Minutes

4        ARMED FORCES COVENANT NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE – The Director: Children and Community Resilience submitted a report informing the Cabinet Member of progress on the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Covenant and seeking approval to consult on the provision and associated legislation in relation to the Covenant.

The Armed Forces Covenant was introduced nationally in 2011 and was an agreement between the Armed Forces community, the nation and the Government.  Forthcoming legislation would be introduced in 2022 to place a duty on councils to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant in the areas of Health, Housing and Education.

The Covenant’s twin underlying principles were that members of the Armed Forces community should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial service; and that special consideration was appropriate in some cases, especially for those who had given the most, such as the injured and bereaved.

The council re-signed the Covenant in 2018 and were awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award in 2020.

The Covenant currently had a dual approach; strategy and partnerships and front-facing delivery.  Within strategy and partnerships there was infrastructure that upheld the Covenant principles through the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Forum, e-learning and training for staff, the Armed Forces Be Yourself at Work conversation and participation in the wider agendas of Health, Housing and Education.  This work enabled the council to be a place leader for the Covenant, supporting other public organisations to provide a local, consistent approach.  Front facing delivery included a referral system into our Armed Forces Covenant officer, who provided 1:1 support for the local Armed Forces community, Veteran drop-ins, the development of the Armed Forces Hub in Scunthorpe Town Centre and wider public events such as Armed Forces Day and Remembrance.

The current framework and ongoing staffing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant meant that the council was well placed to meet the statutory duty in 2022 through the arrangements in place.

In order to maximise the services provided at the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Hub, as well as provide evidence for the duty, the Covenant team wished to consult the wider community on the Covenant provision and determine if what was currently provided was fit for purpose and the future service model.  The consultation would be two-fold, the first aimed at the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces community, the second aimed at local organisations who supported that community.  It would be rolled out on behalf of the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Forum and would determine current local knowledge of the Covenant, service delivery and future ways of working.  It would run on the council’s website for two months.  Evidence gathered would inform Hub development, provide evidence for the statutory duty and subsequent funding bids.

Resolved – That the request to consult the North Lincolnshire Armed Forces community, as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report, be approved.