By Frank Young
We all recognise that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our armed forces for the service they provide to our country.
However the spotlight is less frequently focused on military families, who face unique challenges due to the nature of life within the armed forces, such as constant moving, inflexible work regimes, and the repercussions of mental illness on the whole family.
The Government has made some progress to address these issues. However, more can still be done which is why the CSJ has this week published a major new investigation into the challenges faced by military families.
In our report we found:
18 per cent of UK military personnel who had been deployed for over 12 months over a period of three years reported relationship or family problems related to their deployment;
A survey by the Army Families Federation (AFF) of unemployed British military spouses in Germany found that 86 per cent cited a lack of qualifications as the reason why they could not find a job;
70 per cent of primary-age children in service families move schools, and many also move during secondary education.
Our recommendations:
Our report sets out a plan of action to extend the Government’s life chances agenda to children growing up in military families and the spouses of those serving in the armed forces. We make a series of recommendations to Government.
Family stability:
The MOD should do more to promote family stability within the armed forces.
In our report we recommend that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) lead the way in applying the Government’s Family Test, with a special Military version to support families in the armed forces. Alongside a new Military Family Test we have also called on the MOD to extend a dedicated Family Hub or ‘spoke facility’ from an external Family Hub on every military base.
Spousal training and employment:
Our report found there are significant barriers to military spouses finding and sustaining employment.
In order to ensure that military spouses are not disadvantaged by their military lives and that they have fair access to employment, we recommend that the Government introduce legislation to make it illegal for employers to ask a job applicant whether they are married to someone serving in the Armed Forces.
Educational outcomes for the children of military personnel:
About two in every five children of military families who move schools do not make the expected progress during the year immediately following the transition.
In our report we call for the DfE to encourage more state schools to incorporate boarding places into their provision through the Free Schools Programme and allow military families to claim 100% of total school fees provided it is for a place at a state boarding school.
Mental health:
Around 60 per cent of military personnel who experience mental health problems do not seek help, despite the fact that many could benefit from professional treatment.
We therefore recommend that routine Mental Health First Aid training be introduced across the Forces.
It is important that service personnel and their families are aware of the links between the effects of combat, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and domestic violence.
We recommend that the MOD introduce pre-deployment and post-deployment briefings for personnel and spouses on the possible effects of combat, including domestic violence, to help families understand how similar situations have affected colleagues previously.
To read Miliatary Families and Transition click here
Military Families and Transition covered in the media:
To read Johnny Mercer MP's Op-Ed in the Times Red Box (£) click here
Military Families and Transition was covered in the Sun and Daily Telegraph. For the Sun article click here and to read coverage in the Daily Telegraph click here
To watch Johnny Mercer MP discuss Military Families and Transition on ITV's Good Morning Britain click here