Guidance

VAPC south west England: meeting minutes 7 February 2023

Updated 10 January 2024

Meeting time

10am

Meeting location

The Rifles, Taunton, Somerset

Attendance

Committee members attending:

• Jeff Spencer - Chair (JS)
• Guy Williams (GW)
• Charlie Radclyffe (CRA)
• Kieran Bird (KB)
• Amanda Brown (AB)
• Hamilton Elliott (HE)
• Duncan Tilley (DT)
• Anica Alvarez Nishio (AAN)
• Rachel Brannagan (RB)
• Michael Bryan (MB)
• Lee Bushby (LB)
• Emlyn Phennah (EP)
• David Wood (DW)
• Ben Obese-Jesty (BOJ)

Guests:

• Helen Bridle (HB - Invictus / Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People)
• Tracy Bryant (TB - CEO Association of Drop-in Centres)
• Barry Bryant (BB - Association of Drop-in Centres)
• Arren Hymes (AH - Defence Transition Services)
• Rachael Sargeant (RS - Veterans Welfare Service)
• Mark Thompson (MT - DEFRA, undertaking VAPC review)

Apologies:

• Chris Rose (CRO)
• Tony Thompson (TT)
• Philip Orr (PO)
• Abbie Pierce (AP)
• Franklin Owusu-Antwi (FOA)
• Andrew Ottaway (AO)

Minutes

Chair’s introduction and welcome (JS)

JS welcomed all attendees and introduced guests. MT described the VAPC Quinquennial Review that he is undertaking according to the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Framework, which will be published in spring. JS thanked MT for conducting his SW quinquennial chair interview on site, as well as attending a full days committee meeting and a social evening. All believed this was of great mutual value.

Conflicts of interest (DT)

While the VAPC-SW Committee recognises the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest, it also recognises benefits drawn from the lived experience of its members. Therefore, we operate a policy of naming and noting any activities or experiences which could be considered conflicts while concurrently actively drawing upon the broadest experiences of its members to inform its work. At all times, we endeavour to clarify explicitly when members are acting on behalf of the committee and when they are acting as private individuals.

No conflicts of interest declared.

Review of actions outstanding from last meeting

• JS reported a VWS matter to the Chairs
• KB completed Housing action
• JS highlighted that Veterans UK had raised several times concerns about VAPCs’ having a conflict of interest, which may be limiting information sharing.
• JS discussed the VAPC internal review being undertaken by Stuart Blackburn (Eastern VAPC Chair). This review will provide a clear starting point upon which the VAPCs can identify their future roles and clarify their long-term strategic view.
• JS asked Veterans UK whether the VAPCs will be interviewed as part of the Veterans UK review
• CRA spoke to training bodies regarding appeal and tribunal training

Chairs’ introduction

JS explained that there is a lot going on in the veteran landscape: a VAPC internal strategy review, a parliamentary private members’ bill from Robin Millar MP, the AFCS quinquennial review and the VAPCs’ quinquennial review. JS hopes high-level strategy discussions will not impact the VAPCs’ day-to-day operations in the short term.

JS thanked the SW Team, highlighting that VAPC SW is probably the most active across the VAPC regions and has a significant degree of influence at the national VAPC level. For example, AAN oversees the VAPCs’ annual report, CRO is the Chairs’ secretary, and LB now leads the VAPCs’ training.

JS reiterated the need to forge relationships, particularly with organisations such as local authorities and the NHS.

Vets UK Performance Review

CRA represented the VAPC-SW at the most recent Performance Meeting hosted by Veterans UK for the VAPCs. He provided an overview of recent AFCS and WPS claims and appeals statistics, including the number and duration of those being processed.

Veterans UK has recently allocated more resources to AFCS cases and claim processing times are improving. However, the AFCS scheme has seen a significant rise in claims post-Covid, possibly due to people re-engaging with service charities post-covid. This led Veterans UK to secure permission from the MOD to temporarily exceed agreed their holdings caps (i.e. the number of cases being processed at any one time).

CRA found the meeting useful to attend and is keen to highlight at the next meeting (in March) that 3-5yr charts will enable the analysis of trends, as opposed to purely focusing on the last 12 months.

VAPC Internal Strategic Review

JS provided an update on the Strategic Review suggested by JS via AAN to VAPC Chairs in November 2022. The strategic review should develop a clear understanding of what each VAPC region is doing.

LB explained that his new national training role is to align training with the strategic review and the current terms of reference. The idea is that the VAPCs can then respond quickly to any chosen direction. From a training perspective, it is noted that everyone is a volunteer, with different skill sets from different areas so there is a need to strike a balance that caters to a broad range of skills. To that end, the training provided is intended to be overarching and mostly online. The proposal is that this would be administered via the Defence Gateway.

The training would be broken down into three stages. The first covers Veterans UK/MOD, the second Local Authorities and the third non-MOD actors. This would encompass one day upon VAPC appointment and an annual half day refresher. The training would be comparable to being a magistrate with an aim to empower members to feel they are in a position to act as decision-makers in independent meetings.

JS highlighted the need to ensure that not too much training is imposed upon volunteers. LB acknowledged and outlined how additional training would be ad-hoc and tailored to the identified training needs.

Defence Transition Services Briefing – Arren Hymes

AH explained that there is a considerable amount of change going on, with several DTS staff members changing roles. They are recruiting new staff, but this is sometimes made more challenging by civil service appointments taking up to six months to process.

The internal DTS review is ongoing and focused on driving continuous improvement.

DTS has taken on JSAHO (Joint Services Agency Housing Office – delivery of tri-service property purchasing advice upon leaving SFA). However, this only applies to in-service and service-leavers for the first six months post-discharge. AH will manage the project to absorb JSAHO into DTS. Further information on this housing role is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/information-and-guidance-on-civilian-housing. The aim is to encourage service-leavers to look at housing options as early as possible and to merge the MOD referral scheme into DTS day-to-day running alongside housing. Housing is often the most challenging aspect of transition for service leavers requiring additional support. Many Local authorities have little capacity, and many service-leavers turn to private rentals and to Regimental Associations for support. DTS’s referrals have slowed last year compared to 2021.

The Veterans Welfare Service has also had some significant staff turnover.

The VWS is finding that the RBL Hardship scheme is positively impacting many veterans.

VCHA (Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance) – David Wood

VHCA sits within the Veterans Strategy Action Plan and plays a key role. The programme focuses on NHS hospitals, mental health services and ambulance services, along with broader work that includes GP surgeries. The purpose is to improve the care of the Armed Forces community.

As the scheme progresses, the accreditation process has become more robust. By 2024 all Trusts will have been through the current more rigorous process, which is expected to improve the Trusts’ impact on the armed forces community. Initial accreditation can take a year to process, with reaccreditation taking three to four months.

The overall framework is now established, with the centre of gravity being the Armed Forces Covenant. Having a core of people to carry out governance around the framework is key. The challenge for the NHS is the use of data, with a myriad of internal challenges around the development of a training programme given the size of trusts and whether training is/isn’t mandated.

VPPP - Veterans Places People and Pathways – Helen Bridle

HB gave an overview that there are currently nine funded organisations that are meeting their agreed objectives within the SW. The Invictus Games Foundation (IGF) has a communication package for VPPP in the SW, which will be rolled out to other regional organisations. COBSEO is being engaged to see if they can assist in funding the rollout given the impact of the current cost of living on organisations’ ability to deliver.

The Invictus App has seen a huge increase in use with all “beyond the games” opportunities presented there for Wounded, Injured and Sick (WIS) personnel.

ASDIC - Tracy Bryant (CEO of the Association of Service Drop-In Centres)

TB explained that the recent injection of money has strengthened and extended areas of charity support that weren’t necessarily involved in the process.

ASDIC is a membership body for a growing number of organisations that deliver help to veterans at the point of need. There is no fee to join. Member organisations cover all demographics nationwide and across all issues. There has been a gradual shift in how veterans seek support i.e. physical in-person support from organisations embedded in the community in which a veteran lives and it helps to bridge the gap between service life and into society.

Not all Drop-in centres are now technically drop-ins and range from breakfast clubs, to activity centres to clinical services. All these build their own networks with liaison between other charities, local businesses, housing authorities, local authorities and GPs. Membership has increased by 150% in the past 12 months - 138 members nationally, covering 192 locations. The pandemic enabled small community-focused organisations to come to the fore. Remote support is now also increasing the reach of these organisations.

Recent ASDIC statistics show that over the last 12 months: 47,000 in-person attendees at ASDIC centres, 41,000 veterans supported remotely, and 86% of member organisations have faced increased overheads. ASDIC wants to bring this to the attention of larger charities.

It was explained that it is important that ASDIC has its own regional footprint. There remains a need to know local members and be confident that they are a suitable/safe place for veterans.

ASDIC was consulted in the Digital and Data survey on the Veterans Identification study. ASDIC’s VetCheck has been a success as a rapid identification process based on name, service number, and dates served. As part of this, a response is received within 36 hrs from VETS UK. The OVA are keen on the model being employed by ASDIC and are looking at leveraging it more widely across the veterans’ space.

KB noted that the RBL SSAFA Emergency Verification for Homeless is received within 30 mins. Is there a difference in the information from VetCheck? TB confirmed that it is a Yes/No response that ASDIC receives.

TB also provided an overview of Community Hub, an interactive online platform to connect UK-wide in a safe and managed space. It is also a place where organisations can self-publish events. All participants from VPPP are invited to be members. As a result, many of those projects then join ASDIC.

Covenant & Wessex RFCA – Rachael Brannagan

RB confirmed she would be taking over membership of the Association following the next committee. RB outlined that there are currently 176 voting members of the association, with an unlimited number of non-voting members possible. Membership is currently strongly Army skewed, but RB wants to equalise it between the services.

RB provided an update on local SW events. There will be a Cornwall Council run business event in Bodmin that will engage local employers. There will be a ship visit in Falmouth during Armed Forces Week. RB will also be hoping for a strong representation of Covenant signatories at the Gala dinner on Armed Forces Day itself. The proposed careers fair, in conjunction with Cornwall Council will be shifted to September (venue/date TBC). In Plymouth, there are efforts to develop and grow armed Forces Covenant businesses. Events schedule will be ironed out and shared following the meeting next week.

RB highlighted that they are approaching the 1000th Covenant signature in SW.

Salisbury Cathedral will shortly sign the Covenant in June, signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Spaceport Cornwall is also being liaised with about potentially signing the covenant too.

The Yeovil pilot project is taking a holistic view of veterans’ support. The 9-step progression programme for Somerset NHS Hospital Trust is not communicated to nurses on the ground for people being discharged. As such, it has been identified that knowledge needs to be shared better and disseminated to those who would benefit.

South west VAPC 2023 Plan

JS asked stakeholders to give Chris Rose feedback on the plan and welcomed contributions on topics across the board.

AAN gave an overview of the 2023 VAPC reporting schedule to fit in with the Parliamentary reporting cycle. The report will want the VAPCs to report more closely on (1) Level of awareness of the Covenant at a local and regional level and (2) How local Armed Forces charities are operating. The VAPCs are not being asked to report against all six parts of the Veterans Strategy but are interested in alignment with it. MT confirmed that recommendations in his report on VAPCs would suggest the need for more detailed feedback to ensure that reporting is more targeted.

Housing - KB

KB discussed recent work. The Royal British Legion has a contract with Shelter to challenge decisions, when required.

Welfare Case summary - CRA

CRA has worked with JS and DW to prepare a report for the MOD about a complicated medical case. The sub-group is grateful for the detailed briefing by BLESMA’s SW support officer.

Recruiting

JS provided an update on the recruitment process for the new VAPC SW Chair. JS has permission to remain chair until April 2023 and to remain as a committee member til 2024.

The committee has space for up to 3 new members before reaching the maximum of 20. JS invited members to suggest other suitable candidates and the potential for co-opted members.