Local Authority & Government support
Staffordshire is a two-tier local authority area; Staffordshire County Council is responsible for providing Education and Learning services, and the local District and Borough Councils are responsible for providing Housing services. The County Council is also responsible for providing Public Health services and works in partnership within the Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Integrated Care System to deliver health and care services.
Education - For information on school admissions, higher education and support services, visit the County Council’s Education and Learning pages.
Service children qualify for extra funding, called the Service Pupil Premium to provide additional support for service children in reception through to year 11. Parents and carers should notify schools of their children’s service status to ensure they are recorded to qualify for extra funding.
Housing - For advice on housing, homelessness and housing benefit, please contact your local District/Borough Council, as follows:
- Cannock Chase District Council
- East Staffordshire Borough Council
- Lichfield District Council
- Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
- Stafford Borough Council
- Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
- South Staffordshire Council
- Tamworth Borough Council
For further homelessness support, Government backed Op FORTITUDE delivers a referral pathway into veteran specific supported housing, working with veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness to support them to either maintain their current home or into suitable veterans supported housing. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and referrals can be made by completing the online referral form or by phoning 0800 9520774.
Jobs & Careers - If you have left, plan to leave the Armed Forces, or family members are looking for work, Staffordshire Jobs & Careers provides a searchable directory of jobs, apprenticeships and learning opportunities together with a brokerage service which provides 1:1 support, advice and information. Alongside this, Staffordshire County Council’s Open Door Scheme provides work experience placements to help towards securing paid permanent employment.
County Council run Enterprise Centres offers a discounted rent for six months to any veteran who wants to take on a business unit to help kickstart their entrepreneurial journey.
The Department for Work and Pensions provide Armed Forces Champions in every Job Centre Plus district to support veterans, serving personnel (within their resettlement period) and their spouses/civil partners. Click here to find your local Job Centre Plus.
Government backed OpAscend provides free one-to-one employment advice and support and can connect veterans and their families to a network of veteran-friendly employers.
NHS Healthcare
The NHS provides healthcare services to veterans and reservists; the following links provide further information:
Registering with a GP:
Veterans should tell their GP that they are a veteran so that it can be recorded in their medical records to access specialist veteran care in the future if needed.
A Guide to NHS services provides information about how the NHS works and how it provides healthcare to the armed forces community.
Op RESTORE offers specialist NHS care for veterans and service leavers with physical health needs linked to service – referrals to this service are made by GPs.
OpCourage is an NHS mental health service supported by trained professionals with experience of working with the Armed Forces Community who provide veterans with specialist care and support. To access the service, call 0300 323 0137 or email mevs.mhm@nhs.net.
Further social, health and financial support
There are both local and national organisations that provide support as follows:
National:
Army HIVE Information Centres are provided by the Army to give information support to all members of the Service community – Serving Personnel (Regular and Reserves), their immediate and extended families, MOD civilians and Veterans.
The Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO) provides a directory of Charities who work to support the whole of the Armed Forces community across the UK.
Veterans UK provides a range of services including a veteran's advice helpline, a welfare service that will provide a dedicated caseworker to assist veterans and their families, and support to war pensioners and war widow(ers).
The Veterans' Mobility Fund | Help For Heroes provides vital mobility equipment to veterans who sustained injuries as a result of service.
Local:
Staffordshire Connects is a one-stop-shop directory service featuring health and care services and events across Staffordshire and in your local area.
Support Staffordshire is the local support network for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. It’s Simply Connect service provides a directory of organisations and groups that provide advice and support as well as links to social groups and activities.
The Tri Services Veteran Support Centre is run by veterans for veterans and is a ‘hub’ based approach to supporting veterans in need and has extensive links with local services and businesses such as SSAFA, Veterans UK and many more. Based in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hanley – can call 01782 713963.
Help a Squaddie provides housing, mental health and social isolation support and advice for veterans. Based in Rugeley – call 0300 3651332 and email info@helpasquaddie.org.uk.
Stafford & Cannock League of Hospital Friends provides a Veterans Intensive Housing Management and Support Service providing specialist housing for those veterans suffering from mental ill-health.
SSAFA provides information on social, family and financial issues to anyone that is currently serving or has ever served in the Army, Navy or RAF, and their families.
Contact details for the Staffordshire SSAFA branch are as follows:
SSAFA Staffordshire, Suite 6, Beacon House, Unit QA, Beacon Business Park, Stafford, ST18 0W
Tel: 0204 566 9116
The Royal British Legion provide financial, social and emotional care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces - past and present and their families. Find local RBL Branches on the Royal British Legion website.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Talking Therapies (PDF 992.3 KB) provide a dedicated service for the Armed Forces. Call 0300 303 0923 or visit the Talking Therapies website.
The Icarus charity provides online mental health support for veterans, serving personnel and their families.
The Defence Medical Welfare Service Thrive Together project provides dedicated welfare support to veterans, and their families builds networks to ensure veterans and their families receive prompt tailored support. The service fills the gaps in statutory services by integrating with local community resources. To contact call 0800 999 3697 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm or email referrals@dmws.org.uk.
Help in a Crisis
Call the Samaritans on 116 123 – 24 hours a day / 365 days of the year.
For members of the AF community in immediate danger or immediate risk, call 999.
For a downloadable version of this page, you can click here (Word 33 KB).