments were being processed and handled by Veterans UK (Vets UK, to whom both VWS and DTS work). Any concerns the committee had in this respect will be incorporated into the next report to the Minister for Defence People and Veterans (MinDPV), and GC will consider how to better delineate and define VWS and DTS roles as part of SEVAPC induction training.

ADR also emphasised that members were always welcome and invited to accompany VWS personnel to witness their work with the veteran community (including widows) so that they could see this work first-hand and support this (and form judgements as to effectiveness) appropriately. RN will consider how we might do this.

A suggestion was made that perhaps induction training for both incoming VWS and SEVAPC personnel might have a joint element, or at least better inform each party of mutual work. As above, RN undertook to speak to the VWS Regional Manager, and GC to consider how this might dovetail into existing SEVAPC induction training.

3. SEVAPC focuses

The above stimulated a discussion on what the SEVAPC main focuses ought to be. This centred on a need to continue to support veterans and their families in our region directly (perhaps where other agencies were unable or unwilling to) by helping them navigate their way through statutory and/or third sector offerings or pointing them to such support, as well as in assisting them in understanding processes/decisions. It also includes flagging significant issues and patterns of concern up to and including Vets UK/MinDPV (via RN).

4. Always a Rifleman (AaR) initiative

BM offered the meeting an overview of the AaR initiative and took questions. Some of these centred on how the initiative and its proponents handled sensitive issues.

Members’ feedback will be passed on by RN.

5. Chair’s update

RN updated the meeting on plans for the forthcoming report to MinDPV and requested support in formulating that.

RN also updated the meeting on progress with interviewing candidates seeking to be appointed to the committee.

6. Date of next meeting

PLT offered his employer’s facility for the next meeting and confirmed that it could also accommodate online access via the IT system.

It was agreed that late June/early July and DTS input (similar to VWS’s above) was the target, and that GC would liaise with PLT, DTS and members to select the best date.

7. Any other business/close

With no other business, the meeting closed at 6.30pm.