The Office for Veterans’ Affairs publishes its 'Strategy for our Veterans' – 6 Monthly Report
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) has published its Strategy for our Veterans – 6 Monthly Report, outlining how the OVA is working with government departments, NHS, local authorities, charities and other stakeholders to support veterans and their families.
The report focuses on three key areas:
- Transforming services and support for veterans
- Understanding our veteran community
- Recognising our veterans’ contribution to society.
Achievements over the last six months for the OVA include:
- Securing an additional £33 million in the Spring Budget 2023 to increase support to veterans across the UK
- Awarding £5 million to 22 projects as part of the Health Innovation Fund in areas including digital, surgery and rehabilitation, pain management and impairments, and women veterans’ health
- Making massive strides towards ending veteran rough sleeping and homelessness through the launch of Op FORTITUDE, including an additional £8.5 million of funding for services in more than 900 veteran-supported housing units across the UK.
In addition, in June the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer MP convened a loneliness roundtable with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and stakeholders from the armed forces charity sector to discuss how to tackle loneliness. The importance of meaningful social relationships to people’s lives cannot be underestimated. As the circumstances of military life can create additional challenges for establishing and maintaining social connections, the OVA is committed to making progress in this area.
The Office for National Statistics has started publishing data from the Census 2021, which for the first time asked respondents whether they had served in the UK armed forces. The data, including what types of accommodation veterans reside in, will be instrumental in developing initiatives to tackle veteran homelessness and rough sleeping.
Looking ahead, over the next three years the OVA will deliver a £20m Capital Housing Fund to provide extra housing for veterans. At Combat Stress, we know that housing issues can act as a barrier to accessing treatment. Basic physiological needs – such as food, water, sleep and shelter – must first be met before a veteran can have their complex psychological needs addressed through trauma therapy.
In 2024 the OVA will publish the UK’s first women veterans’ strategy in 2024 to address the specific challenges female veterans face after leaving the Armed Forces. The strategy will encompass all areas of veteran policy, including mental and physical health and wellbeing and employment.
To read the full report visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategy-for-our-veterans-6-monthly-report.