East London NHS Foundation Trust has achieved a silver award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in recognition of its commitment to the care and wellbeing of armed forces veterans.
The Trust is delighted to share the news as part of Armed Forces Day 2022 celebrations.
ELFT is also a Veteran Aware Trust and a member of the Veterans Alliance.
Jane Kelly, our Veterans Alliance Clinical Lead, explains why the silver award is important.
Why is it so important that ELFT celebrates and brings recognition to our veterans on this Armed Forces Day in 2022?
We are committed to improving the quality of life for the armed forces community and understand the strong link between employment and occupation and perceptions of self.
The transferable skills, knowledge and experience that the armed forces community can bring to subsequent employers is widely acknowledged.
The types of soft and hard skills that veterans have is something that the NHS can really benefit from.
Moreover, as an NHS trust, by having a clear employment and development pathway we can offer all veterans - including the most vulnerable - a supportive environment to build their confidence and self-esteem.
We work towards seeing a reduction in the need for secondary mental health interventions.
What did ELFT have to prove or commit itself to in order to qualify for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award?
As soon as we were able to, we applied for and were awarded the bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).
By continuing to show our commitment to the employment of the armed forces community both within our own organisation and with our partners we have now been successfully awarded the silver award.
We achieved our silver by demonstrating that armed forces personnel are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of our recruitment and selection process.
Through the excellent work with ELFT Veterans and the support from our Veterans Champion Ryan Knight and The Poppy Factory we worked really hard to ensure our recruitment process is Forces friendly.
Armed forces personnel are offered a bespoke support package when they apply for posts with ELFT.
We have also ensured that staff who work for ELFT who are reservists in the armed forces have their leave rights and mobilisation rights outlined in policy.
This is a great start but more work is needed.
The next stage is to achieve the gold award in recognition of our commitment as an NHS trust. What can staff and service users do to help ensure we can qualify for the gold standard in care for veterans?
ELFT supports our armed forces community via the Veterans Alliance and various workstreams that aim to improve the quality of care and experience our armed forces service users and their families receive.
Understanding the unique health and wellbeing needs of this community means we can offer bespoke tailored interventions that support recovery and enable them to make that transition into civilian life to lead the lives that they deserve.
We have robust links with organisations that specialise in the recruitment of Veterans and we know we have Veterans who want to work in the NHS.
Let's work together to receive our gold award and really evidence our commitment to the Armed Forces Community that we owe as a nation so much.
On ELFT being recognised by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, Trust CEO Paul Calaminus said:
"This is great news and I'd like to thank Jane, Ryan, our ELFT Veterans and everyone else who has worked so hard to ensure we meet the high standards expected of an NHS organisation.
"ELFT is committed to ensuring we do as much as we can and more to ensure our armed forces veterans can access the best support and care they need, as well as demonstrating our commitment to making sure the path into employment and career opportunities across ELFT is all it can be for veterans."
Please contact Jane.Kelly10@nhs.net if you would like to find out more about what ELFT can do to support our armed force veterans, including employment and training opportunities within the trust.
Visit ELFT's Veterans Alliance information page.
Visit the dedicated website for more information on this year's Armed Forces Day events.