Scoping Review: A Needs Based Assessment and Epidemiological Community-Based Survey of Ex-Service Personnel and their Families in Scotland

Scoping Review: A Needs Based Assessment and Epidemiological Community-Based Survey of Ex-Service Personnel and their Families in Scotland


Appendix C: Scottish Government Initiatives Associated with the Commitment to Meeting the Needs of Veterans and Forces' Communities in Scotland

HEALTHCARE

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Extend the priority treatment scheme to all Veterans (including Reservists[187]) as of 29 February 2008.
  • Develop a pilot project to provide services for Veterans' with mental health problems in partnership with the MoD, NHS Lothian and Veterans' organisations (e.g., Combat Stress); the outcome of which was to be applied across all NHS Boards in Scotland.
  • Improve access to dental services in Fife to accommodate demand at RAF Leuchars.
  • Ensure injured Veterans have access to prosthetic limbs through NHSScotland equal to that provided by the Defence Medical Services.
  • Ensure a continuity of care and treatment within the national waiting time targets to compensate for the adverse impact on treatment waiting times imposed by Service mobility.
  • Permit the completion of IVF programme for women serving in the UK Armed Forces.
  • Support proposals to increase:
  • dental service provision in areas with increased Forces populations.
  • level of health service awareness of Forces and Veterans' needs.
  • Increase the awareness of health needs.

HOUSING

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Seek guidance on the issue of preventing homelessness.
  • Provide priority access to the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) shared equity schemes to enable the purchase of property.
  • Seek MoD agreement to providing Scottish Ministers, LAs and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) priority in purchasing any surplus MoD land or properties in order to meet the high demand for housing in Scotland.
  • Ensure accessibility to shared equity schemes for people with disabilities including injured Service personnel and Veterans.
  • Facilitate priority need for accommodation to assist Service leavers at risk of homelessness under the Scottish homelessness legislation.
  • Ensure a high priority in the allocation of adapted social housing for seriously injured ex-Service personnel.
  • Implement changes to the method of assessing entitlement for grant adaptations in Scotland with a view to benefiting all disabled home owners seeking to adapt their homes.
  • Investigate the prevalence of Local Authorities (LAs) not accepting Certificates of Cessation for Service personnel giving up Services Accommodation.

LOCAL CO- OPERATION

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Establish contacts between MoD and childcare partnerships in LAs in areas with a high Forces' population to ensure that Service needs are taken into consideration in the childcare partnership review of supply and demand.
  • Double the level of funding for the Scottish Veteran's Fund to approximately £250,000 over a three year period to support projects and initiatives undertaken by Veteran's organisations and charities.

EDUCATION

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Ensure a high level of schooling continuity for the children of Force's families.
  • Identify issues of under-achievement, and implement measures subject to requirement.
  • Introduce measures to enable Service leavers resident in Scotland the opportunity to achieve their first SCQF level 6 qualification without having to pay tuition fees.
  • Extend fee arrangements for Service leavers with 6 year's service to ensure that they can study an HNC, HND, or full degree, without having to pay tuition fees.
  • Develop new opportunities for Service families to access Basic Skills training through the spare capacity of UK Armed Forces education facilities.

EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Enhance the two-way flow between Service and civilian employment through development of the Defence Career Partnering project in partnership with stakeholders, employers and the MoD.
  • Provide support for Scottish Government and NHSScotland staff members who are also members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces.
  • Assist family members of Service personnel to transfer their public sector employment resulting from a Service move.
  • Develop tailored access routes for Service leavers into employment in the public sector.
  • Enhance the signposting of Service leavers with relevant skills to other public sector employers (e.g. LAs).

TRANSPORT

Measures already in place or in the Consultation Paper

Measures to be implemented

  • Extend the provision of concessionary bus travel to injured Veterans as part of the review of the Scottish wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People.
  • Extend the Blue Badge parking concession scheme to ensure that severely disabled Veterans receive automatic entitlement without being subjected to further assessment.

Contact

Email: Ewen Cameron

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