The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), established to help ex-Service men and women, and their families, make a successful transition back to civilian life, today [25th July 2017] launched its Continue to Work report by Kantar Futures, at the Royal Air Force Club, London.
The report (a follow-up of the original Transition Mapping Study published in 2013) has a threefold purpose: to review research and activity around the area of transition since 2013; to increase understanding of skills transfer and employment post-transition; and to update the quantitative model of the costs of poor transition from the original report.
The report found that progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations made in the 2013 Transition Mapping Study. Key developments are: the inclusion of Early Service Leavers in the resettlement provision provided by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), the launch of the Veterans’ Gateway in April 2017 as a single point of contact for leavers, and greater co-ordination among leavers’ charities.
The costs of poor transition projected by the model are £105m in 2017, climbing slightly to £110m in 2020, rounded to the nearest million pounds. This compares with £114m in 2012 (from TMS13). The four largest areas of cost are: Family breakdown; common mental health disorders and PTSD; harmful drinking; and unemployment.
The Continue to Work report identified areas that need improvement. Further recommendations include:
- The need to create a right of ‘permission to prepare’ for leavers so they are not disadvantaged by operational requirements
- Adding a visioning component to the transition process that encourages the leaver to consider what type of civilian they want to be, beyond work
- Providing greater exposure to those in transition to civilian workplaces
- Research into those who do not register for CTP support to understand their reasons
The event was hosted by Andrew Barnett, Director at FiMT and CEO of Calouste Gulbenkian and included an overview briefing from FiMT’s Chief Executive, Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock CBE.
Ray Lock said: “Much has happened since we published our original Transition Mapping Study in 2013. We are encouraged to see the improvements described in the report, such as new support for Early Service Leavers, but we are determined that the remaining recommendations are acted upon.”
You can get a copy of the report at www.fim-trust.org/reports/
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Notes to Editors
Ray Lock is available for interview contact: Tina McKay at FiMT on co@fim-trust.org / direct dial: 020 7901 8916
Andrew Curry, Kantar Futures and Tim Cooper, Arkenford will be available post launch.
About the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT):
FiMT came about from a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (‘the Fund’), Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities) and other charities and organisations. FiMT continues the Fund’s long-standing legacy of support for veterans across the UK with an endowment of £35 million awarded in 2012. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/.
The mission of FiMT is to enable ex-Service personnel and their families make a successful and sustainable transition to civilian life, and it delivers this mission by generating an evidence base that influences and underpins policy making and service delivery.
FiMT awards grants (for both responsive and commissioned work) to support its change model around 6 outcomes in the following areas: Housing; Employment; Health and wellbeing; Finance; Criminal Justice System; and Relationships. All work is published in open access and will be hosted on the Veterans Research Hub at Anglia Ruskin University, which is going live in Summer 2017. A high standard of reportage is demanded of all grant holders so as to provide a credible evidence base from which better informed decisions can be made.
Useful links
Website: www.fim-trust.org
Reports: www.fim-trust.org/reports/
Who we have helped: www.fim-trust.org/who-we-have-helped/
Twitter: @FiMTrust
About the Mental Health Research Programme: www.fim-trust.org/mental-health/research-programme/
About Kantar Futures
Kantar Futures is an award-winning, global strategic insight and innovation consultancy. Unparalleled global expertise in foresight and futures enables Kantar Futures to unlock new sources of growth for clients through a range of consultancy, global insight and a range of subscription solutions. http://www.thefuturescompany.com
