Support for serving armed forces personnel, reservists and veterans
Find out about support available for you and your family if you have ever served in the armed forces.
Help with housing, employment, health and wellbeing are just some of the issues that organisations across Kirklees can help people with.
Types of support
- Schools
- Adult education
- Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Scheme
- Open University
- Troops to Teachers
- UCAS - Higher education courses in the UK
- Warrior Programme - Educational and motivational training programme
- Employment and skills support - Our Employment and Skills service can support you into employment, help you improve your current job status and utilise your transferable skills. Access support with job applications, interview techniques and in work support, helping you overcome barriers into employment.
- Jobs with Kirklees The council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for armed forces veterans. A guaranteed interview will be offered to individuals who have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces and meet the essential criteria for the role as outlined in the Job Profile.
- Training and apprenticeships
- British Legion - Finding a job as a veteran or service leavers
- Calderdale and Kirklees Careers
- Career Transition Partnership
- Defence Relationship Management - Advice and support on employing members of the armed forces
- Finding a job
- Help for Heroes
- Naval Families Federation - Employment information
- The Poppy Factory - Help to find jobs and employment in the UK
- Remploy - Disability employment services
- RFEA - The Forces Employment Charity supports civilian spouses and partners of serving and ex-Forces personnel on their journey into employment. It provides one-to-one advice and guidance, employability and employment support. This includes bespoke career and training diagnostics, CV and application assistance and interview techniques.
- Richmond Fellowship - Kirklees Employment Service specialises in providing support for people living with or recovering from mental ill health. It helps them to find paid employment, voluntary work, education and training or to retain their current employment.
Self employment
Support including housing, finances, benefit advice, healthcare and help to get back into work, for individuals and families who have been part of (or are still part of) the Armed Forces or Reservist Community:
- Health and wellbeing
- Big White Wall - Support dealing with stress
- Combat Stress - Support for veterans suffering mental ill-health caused by military service
- MIND - Mental health guidance and support
- NHS Choices
- NHS healthcare for veterans
- Samaritans
- Warrior Programme
- Adaptations to your home
- Council housing - Information for tenants of Kirklees council homes
- Citizens Advice
- Fusion Housing - Support if you have your own tenancy or need help to find one
- Housing and homelessness
- Substance, Tenancy and Resettlement Service (STARS)
- Kirklees Passport - Council-run discount scheme
- Leisure and culture
- Local organisations
- Kirklees Active Leisure - Sports facilities
- Defence Discount Cards
- Armed Forces Day
Kirklees Council actively supports and encourages their employees to become a reservist.
Additional support
Mental health and wellbeing
- Blesma - Armed Forces charity that supports limbless veterans
- Carers Count specialises in supporting unpaid carers: people who provide care to a friend, family member, or loved one due to disability. They offer a range of support from information and advice, benefits, training, group activities, advocacy support, emotional support, future planning, and peer groups linking people up with other carers in similar situations.
- Mental health support offers a range of resources and advice if you are experiencing mental health problems. Get confidential help and support.
- Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service - Provides specialist care and support for those due to leave the armed forces, reservists and those who've already left. Developed by veterans, for veterans, Op COURAGE is available across England.
- Richmond Fellowship - Kirklees Employment Service specialises in providing support for people living with or recovering from mental ill health. It helps them to find paid employment, voluntary work, education and training or to retain their current employment.
- SWYPFT: community, mental health and learning disability services
- Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust -Op COURAGE: The veterans mental health and wellbeing service
Bereavement and suicide
- Help for somebody with suicidal thoughts
- West Yorkshire Suicide Prevention: Leaving service - Exploring mental health and suicide with veterans
- Leaving Service explores aspects of mental health and suicide prevention with ex-military personnel.
- Suicide Bereavement: Support Guide for Serving Personnel
- Suicide Bereavement: Support Guide for Veterans
- Suicide Bereavement: Support Guide for Families
Support for frontline workers
Guidance on working with armed forces veterans for community based support agencies including the voluntary sector, services provided by the NHS, local authorities, GPs and charities.
Kirklees Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community. This Covenant encompasses the moral obligation between the Nation, the Government and the Armed Forces, at the local level.
The Armed Forces Covenant is based upon two key principles:
- The Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services
- Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.