Designing Gender Specific Services That Are Person-Centred and Needs Led.

Forward Assist has long campaigned for gender-specific mental health support for women veterans. In 2017, the charity was awarded funding by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to develop a specific service for women veterans. The Salute Her programme launched in 2018, identifying significant gaps in services available to women veterans, especially in relation to those women in the military that are at higher risk for exposure to sexual harassment or sexual assault than their male counterparts. Forward Assist has started to fill that gap by providing women-only military sexual trauma support groups, one-to-one trauma informed therapy and consultation sessions, and therapeutic residential retreats.

Read on: https://www.churchillfellowship.org/our-impact/universal-themes/governance-and-public-provision-tony-wright

Positive Pathways Strategic Partners Visit Forward Assist Health And Wellbeing Hub

We were delighted to welcome members of the Covenant Fund Trust, Positive Pathways Strategic Partners Team to Our Veterans HQ on the very day we re-opened Salute Cafe within our Health & Wellbeing Hub. The projects funded by the Positive Pathways programme include the Mindfulness of Sleep and Dream Course which we are delivering in partnership with Charlie Morley, both digitally and in residential groups. Similarly our Women Veterans Debate Programme has been delivered virtually due to the C-19 restrictions and includes access to a bespoke resilience & confidence building workshop delivered by Professor Steve Peters, Chimp Paradox Training Team. The Debate Training programme will culminate in a visit and tour of the House of Commons and House of Lords hosted by Sarah Atherton MP and Baroness D’Souza.

Sarah Atherton MP Visits Forward Assist & Salute Her UK

We were delighted to host a visit to the Forward Assist HQ and facilitate a private and confidential consultation session with women accessing the support of Salute Her UK. We are proud to have Sarah as Patron of the charity and look forward to working with her to develop gender specific interventions for both female and male victims/survivors of Military Sexual Trauma.

Giving Veterans A New Direction In Life After Military Service!

Its not very often that those at the top allow grassroots organisations to showcase the work they do through their media outlets. Yet, thats exactly what North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll did when he was annual leave. On behalf of the Team Trustees and volunteers ‘Thank You’ for the opportunity Jamie its appreciated.

Stephanie Peacock MP, Shadow Minister (Defence) Asks Parliamentary Question on Military Sexual Trauma.

We were delighted to be contacted by Stephanie Peacock MP to discuss our gender specific veterans support services for veteran subject to Military Sexual Abuse and Trauma. Sadly the Ministry of Defence are unwilling to adopt the term to describe the lived experience of those traumatised by in-service sexual abuse & harassment. This decision not to recognise or indeed understand why this is important exacerbates the sense of not mattering, loneliness and isolation felt by survivors. We will continue to campaign for recognition understanding and ‘life long’ specialist support for victims/survivors.

Question for Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure (a) understanding and (b) acknowledgement of the term Military Sexual Trauma (MST) by (i) his Department and (ii) the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Asked 7 July 2021

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not accept the term ‘Military Sexual Trauma'. What we have done is make it absolutely clear we have zero-tolerance of unacceptable behaviour. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and all victims supported appropriately. We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence. Personnel can have full confidence that allegations are thoroughly investigated; Commanding Officers must always refer any allegations which have a sexual element to the Service Police. Anyone found to fall short of our high standards or to have committed an offence is dealt with appropriately, up to and including imprisonment and dismissal.

The Armed Forces are addressing sexual assault and harassment through a range of actions, including awareness campaigns and training on consent. In 2020 we published a leaflet on sexual harassment and how to report it, and started a 24-hour bullying, harassment and discrimination helpline to offer support and advice. In June 2021 we introduced new and updated policies on behaviour and complaints, making them easier to understand, more accessible and reinforcing our zero-tolerance policy. The MOD will also assess the findings of the Services’ sexual harassment surveys to plan interventions.

The Government plans to make the United Kingdom the best place to be a veteran anywhere in the world, including for those whose service was affected by sexual violence. We recognise that such experiences can have profound and enduring impacts on an individual both during their service and as a veteran. Veterans, and their families, are offered a gold standard of tailored support, such as Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. This Government is continuously working to identify and draw upon lessons from other countries for both our serving and veteran populations.

Answered 12 July 2021

By Leo Docherty (Conservative, Aldershot

Defence Committee Inquiry Report Into The Lived Experience of Women in the UK Armed Forces Released Today.

The much anticipated report “Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life” recounts the lived experience of women veterans serving in her the UK Armed Forces. It was released at 12.00 midnight yesterday. Our Patron Sarah Atherton MP, has bravely raised the much neglected issue of rape, sexual abuse, bullying and harassment for women (and men) serving in todays armed forces.

Forward Assist, a multi award winning charity and campaign organisation created Salute Her UK a ‘gender specific’ women veterans service to address the unmet needs of women who have been traumatised through lack of support and/or recognition of the damage caused by the criminal actions of others or given access to social justice following sexual assault and abuse in the military. Forward Assist has visited the USA on several occasions in the last few years to learn from those that have designed specific services for those victim/survivors of military sexual trauma and has adapted those interventions for a UK setting. Similarly we have presented our research findings to our Five Eyes (Canada, America, Australia & New Zealand ) showcasing our unique interventions to recognise , promote and celebrate the contribution of women service personnel. past and present. A conference looking at interventions for survivors of sexual abuse in the military will take place later in the year with our Five Eyes Partners.

Similarly our research paper ‘The Invisible Men’ which showcases the lived experience of male victims of Military Sexual Trauma will be released in August 2021 . The Salute Her Women Veterans Task Force has campaigned tirelessly for better services for victims and survivors and until recently those issues have been ignored and minimised by the MOD and the Government alike.

Forward Assist & Salute Her welcome the publication of the report and will continue to deliver ‘person centred’ trauma informed care to those traumatised by Military Sexual Trauma. (A term the Ministry of Defence and Office For Veterans Affairs refuse to acknowledge) probably because they fear a tsunami of current and historical compensation claims given the dereliction of duty in supporting women and men who have experienced sexual abuse during service.

Forward Assist CEO and qualified registered Social Worker said;

“In a career stretching over 36 years in a variety of Snr management posts in numerous social care settings I have never known such blatant disregard for the safe guarding and welfare of vulnerable individuals following rape, sexual assault or bullying and harassment. If this was any other group of people there would be a public outcry! Its a travesty that the needs and reputation of the institution (MOD) so often come before the needs of the victims and survivors. This lack of integrity and openness when coupled with a reluctance to listen to those with the moral courage to flag up the failings of the system is nothing less than a national disgrace and our attempts to inform Ministers and the MOD about the scale of this problem over the last 5 years, has in the main, fallen on deaf ears. We commend the work of Sarah Atherton MP and the Inquiry team, yet so much more needs to be done to reduce the risk of harm, provide appropriate and timely support to address the shortcomings of a culture that currently facilitates and perpetuates neglect and abuse. We all have a moral and legal responsibility to keep safe and protect those that step forward to protect us. The first step would be for the MOD to accept it has a problem and it needs to accept help from ‘outside the wire’ to address the problem as it is currently failing in its duty to protect those in their employ. When the time comes to sit around the table in an open and transparent way and commit to finding a solution we will be happy to share our expertise and assist in any way we can.”

You can read the full report here: See: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/24/defence-committee/news/156892/report-protecting-those-who-protect-us-women-in-the-armed-forces-from-recruitment-to-civilian-life/

Tony Wright CEO

Salute Her UK....'Out of No Man's Land'

Following on from our ground-breaking ethnographic research study ‘No Man’s Land’ we continue to campaign for better services for women veterans, especially those with ‘lived experience of Military Sexual Trauma. If you need help don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Independent Review Commission Recommendations on Countering Sexual Assault in the US Military

Forward Assist were delighted to give evidence to the US Independent Review Commission (IRC) on Sexual Assault in the Military. As the leading charity in the UK delivering and developing trauma informed interventions for serving personel and veterans with lived experience of Military Sexual Trauma we were delighted to update the panel on the lack of services for UK victims and survivors.

The IRC made 82 recommendations in four priority areas: accountability; prevention; climate and culture; and victim care and support. Key themes of the report recognized both strengths and areas for improvement; recognizing dedicated leaders and a desire to engage; and emphasizing the need to promote climates of dignity and respect, investing in knowledgeable sexual assault responders and the strong need for proper resources and training.

The commission was led by Lynn Rosenthal and twelve highly qualified experts in the areas reviewed. The team met with more than 600 people including military leadership, service members and sexual assault survivors.

You can read the full report here: IRC-FULL-REPORT-FINAL-1923-7-1-21.PDF (defense.gov)

Armed Forces Day 2021

This Armed Forces Day we were invited to attend a celebratory flag raising event and BBQ at Veterans Contact Point in Nuneaton. The trip was also an opportunity to meet with Charlie Morley and VCP Founder and CEO Len Hardy in anticipation of our planned collaboration to run a Mindfulness of Sleep and Dream two day retreat at the Veterans Contact Point later in the year. All in all a great day was had by all and we all look forward to working together again very soon.

Independent Veterans Advisor Visits Forward Assist & Salute Her

We were honoured to welcome David Richmond CBE ,Independent Veterans Advisor to UK Government Ministers at Cabinet Office to the Forward assist HQ to talk about our work supporting disenfranchised former serving military personnel and our unique veteran centric interventions designed to empower and reskill those struggling to transition back to civilian life. During the visit we facilitated a virtual consultation session with a group of women veterans from across the UK who access the support of team Salute Her. The women were able to share their lived experience before during and after military service. For many of the women it was the first time they had spoken directly to anyone about their experiences and both parties found it informative, educational and beneficial. We look forward to working closely with David in the future.

North Tyneside Chief Executive Visits Forward Assist HQ

We were delighted to host a visit to the Forward Assist Veterans Health & Wellbeing Hub from Paul Hanson Chief Executive of North Tyneside Council on 18th June 2021 and discuss our plans to regenerate community involvement in Salute Cafe and the weekly veteran centric activities and interventions following the planned lifting of restrictions later in the month. The C-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on economic development and it is hoped the employment of staff to to run the community cafe will kickstart a much needed return to the ‘new’ normal and rekindle community engagement. We look forward to working more closely in the coming months and playing a significant part in the regeneration of the whole community.

Dedicated Trauma Informed Support Service Available for Male & Female Veterans Affected By Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

As a result of the unprecedented requests for support from both men and women veterans over the last 15 months we have now initiated a dedicated support service for male victims/survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (Abuse). Team Salute Her will continue to offer specialist trauma informed interventions for serving women and veterans, as they continue to campaign for systemic change, awareness and understanding of the long term impact sexual abuse in the military has on survivors both during and after service. Forward Assist will work exclusively with male victims/survivors and will in the coming months employ a dedicated team of support staff to address these issues. Similarly , we have created training materials for Healthcare professionals and those working in the service charity sector.

Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans Visits Forward Assist HQ

We were delighted to welcome Leo Docherty MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, to the Forward Assist Health & Wellbeing Hub on June 10th 2021. During the visit he was able to talk with veterans who had served in WW2 , The Falklands War and Northern Ireland. He also had a private consultation with Salute Her project lead Paula Edwards and women veterans who had accessed support from the charity over the last 5 years. During the meeting he was able to hear the lived experience of women veterans who had struggled to access timely trauma informed mental health support, employment advice and practical gender specific health information, advice and guidance. We also facilitated a tour of the Forward Assist HQ and the Minister was able to have a close up look at the Veterans mobile Coffee Truck.

The Veteran Land Rover Helping Veterans!

Forward Assist, an award-winning forces charity Based in Dudley, North Tyneside, looks for innovative ways to support veterans. In 2016 it was looking for a suitable truck for its venture, Salute Coffee, the latest in a series of initiatives. Enter… Salute Coffee Truck and its fascinating history!

The short, sharp and brutal Falklands War of 1982 is still very recent history. Many will remember the hastily gathered naval task force: 127 ships ploughing 8,000 miles through the waves towards a distant archipelago in the South Atlantic. Famous liners the QE2 and Canberra, along with merchant ship SS Atlantic Conveyor, were requisitioned. The aircraft carrier HMS Hermes was the flagship of the task force, continuing to serve until 1984. The rescue mission to the Falklands carried national pride as well as thousands of British troops, bringing together the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in an urgent bid to rid a British overseas territory of an invading force.

Land Rovers had always been essential on the Falkland Islands, but the vast stretches of boggy terrain demanded amphibious, tracked vehicles such as the Scottish firm Cuthbertson’s ‘Water Buffalo’ tractor, which could extract heavy plant such as diggers and excavators even from marshy ground.

There are still two of these vehicles on the Falkland Islands from an original three sent out there for land drainage work in the early to mid-1960s.

There’s also a Roadless Traction Series IIA Forest Rover now owned by Nick Pitaluga. It escaped being commandeered by the Argentine forces in 1982 but another of his Land Rovers famously did see action, seized under Argentine occupation and deployed again by British Forces in the period after liberation. Planning for the recapture of the islands, the British saw that wheeled vehicles would struggle and even supporting combat vehicle reconnaissance tracked vehicles such as Scorpions and Scimitars (and one Sampson recovery vehicle) were deployed very hesitantly.

Read more here: https://www.keymilitary.com/article/anyone-coffee

North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll Visits Forward Assist HQ

We were delighted to host a visit from North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll to show him around our Veterans Health & Wellbeing Hub based in the the John Willie Sams Centre.

Jamie Driscoll was elected as the first ever North of Tyne Mayor in May 2019. He heads up the North of Tyne Combined Authority and, together with the six local authority Cabinet members, is accountable for its activity. As North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie is committed to driving forward his manifesto pledges around community wealth building, addressing the climate emergency, revitalising life in local communities, building affordable homes and delivering lifelong learning for the people North of Tyne.

Mayor Driscoll had the opportunity to meet a few of the veterans that access the centre and they talked about how the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had impacted on their mental health and wellbeing. Like the rest of the UK we are working hard to be ‘covid compliant’ and hope to open up both Salute Cafe and the veterans and families ‘Drop In’ plus the usual weekly activities that improve mental and physical wellbeing at the end of June 2021.

We believe veterans are the communities greatest untapped asset and our veteran led community activities enable many to live lives filled with passion, purpose , commitment whilst being of service to others.

Thanks to a little funding acquired in 2020, we will also be employing more staff in the next few months to further develop our services for Women Veterans and Military Families. Hopefully our community based activities and skills in helping veterans and they families get ready for the employment market and sustain employment will in some small way, facilitate an economic recovery for both the region and local community who access the multi-disciplinary social care teams working within the John Willie Sams Community Centre. The next two years look like being a difficult but exciting time as we try to adjust to the ‘post covid’ normal. As always, veterans and being of service to the wider community, will be at the centre of our ‘soldier to citizen’ support service.

Forward Assist & Salute Her Mentioned Several Times During Parliament Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces

The Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life chaired by Sarah Atherton MP culminated with a final Q&A session. The Committee has met several times over the past few months and Salute Her presented written and oral evidence sharing the lived experience of female service personnel as they transition from recruitment to civilian life. The final report which is due in June will address the following topics.

• Whether the Government and MoD is doing enough to address any additional challenges

• how easy it is to make a complaint, and identify what barriers there are to female personnel complaining

• whether the experiences of female BAME personnel differ

• why women chose to leave the Armed forces

• whether ex-servicewomen face different challenges to men during their transition to civilian life

• whether the needs of female veterans are currently met by the available services; and

• the effect that the introduction of the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Act (2010)

Team Forward Assist & Salute Her were honoured to give evidence and delighted to be mentioned as an example of best practice in the area of gender specific support for those traumatized by experiences of sexual assault whilst serving. You can watch the final session here: https://t.co/RYXmAFOIdr?amp=1

Women Veterans Seeking Support Quadruples During Pandemic!

We were delighted to meet Deborah Johnson earlier this week from NR Times https://www.nrtimes.co.uk/ and talk with her about our groundbreaking work with women veterans. Moral Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the long term physical and psychological impact of Military Sexual Trauma. You can read the full article by following this link: https://t.co/g3CsWxQ7uL

Women Veterans Only: Six Week Online Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep Course

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, we have collaborated with Charlie Morley to deliver a series of six week online courses for veterans struggling to cope with the harmful effects that stress and trauma can have on the amount of time we spend asleep. Courses will be delivered over the coming year and the first course will be for women veterans only and runs from 13th May to 17th June. If you would like to register for this course please email Paula Edwards at paula@forward-assist.com

See Poster below for more details:

Forward Assist Feature in Armed Forces Bill Special Report 2021

Tony Wright CEO, Forward Assist was honoured to provide both written and verbal evidence to the House of Commons Armed Forces Bill Select Committee in March 2021. The final report can be read by following the link below;

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5580/documents/55272/default/

Exploring Moral Injury In Social Work & The Impact of Military Sexual Trauma.

We were delighted to be invited by Siobahn Maclean and the Social Work Student Connect Team to take part in a unique webinar exploring Moral Injury in Social Work. We shared the research findings from the Salute Her ‘No Man’s Land’ ethnographic research report to highlight the under reported connection between Military Sexual Trauma, Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress. As a service charity that believes Social Workers should be the lead profession to oversee care planning and care coordination for veterans and their families, it was an honour to share and showcase our work the Social Workers of the future. Thank you all for the warm welcome and kind comments, its appreciated.

You can watch the webinar here: https://youtu.be/uQdkeRXWcRs e