|
The Jobcentre Plus Armed Forces Champions will:
• ensure that customer-facing Jobcentre Plus staff are providing the correct advice and support to members of the Armed Forces Community;
• pick up on problems encountered by Service families seeking work in their geographic area of responsibility, and take positive action to raise awareness of the Armed Forces Community and how they can offer valuable skills and experience to local employers;
• also form links with local military establishments in order to increase their Service awareness and that of staff in their district to help Jobcentre Plus staff offer a more understanding service to members of the Armed Forces Community, including keeping abreast of key changes at local military establishments (such as a large influx of Service families seeking work).
There are around 50 champions that have been established, based around the UK in 'districts' which are generally county-based. London and Manchester are the only exceptions to this, with the cities broken down into districts to accommodate the large customer base in these areas.
Bob Ainsworth, Secretary of State for Defence, said at the launch "The challenges which Service personnel face in the Armed Forces are unique. They are required to deploy wherever their service takes them and the impact of this is considerable, particularly on their families.
"Today's announcement builds on previous initiatives and I am pleased that Kevan Jones, Minister for Veterans, was there to launch the Jobcentre Plus Armed Forces Champions alongside Lord McKenzie.
"We will continue to honour our commitment to the Armed Forces and make sure that military life does not make it harder to access services."
The establishment of the champions is very much in line with the Service Personnel Command Paper, 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans', published in 2008.
The Command Paper contained 47 commitments intended to address disadvantages caused by the unique requirements of life in the Armed Forces and improve the level of support to the Armed Forces Community in key areas such as compensation, healthcare and accommodation.
As well as the Jobcentre Plus Armed Forces Champions, the Service Families Employment and Skills Taskforce Report was also published this week which outlines a number of key developments that are being progressed in line with the Taskforce's remit to help Service families.
These include looking at how childcare and school places' allocation meet the needs of Service families, the creation of the Jobcentre Plus Champions, and a new web-based one-stop-shop for military families looking for employment and training.
The Service Families Employment and Skills Taskforce Report also outlines further developments in areas already identified in the Service Personnel Command Paper, including:
• Revised guidance on childcare provision
• Fair access to schools
• Support for Service families through Sure Start Children's Centres
• Improving flexible career opportunities in the public sector
The Taskforce was created to review the various barriers which make it difficult for Service families to get into work and develop rewarding careers, and included representatives from the Armed Forces families federations and public and private sectors.
|
