Armed Forces: Families

(asked on 21st January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they communicate with, and understand the needs of, the spouses and families of military personnel to enable them to offer appropriate support.


Answered by
Baroness Goldie Portrait
Baroness Goldie
This question was answered on 2nd February 2021

The Government maintains regular communication with the three single Services, the Armed Forces Families Federations, and Service Charities. These organisations represent and promote the needs of families to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and central Government by engaging in cross-sector fora, under the agreed principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The views of partners, spouses, and families of military personnel are gathered on an annual basis through the Families Continuous Attitudes Survey. The results of this survey influence policy making across Government. The MOD is also committed to capturing the opinions of young people, establishing a youth voice working group and hosting local youth fora. Young people attend and present on issues affecting them at senior Board meetings as well as being represented on the Youth Parliament British Forces Overseas.

The single Services ensure that families receive timely information via their HiVE service and provide a wide range of guidance and support to personnel, their families, veterans, and reservists. This is complimented by the British Forces Broadcasting Service, which regularly holds interviews with key individuals on subjects of interest to families.

The Secretary of State for Defence publishes an annual Armed Forces Covenant Report which includes a chapter on the support provided to families across key areas including partner employment, healthcare, children’s education, wellbeing and housing. These reports include the Families Federations’ unedited observations of the Government’s progress in delivering its commitments under the Covenant and which inform future priorities.

An independent review into the needs of Service families ‘Living in Our Shoes’ was commissioned by the MOD in 2019 and published in June 2020. Alongside other research, its findings and recommendations are informing the refresh of the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy which the MOD expects to publish later this year. The Strategy will be supported by an Action Plan outlining targeted measures to improve outcomes for families over the course of the next two years.

During the Covid-19 pandemic it has never been more important to capture the needs of families and to make sure they feel understood and listened to. The HiVE services have played a critical role in getting the latest information to families. Over the course of the pandemic Chief of Defence People has twice written to families to thank them for their support and provide guidance and support on a range of issues including financial resilience, support for partners and spouses’ careers, and access to allowances.

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