Dr Nick Caddick, Dr Lauren Godier-McBard, Dr Hilary Engward, Professor Matt Fossey, Kristina Fleuty
Research by ARU's Veterans and Families Institute (VFI) has improved policy and service provision for the families of ‘limbless’ veterans, and has led directly to new policies and funding designed to promote employment opportunities for military spouses and ‘Early Service Leavers’ (ESLs).
The goal of the 'Thriving Families' research was to transform how veterans’ and their families’ needs for rehabilitation, as well as economic and social inclusion, are met by the military and society.
Professor of Public Services Research / Director, Veterans and Families Institute
Associate Professor of Political Sociology & Deputy Director of the VFI
Women and Equalities Research Lead Senior Research Fellow
Associate Professor in Applied Social Science Co-Director, Professional Doctorate Health & Social Care
Three projects formed part of the VFI’s Thriving Families research programme, funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT).
The projects are:
The UK currently has nearly 3,000 veterans with one or more limbs missing as a result of either military service or post-service injury/illness, with 333 of these losing limbs in conflicts since 9/11.
The VFI’s research is, internationally, the first to consider families’ experiences of supporting a veteran with limb loss. This research, led by Dr Engward and supported by Prof Fossey and Kristina Fleuty, designed an original Grounded Theory study to understand families’ perspectives on living with limb loss, carrying out 72 detailed interviews with veterans and their family members.
The second project in the VFI’s Thriving Families research programme focused on employment opportunities for military spouses. According to the MoD, the difficulty partners and spouses of military personnel experience in pursuing career opportunities is among the biggest factors influencing personnel retention.
Spouses face difficulties due to frequent relocations, lack of employment opportunities in remote base locations, and lack of access to affordable childcare. With the number of UK military spouses estimated at 64,000, this amounts to an economic and social disadvantage faced by a sizable but neglected constituency.
The VFI’s evaluation of the MoD’s Spouse Employment Support Trial was the first UK research to examine attempts to support spouses in overcoming barriers to employment. The researchers carried out in-depth interviews with 30 spouses and 23 of their in-service partners, findings offered compelling evidence that employment support helped increase spouses’ confidence, provided new skills, and helped them to feel valued by the military.
The third project examined employment outcomes for ESLs, defined as recruits who leave the military prior to serving four years, or at any point via compulsory discharge. Research has identified ESLs as a group are potentially vulnerable to mental health problems and unemployment. Every year, approximately 4,000 recruits leave the military as ESLs.
The MoD’s Future Horizons Programme (FHP), launched in 2011, was designed to help ESLs transition into civilian employment, and was delivered through a model of individual support provided by contracted services from the Career Transition Partnership (CTP). The research examined vulnerabilities among ESLs and sought to understand how ESLs could be supported during and after their transition to civilian life.
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