1. SCSN Support Network
Service Children
In this issue….
My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures
‘Takeover Day’ in Bucks
The 2012 SCSN Photo Competition
Soldiers in Mind
Carnagill CHIPS in action
Sharing Information in North Yorks
Sharing Best Practice to
support Service Children Spring 2012

2. I’m also very pleased to be able to share with you
some exciting new research into Military childrens’
issues that was conducted in Canada. Thank you
Dani for allowing us to be the first UK newsletter to
publish this work.
Also of note, SCSN in collaboration with
Buckinghamshire County Council and Halton School,
have been successful in a bid for funding from the
SCSN Update MOD £3M Service Children Fund which will enable
us to run a 1 year pilot project in Buckinghamshire.
It’s been a very busy 3 months since I last wrote for
Following the success of the Halton School ‘Service
our SCSN newsletter. I’ve met a lot of people from
Family Mobility Coordinator Project’ we are now
all walks of life and had many opportunities to
recruiting two peripatetic ‘Service Children Support
promote the needs of Service children and families.
Coordinators’ for the county. The vacancies are
I’ve been heartened by all the positive responses
being advertised across the region and are also
and I hope we will all be able to continue ‘spreading
reproduced later in this newsletter. Our experience
the word’ in 2012.
has shown that it is extremely important to identify
In January, Kev and I were invited to the North the right candidates for these roles. They need to
Yorkshire Service Pupil Information Sharing Day in have the right personal qualities and depth of
Harrogate and it was great to see how much relevant experience if they are to be genuinely able
support is available to Service pupils within the to deliver the wide range of support we are looking
County. Matt Blyton, the event organizer, has to provide. That said, the successful candidates will
submitted an article about the event which appears find themselves at the forefront of best practice and
later in this edition together with another that will no doubt find the job very rewarding! The DCYP
describes the outstanding work of the CHIPS at the MOD are looking closely at the project with a
supporters in Carnagill Community Primary School. view to potentially expanding the initiative across
I’m only sorry you’re unable to see the wonderful the rest of the country in the future.
work the CHIPS children do in person, they are And finally, SCSN is also collaborating with The Open
inspirational… Keep up the good work Carnagill! University on another very exciting project. We are
I was also privileged to be asked to be a guest putting together a high quality on-line Continuing
speaker at the SSAFA Forces Help In Service Professional Development (CPD) Course that
Conference in February. SSAFA Forces Help have focuses on the issues affecting Service children and
worked tirelessly to support HM forces and their their families and explores ways to mitigate them.
families for over a hundred years and they continue The course materials will be underpinned by the
to do so. SSAFA social workers and In Service latest related research from the UK and overseas
volunteers can offer emotional and practical and the course will be the first of it’s kind in the UK.
support to Service families and are very happy to All the groundwork is done and we are now actively
work in collaboration with schools and other seeking funding to progress the project further.
professionals. By the time this is published SCSN will have
In this issue we also highlight the work of some hard completed the first of a number of training days in
working Military spouses: Heledd Kendrick (Recruit Suffolk and I look forward to seeing some of you in
for Spouses); Sally Scarbrough (Support4Spouses); March and April at seminars and training events
and Linda and Louise (My Daddy is a Soldier that have been organized at the Universities of
Adventures) have all taken the plunge and set up Oxford, Warwick, Reading and the Vulnerable
organisations to support Service families. I wish Children Conference in Buckinghamshire. Please
each of them every success for 2012. remember that SCSN are able to offer bespoke
On the research front, Dr Grace Clifton, the SCSN training days to meet the needs of LA staff, schools,
Academic & Research Advisor, is organizing our first governors and other health and welfare
SCSN Research Conference which will go ahead at professionals as required. For more details please
Oxford University in September 2012. Grace is email:
currently ‘calling for papers’ so don’t be shy, we’re contact@servicechildrensupportnetwork.com to
looking forward to hearing from both experienced discuss your needs further.
and novice researchers. Joy O’Neill - Founder and Chair, SCSN

3. enhance the support already given to British Army
Children via various sources by the following, but
not exclusively;
Ÿ To undertake to promote and enhance the
quality of life of those who have a serving
parent away from the family home.
Ÿ To provide workshops and activities that
My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures is a charitable offers a distraction to British Army children.
initiative founded by Louise and Linda in June 2011. Ÿ To give the parent serving their country
The organization is dedicated to British Army away from the family home the reassurance
children who face unique challenges especially when that their child(ren) have support .
a parent deploys to an operational theatre of war Ÿ Support the parent left at home and provide
for sometimes up to 7 months at a time or even a a wider community.
shorter exercise or course away from the family The support and positivity we have already received
home. In March 2011 they organized the ‘My Daddy has been phenomenal and we already have run
is a Soldier Trek’, an ascent of Mount Snowdon! some fantastic events for children with a parent
away from the family home, including a Christmas
Party at The Victory Services Club in London for 300
and also a day in January for 56 children at Chelsea
Football Club. Looking into 2012 we have a Pop
Academy in Aldershot coming up with Same
Difference from X Factor and a weekend event in
Bordon with The British Army Orienteering Club in
June plus many more events and workshops being
confirmed for the months ahead.
This enabled three British Army children to escape All the comments and feedback we receive from
from the stress and worry of their dads being parents and children who have come to our events
deployed on active service in Afghanistan. Following has made it all worthwhile and 2012 looks set to be
the success of this event, the ‘My Daddy is a Soldier’ a busy year for us! We are always looking for people
team realized that many other British Army children to run events and workshops for us and anyone who
could benefit from such activities. Our aim is to feels they have a skill or talent or service that would
provide easily accessible activities via the web and enhance our offering we would love to hear from
various activity workshops and events, bookable them! This project has the potential to become a
online, for all British Army children with a parent fundamental resource for British Army children and
serving away from the family home to attend, families and we need to utilise all the resources
offering a distraction to the child at this difficult available to do this. The AFF, HIVE and The
time. We see a time in the future when British Army Directorate of Children and Young People have been
Children will benefit from various nationwide so supportive as have many units and regiments
workshops and activities covering many different across the British Army, we can't wait to meet lots
interests, run by My Daddy is a Solider Adventures more Little Troopers at an event near you soon!
and appointed regional co-ordinators. In time these
would spread worldwide to wherever the British Follow us on Twitter: @daddyisasoldier
Army serve and their families live. Our children will Facebook: My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures
be able to have a positive experience with our Email us at: info@mydaddyisasoldieradventures.org
events with children in a similar situation. Our Donate or set up a donation page for an event at:
ultimate goal is to open a residential adventure BT MyDonate
centre available to all British Army Children with a Read our blog:
parent away providing a retreat with planned http://mydaddyisasoldieradventures.blogspot.com
activities offering respite in a community Our website:
environment. The objects of the Charity are to www.mydaddyisasoldieradventures.org

4. SCSN Research Conference 2012
Later this year SCSN will host its first Research Inspirational Women
Conference and the event will bring together
academics and professionals working in this Of the Year 2012
important area. We aim to create a positive and
collegial atmosphere and will provide opportunities One of the (only?) perks of being the Editor of this
for participants to be able to meet, talk and illustrious publication is that from time to time I get
socialise. to slip in a piece at the last minute that Joy doesn’t
know about! This is one of those occasions I have to
take such a liberty because I know she would never
A Call for Papers blow her own trumpet!
Joy, our extremely hardworking Founder and Chair
Papers are invited from participants working within was selected as a finalist in the 2012 Daily Mail &
the fields of education, psychology, health and social Wellbeing of Women ‘Inspirational Women of the
care and childhood studies, carrying out research Year Awards’. As well as being pampered by the
related to the education or life experiences of sponsors including Sir Phillip Green and the BHS
service children in the UK. The conference will be Group, and attending the Celebrity Gala Dinner at
held at The Department of Education, University of the Marriot Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London, Joy
Oxford, on Monday 10 th September between 10am was invited along to No 10 Downing Street to meet
and 5pm. Lunch and all refreshments will be Mrs Samantha Cameron to discuss the work of
provided. Booking will open in the spring on the SCSN. Rest assured Joy made the most of the
SCSN website: opportunity to get her message across and Mrs
www.servicechildrensupportnetwork.com Cameron was very interested in our work. I just
wanted to say well done Joy!
Abstracts
Electronic abstracts of between 300-500 words
should be submitted to Grace Clifton
(g.e.clifton@open.ac.uk) by May 1st. Authors will be
notified of acceptance by May 15th.
Organisation and accommodation
Further information can be obtained by e-mailing
Grace Clifton (see above). Participants will be
responsible for organising their own
accommodation although the Conference
Committee can offer some information.

5. promoted to other organisations who work with
children and young people.
On Friday 11 November, children and young people
from Buckinghamshire took charge for the day as
part of the Children’s Commissioner for England
Takeover Day 2011, a national event, which gives
children and young people the chance to shadow
jobs, get involved in decision-making and offer their
opinions on key issues.
At 11.00 am a two minute silence was observed as a
tribute to those who have lost their lives fighting for
their country. Pupils also had the opportunity to
attend the Remembrance Service held at RAF
Halton, where Royal Air Force personnel were in full
dress uniform.
Comments from the children and young people
participating in the activities included:
“That I know other people are going through the
same thing.”
This year, Takeover Day coincided with “I learnt that other people feel the same way.”
Remembrance Day which was particularly poignant “Talking to other Service Children and discussing
as Buckinghamshire County Council’s Children and how it affects us.”
Young People’s Services are seeking the views of “I learnt a lot and it was nice to meet and talk to
Service Children and Young People to help those other Service Children.”
that work with them to gain a greater understanding “I now understand what all children are going
of the issues that can be faced by Service Families, through and what they're feeling.”
particularly the challenges that can arise from “That other people feel the same and know what I
Service Life and the impact it may have at school. am feeling.”
The day saw seventeen Service Children and Young Marion Clayton, Cabinet Spokesperson for
People, aged 7 to 18 years, from Halton Community Achievement, who presented those that took part
Combined, Princes Risborough and Highcrest with certificates on the day, commented:
Schools and Aylesbury College come together to
"The children and young people had some excellent
produce guidance about the issues that can be faced
ideas for helping service children to overcome the
by Service Children and Young People. inevitable difficulties they face, not least in the
frequent moves that are part of service life. The
The Guidance produced focuses on support they feel guidance they have produced will contribute to the
they need when moving to a new area, when a work that Buckinghamshire is developing to support
parent is deployed and when they start at a new service families, which is gaining national
school. The guidance will be sent to all schools in the recognition."
county, published on various web sites and

6. NATIONAL businesses are being invited to support
the British Forces and their families, through the
not-for-profit organisation, Recruit For Spouses,
which launched on 17th January 2012.
Recruit For Spouses has been set up to bridge the Recruit for Spouses already has partnered with both
gap between national employers and a growing British Telecom, Siemens and Golly Slater providing
band of service spouses who are seeking to re-enter a range of opportunities for service wives and has
the workplace, after subjugating their careers due established a meaningful dialogues with the region-
to their partners’ numerous postings and frequent al Chambers of Commerce, resulting in the North
deployment. East Chamber of Commerce advocating the initiative
to their 4000 members.
The company has benefited from funding and sup-
port from the Women’s Section of the Royal British For further information, please contact:
Legion and the web development skills of interna-
tional digital agency, STEAK. The founder, Heledd Heledd Kendrick, Founder
Kendrick (herself an Army spouse and mother of 01666 837786 / 07714 470120
two young children) who has been developing the info@recruitforspouses.co.uk
concept for over two years, said that it had been “a
long but worthwhile journey bringing the site to its
launch this month”. She continued, “One of the
hardest things about being married to a soldier, sail-
or or airman, is the constant moving around; ren-
dering it almost impossible to find a job. Employers
perceive service spouses as being too transient to
make a worthwhile contribution to their organisa-
tions. However we’re here to prove otherwise – be
it short term, contracts, flexi working, job-sharing, Support4Spouses
full-time employment or virtual (online) work”.
Support4Spouses is a Facebook support group set
up by a military spouse, Sally Scarbrough. Sally has a
Kendrick will be introducing potential employers to young son who is severely sight-impaired due to a
over 400 registered candidates from a diverse back- rare genetic condition, primary aphakia. Sally saw a
ground, and who count skills and trades such as ac- need for a support group for military spouses with
countancy, HR experts, lawyers and PAs among their children with disability, additional needs and illness.
numbers. STEAK has created a sleek web design, She set up this group in December 2011 and it
which makes it simple for employers and spouses to already has over 100 members. It is a place where
register their vacancies and CVs. spouses can discuss problems, let off steam or
signpost information and advice.
A nominal charge will be made to employers (signifi-
Support4Spouses can be found at
cantly less than most recruitment agencies) and
www.facebook.com or contact Sally on
profits from the venture will be ploughed back into
support4spouses@hotmail.co.uk
service charities, fully embracing the much talked
about military covenant.

7. Supporting Service Children and Families in
Loss and Bereavement
Suitable for all those whose work involves contact with service children
and families including unit welfare officers and community development
officers, teachers and school support staff, psychologists,health and
welfare professionals, social workers
29th March 2012
Aim
To provide an overview of the range of loss experiences military families face with
particular focus on bereavement.
Learning Outcomes
Ÿ To gain an understanding of the models of deployment and the impact on the
family.
Ÿ To gain an understanding of the theories and models of bereavement and
bereavement support.
Ÿ To identify and understand the additional losses experienced by military families.
Ÿ To identify positive ways of supporting bereaved military families.
Ÿ To gain information about the Child Bereavement Charity and other military support
organisations and resources available.
Details of the day: Workshop to be held at: For further details please contact:
CBC Training Department
10.00am–4.00pm The Clare Foundation
Email:
(Registration 9.30am) Wycombe Road training@childbereavement.org.uk
FEE: £99 Saunderton
Tel: 01494 568909
(to include refreshments Bucks
&a HP14 4BF www.childbereavement.org.uk
light lunch)
Charity Number 1040419

8. deployments and PTSD on adolescent children is the
whole or partial loss of both parents as parental
figures (parenting deficit). From our interviews with
CF adolescents, there were significant gender
differences in the ways that this impact was
experienced and discussed.
The boys we interviewed did extra work at home
when their parents were deployed, but the nature of
the work they took on was different from that of
Parental Deployments, Adolescents’ their female peers. When they described the chores
Household Work, and Gender: The they typically performed, they described yard work,
Findings of a Canadian Interview Study. car repair, shoveling snow, and other typically
masculinized (and physical) tasks. When one of
Danielle Kwan-Lafond (PhD candidate, York their parents was deployed or suffered from PTSD,
University), Deborah Harrison (University of New the boys reported forsaking extra-curricular
Brunswick and OISE/UT), and Patrizia Albanese activities to provide enhanced support to their
(Ryerson University).
undeployed parent far less frequently than the girls
did.
Across Canada there are about 30 Canadian Forces
(CF) communities, populated by thousands of young
people – an invisible minority – who grow up in In contrast, the girls talked about building self-
military families and experience frequent moves and esteem by taking on responsibilities in their families,
parental deployments. One of the purposes of our including parenting work, such as dressing, feeding,
research project was to examine the impact of or supervising their younger siblings, and other
military life stressors on CF adolescents chores, such as food preparation and household
(http://www.unb.ca/youthwellbeing/research.php). cleaning tasks. They described their increased
In 2009-2010, we conducted 61 interviews with 35 domestic work as being very important to their
girls and 26 boys who attended Armyville High families, and felt good about taking on
School ([AHS] a pseudonym) and whose parents responsibilities that they perceived as preparing
were present or former CF members. Our project them for adult life. Less obvious, but perhaps more
partner was the Armyville Regional School District. labour intensive, was the emotional support or
Our main joint objective was to facilitate enhanced carework many of these young women provided to
school-based support for adolescents affected by one of their parents while their other parent was
parental deployments. deployed or suffering from PTSD. Many of the girls
were hyper-aware of their at-home parent’s
mental/emotional state, as well as his/her stress
Our recent paper in Studies in Political Economy
level and work load, and wanted to be as helpful and
explored possible impacts of the military stressors
supportive to him or her as possible. This work
deployments and PTSD upon the self-esteem of girls
included doing a better-than-usual job of managing
at AHS. In examining our participants’ engagements
relations with siblings, suppressing their own
in activities that contribute to building self-esteem,
emotional needs, and giving up their extra-curricular
we found that while the boys built their self-esteem
activities and outings with friends.
primarily through sports, the girls tended to build
theirs through their familial roles: taking on
increased responsibilities (unpaid domestic and care We can best understand these findings by situating
work) when their parents were preoccupied with military family life within the context of the
deployments, and with deployment-related injuries overarching military institution. In military families,
such as PTSD. We found not only gender differences daily life is expected to revolve around supporting
in the amount and kinds of work that military the goals of the military institution. Although there
adolescents did at home, but also a gendered are more women in the CF today than forty years
division of work that intensified during deployments ago, women are still dramatically under-represented
and if the military parent returned home with PTSD. in leadership roles and combat occupations.
As noted in the literature, one significant impact of Military fathers are still positioned as the traditional

9. heads of households, acting as the leaders, Suggested Readings
providers and protectors of nuclear families, even as
their jobs demand that they often be separated Armstrong, P., & Armstrong, H. (1990). Theorizing
from their families in order to “serve their country.” women's work. Toronto, ON: Garamond.
Hence, concomitant with the continued devaluation
of women in the CF (especially in army combat Enloe, C. (2000). Maneuvers: The international
occupations), gender expectations about work and politics of militarizing women's lives. Berkeley:
family life remain deeply ingrained in military University of California Press.
communities. Boys and girls are consequently
valued and gain self-esteem largely according to Harrison, D., & Albanese, P. (2012, in press). The
how well they fulfill their expected roles in the 'parentification' phenomenon as applied to
family - roles which reflect their respective genders. adolescents living through parental military
deployments. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth.
Military culture in Armyville also appears to preside
over the activities that are promoted and facilitated Harrison, D., & Laliberté, L. (1994). No life like it:
by the school and community. While sports Military wives in Canada. Toronto, ON: James
opportunities are plentiful for youth of both genders Lorimer & Company.
in Armyville, the young men reported participating
in more sports and sports leadership roles (e.g., Huebner, A., Mancini, J., Wilcox, R., Grass S.,
coach, team captain) than the young women, and & Grass, G. (2007). Parental deployment and
being immersed in a larger number of rich friendship youth in military families: Exploring uncertainty
networks as a result of their sports involvements. and ambiguous loss. Family Relations 56, 112-122.
Sports therefore appear to be more central to the
creation and maintenance of Armyville boys’ self- Kwan-Lafond, D., Harrison, D., & Albanese, P. (2011).
esteem than to that of their female peers. The CF Parental military deployments and adolescents’
recruits especially heavily from among the male AHS household work. Studies in Political Economy 88,
students, and since physical fitness is a pre-requisite 163-189.
for qualifying for army training, it makes sense that
sports and other physical activities are of Luxton. M. (2006). Feminist political economy in
heightened importance to, and a major source of Canada and the politics of social reproduction.
self-esteem for, Armyville’s adolescent males. In Social reproduction: Feminist political economy
challenges neo-liberalism. M. Luxton and
K. Bezanson (Eds.). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s
We were troubled to discover that an important
University Press, pp. 3-11.
source of increased self-esteem for young women in
CF families appears to comprise meeting the very
Mmari, K., Roche, M., Sudhinaraset, M. & Blum, R.
gender role expectations that keep women’s
(2009). When a parent goes off to war: Exploring
interests subordinate to men's in CF culture. Like
the issues faced by adolescents and their families.
other demanding occupations in Western countries,
Youth & Society, 40 (4), 455-475.
military organizations rely upon the unpaid work of
spouses (in this case mostly wives) of members. Our
research suggests that military organizations also Segal, L. (2008). Gender, war and militarism:
benefit from the unpaid housework and carework of Making and questioning the links. Feminist
daughters. Review 88, 21-35.
This work was funded by the Social Sciences
These tendencies simultaneously reinforce gender and Humanities Research Council of Canada
stereotypes and contribute to military organizations’
Standard Research Grants Program.
operational effectiveness. Given the number of CF
families that have been, and continue to be,
affected by multiple overseas deployments, and by
PTSD, it is likely that the gender role differences
identified in this paper will continue or intensify
during the coming few years.

10. SCSN
Service Children Support Network
‘Through the Eyes of
a Service Child’
Photography Competition 2012
Sponsored by
SCSN

11. Photography
Competition
2012 SCSN
The Service Children Support Network (SCSN) in collaboration with the
Royal Air Force Museum are pleased to announce the launch of the
SCSN Photography Competition 2012.
Service Children are invited to submit a photograph that reflects life…
‘Through the Eyes of
a Service Child’
The Entry Categories are:
5’s and under, 6 - 9 years, 10 - 13 years and 14 - 18 years
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each category.
The Prizes*:
1st - £150.00, 2nd - £75.00, 3rd - £50.00
* Prizes to be chosen by the winners and taken in goods from the Museum Shop (cash
alternatives are not available). Winners and their families will also be invited to the
Prize Giving Ceremony at the RAF Museum London on 8 June 2012 and will also receive a
family ticket to the stunning 4D Theatre at the RAF Museum London or the simulators at
the RAF Museum Cosford.
Eligibility and Competition Rules
The competition is open to all children of HM Forces
(and Reservists).
For full details of submission and Competition Rules please go to
www.servicechildrensupportnetwork.com

12. N Yorks ‘CHIPS’
Childline and focused on developing pupils’ listening
skills. Thankfully, some of our school staff were also
trained at the same time so we have been able to
In Action! ensure that this valuable initiative can be sustained
in the future. Children are asked to make a formal
application explaining how they would deal will
Officially CHIPS stands for ‘Childline in Partnership’ certain tricky situations and what they would
but the 26 fully-trained peer supporters at Carnagill personally bring to the role of a CHIP.
Community Primary School on Catterick Garrison Parents/carers show their support by assisting their
prefer to be called Children’s Problem Solvers. child to complete the form and giving their consent.
Successful applicants (everyone so far) are invited to
The CHIPS (ChildLine in Partnership with Schools) attend an interview with the Headteacher and
initiative was set up in 2008 to raise awareness Home School Support Adviser and are informed by
about ChildLine and encourage schools to support letter if they have been appointed. Being a CHIP has
their pupils with project-based activities which a high profile at Carnagill Community Primary
highlight Childline's service. School and the impact has been extremely positive
empowering children and enhancing their life skills.
The CHIPS recently gave a well-received
presentation at a North Yorkshire conference for
personnel involved with service pupils.
But perhaps the best way to describe how the CHIPS
programme has had such a positive impact at
Carnagill is through the words of the children
themselves…
Charlotte: Training to be a CHIP is quite a big
responsibility; I mean a really big responsibility. We
know that we can help other children who are
having problems like moving or a family member in
Although funding was later withdrawn and the Afghanistan.
CHIPS programme closed down by Childline, a
number of schools including Carnagill Community
Fiona: It is really important to be confidential but
Primary have kept the initiative alive through their
we cannot keep secrets. A child’s worries often go
own in school programmes and it is still providing
away when a CHIP has helped.
immense support to those children involved.
The CHIPS volunteers are all children from years 5 Natasha: Children come to CHIPS for lots of reasons,
and 6 and they regularly give up their lunch times if they have no-one to play with, if they think people
and make themselves available to listen to the are being unkind to them, missing their mum or dad
worries of other children and help them find a if they are away or if their pet has recently died. But
solution to their problems. the main reason children come to CHIPS is because
they know that no matter why they came we will
always listen.
Initially, comprehensive training for this important
role in our school was given by a coordinator from
Sandie Fitton - Headteacher

13. Soldiers in Mind
Information Sheet In partnership with the
Lt Dougie Dalzell MC Memorial Trust
Mission
Soldiers In Mind is committed to providing free mental health services to military personnel and their
families, who are, or have been affected by military duty. It is an independent mental health service,
separate from the military, and offers complete confidentiality subject to assessment of occupational risk.
Background
Soldiers In Mind is a new service that has been designed and developed in a creative and innovative
partnership between Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and the Lt Dougie
Dalzell MC Memorial Trust.
Soldiers In Mind is based on the guiding principles of reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental
health care, offering choice and improving confidentiality and accessibility. We aim to ensure that service
personnel, who might otherwise fail to seek or receive appropriate services, now have a new option for
accessing the mental health support they may need.
The other main area of focus for Soldiers in Mind will be in providing a signposting, assessment, support and
treatment service for the families or identified significant others (ISOs), including children and adolescents,
of active service personnel who have been physically injured or psychologically affected in the line of
military duty.
How it works
Soldiers In Mind will be launched in March 2012 and will be piloted in the South of England. The
service is currently in its developmental stage.
All serving personnel are able to self-refer to the service via a telephone call or email. Those wishing to
refer serving personnel on their behalf, or refer families or significant others, will be required to complete a
basic referral form via email.
Eligibility will be determined at the point of referral and an appointment for assessment will be offered
within ten working days of a referral being made. Consultations will take place in the afternoons, evenings
and at weekends, at a location suitable to the patient to ensure a convenient and easily accessible service.
Soldiers In Mind will offer treatment and support in accordance with guidelines from the National
Institute of Clinical Excellence in treating acute stress, adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) and will also respond to other mental health needs such as depression and anxiety.
Soldiers In Mind aims to provide an equivalent service to that which is offered by the military to ensure
equality and fairness.
Although independent of the military, Soldiers In Mind will aim to work in partnership with the
military’s own healthcare professionals wherever possible.
Contact
For further information please contact Soldiers In Mind, Nicola Lester, on 07912763247 or
Nicola.lester1@nhs.net.

14. Sharing Information
In North Yorkshire
On the 27th January, 2012, almost 120 delegates
attended the North Yorkshire Children and Young
People Service’s Schools with Pupils from Service
Families Project: Information Sharing Day. This
increasingly-popular event, now in its fifth year, was
coordinated by the LA’s Quality and
Improvement Service in conjunction Cynthia Welbourn, Director of CYPS
with a ‘leadership’ working party of opened the event.
senior school leaders and governors.
The day was jointly launched by Cynthia Welbourn
Its aims were to:
(Director of CYPS), Brigadier Greville Bibby, CBE
Ÿ Strengthen partnership working. (Commander of 15 Brigade) and Group Captain
Ÿ Provide national and regional updates. Terry Jones (Station Commander of RAF Linton on
Ÿ Learn from case studies and presentations Ouse). They highlighted the importance of the
of good practice. ‘community around the child’, the current
challenges faced by Armed Forces families as a
Ÿ Reflect on possible work-streams for the LA
result of chronic mobility, and the current tempo of
supported project during 2012.
fierce operational deployment. Therefore it is
The composition of the audience realised the first of extremely important that educational
these aims. 35 schools were represented, 12 local establishments provide a haven of normality and
authority staff attended from a variety of service support.
delivery areas, 25 MoD staff were present (including
both Unit Welfare Officers and Community
Development Officers), together with
representatives from a variety of military-associated
organisations including SSAFA, AFF, RBL, CEAS, SCSN
and the Royal Caledonian School’s Trust. We also
welcomed delegates from schools in Germany,
Oxfordshire and Scotland, Local Authority
colleagues from York and Nottingham City Councils,
and two researchers from London. Some slots were
built into the day to facilitate discussion of a range
of issues. Brigadier Greville Bibby, addressing
the delegates.

15. The Brigadier described the conference as an
example of ‘the Military Covenant in action’ and
outlined the number of Catterick-based families
likely to be affected by Operation Herrick 17
deployments from October. He made the point that
‘those who stay behind can have it tougher than
those who go’. He reinforced the key message that
whilst children of military families bring many
positives to our schools, they also have some unique
needs and potential vulnerabilities as a result of
their families’ lifestyles.
rightly drew on the positive and unique influences
service pupils bring to schools. To conclude, she
outlined some of the implications of the 2012 Ofsted
evaluation schedule for schools with service pupils;
an aspect of particular interest to the many school
leaders present.
The morning was concluded with case studies from
two North Yorkshire schools that had been visited by
inspectors as part of this survey. Dishforth Airfield
Community Primary School and Thirsk Secondary
School and Sixth Form College were both judged to
A lively start to the conference was assured when a have ‘good partnerships practice’: Julie Lyon, the
group of 4 Year 5 pupils from Carnagill Community Headteacher of Dishforth Airfield, outlined the range
Primary School, one of five primaries on Catterick of systems the school has put in place to minimise
Garrison, outlined their roles and responsibilities as the potential negative impact of service mobility and
deployment, such as the maintenance and regular
CHIPs’ peer mentors. This Childline initiated scheme
update of a vulnerability register. She was ably
reminded the audience of the power and
supported by seventeen KS2 pupils who shared the
importance of peer support.
positive experiences they have at the school through
the media of dance, readings and song.
Our keynote speaker, Jane Melbourne (HMI), then
addressed the conference with a brief overview of
the key findings published in the Children in Service Pauline Simpson, the pastoral head of Thirsk
Families survey report she authored last year. Of Secondary, followed this with examples of good
particular interest, however, were the examples of practice from a secondary perspective, and
good practice she outlined that inspectors had seen introduced one of the winners of last year’s SCSN art
at both school and local authority level, but which competition ‘Through the Eyes of Service Child’. This
could not be published within the report. These extremely articulate sixth former moved the
included effective communication systems, policies audience with her reflections of what it means to be
on pupil mobility and the use of Armed Forces a service child and what inspired her to produce her
‘champions’ and points of contact. Her presentation picture.

16. Helen Butler, the school’s Armed Forces Liaison
Officer, concluded the morning with a poignant
recount of how the school community was affected
and coped with the bereavement of a parent.
As a result of the success of the day, and in response
to feedback from delegates, new work-streams are
being agreed for working parties to address in the
following year with the intention to again share
During the afternoon, and following various local
some of the outcomes at the 6th Information Sharing
and national updates from the Local Authority, Army
Day, provisionally scheduled for the 25th January
Welfare Service, DfE and CEAS / SCISS (Service
2013.
Children in State Schools), the floor was handed
over to the RAF, mirroring a similar army slot at last All presentations and resources from the day have
year’s event. Wing Commander Jim Prudin (OC been uploaded into a web-based learning platform
Support Base Wing) and Sqn Ldr Andrew Cavaghan room and can be accessed until the end of the
(OC PMS), both of RAF Leeming, outlined the academic year through
welfare support structures available through the www.fronter.com/northnorks (username: nyservice
RAF together with the significant scope of the RAF password: pupils). Visitors to the ‘room’ are
within Yorkshire. encouraged to post a comment on the forum.
In a memorable conclusion to the day, Battery Matt Blyton, Education Development Adviser (North
Sergeant Major Dave Taylor, supported by his wife Yorkshire’s Quality & Improvement Service)
Gayle and Sergeant Andy Tomlinson, shared some
perspectives of Armed Forces parents. As members
of 5 Royal Artillery, Dave and Gayle have first-hand
experience of both chronic mobility and the impact
of operational deployment on a service family. With
four children between them, Dave and Gayle shared
some of the difficult choices they have been faced
over their children’s education. They certainly gave
the delegates plenty to reflect on as they left the
conference centre in Harrogate.

17. Research project investigating the experiences of, and impact upon, children and
adolescents when a family member goes missing.
Who is running the project?
My name is Jennie Norris and I am a final year Clinical Psychologist in Training at the University of
Hertfordshire. I am also on a specialist placement at CHUMS Child Bereavement and Trauma Service in
Luton where I provide psychological therapy and support to children who have been traumatically
bereaved.
What is the project about?
I am currently running a doctoral research project exploring the experiences of, and emotional impact
upon, children and adolescents when a family member goes missing, e.g. missing in action during combat.
T o date, there has been no research focusing on how young people cope when an immediate family
member (mother, father, brother, sister) goes missing. As such, little is known about the type of practical
and emotional support that they may require having gone through such an experience. This project aims to
speak to several young people in affected families to understand their lived experiences and give them a
voice. It is hoped that the research will shed light on how best to support young people in this situation, so
appropriate help can be given in the future, as currently there is little practical or emotional support
available.
Who can take part?
All children and young people between the ages of 7 and 16 who have an immediate family member
who is missing, or has previously been missing, are invited to take part.
What will participation involve?
All participants will be interviewed informally about their experiences since their family member went
missing. The interview will focus on how they have been affected emotionally, socially and practically, as
well as on the things that have helped them to cope through this difficult time. The interview can take
place at home, school or a location of the participants’ choosing. Parental consent will be required.
Participants can withdraw from the study at any time.
Confidentiality
Any information collected will remain strictly confidential and all names will be removed so that
participants cannot be recognised. The only circumstance under which confidentiality would be broken is if
information is disclosed which suggests that the participant, or someone else, is at risk of harm.
Who else is involved?
The project is being run in conjunction with Missing People and the Missing Persons Bureau at the National
Policing Improvement Agency. It is being carried out as part of a doctoral qualification in Clinical
Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, where it is being supervised by Dr Saskia Keville, Academic
Tutor and Clinical Psychologist. The study has been approved by the University of Hertfordshire Psychology
Research Ethics Committee (Protocol number: PSY/10/11/JN), whose role is to ensure that research is
conducted in a safe and ethical manner.
What will happen to the results of this research study?
The findings will be published in a thesis for the purpose of gaining a Clinical Psychology qualification. A
summary of the main research findings will be published in an academic journal.
How to get involved If you decide that you would like to take part, please contact me at 07765 004112 or
j.norris@herts.ac.uk. I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

18. notably when, for two of the children, their fathers
were sent on tours of duty to Iraq. During this time,
these children worried about their fathers and, most
significantly, about the effect his absence would
have on their mother. Consequently, school work
took second place to coping with their father’s
absence.
The families of these children were able to give
them varying levels of support. The serving soldiers
were rarely able to attend school events due to
The Experience of work commitments. The most involved mother,
from the sample, worked within childcare and was,
Education of therefore, I felt more comfortable with contacting
education professionals and negotiating on her
Service Children child’s behalf. For the other mothers, their own
experiences of school had not been so good and
Since 2002, I have been carrying out research into this, together with earlier difficulties in their
the experience of education of service children children’s education and their own difficulties
attending secondary schools in the UK. This coping with mobility and the absence of their
emerged from my own experiences as an Army wife husband, had led them to take a less proactive
and as a secondary school teacher. The research stance towards their children’s schools and
involved spending over a year in a secondary school teachers.
located near an Army garrison in the South of
England, carrying out in-depth observations and All of the parents had employed similar means of
interviews with four focus children as well as their choosing a school for their children – they relied
parents, teachers and headteacher. In order to heavily of ‘word of mouth’ and chose the school
corroborate their evidence, I also interviewed local nearest to their quarter for their child (if that school
Army and education officials, as well as people with had an available place!) Some of the parents were
an interest in the subject at a national level, such as not able to visit the school before registering their
the Ministry of Defence Service Families Task Force child. For all of the parents involved, boarding
team. These findings were compared to a second school was not an option – not for financial reasons
school in the East of England, also located near an but because they all felt that children should be with
Army garrison. their parents and not sent away. Teachers in both
schools described the difficulties they faced working
The Findings in ‘Service’ schools. These included receiving new
By the age of eleven, all of the children had students who had no files or, at the very least, files
attended at least four schools, including schools in with significant gaps in them. Students had often
other Nation States of the UK as well as within the studied different areas of the National Curriculum
SCE in Germany. This level of mobility was and, at Key Stage Four in particular, this led to acute
something which the children seemed to neutralise, difficulties.
not wanting to talk about how painful a move might
be. Nor were they able to take ownership of any of Funding issues did not help schools to support Army
the schools that they had attended, talking in terms children effectively, with funding for new students
of ‘the school’ rather than ‘my school.’ In lessons, I often arriving well after that student had joined a
did not feel that the children were ‘active’ learners, new school. Education professionals repeatedly
preferring not to engage directly with their teachers mentioned concerns that mobility was having a
and asking friends for help instead. Their negative impact on children’s attainment – and
friendships were defined by fluidity and change, whilst the link between mobility and attainment is
with the girls maintaining friends outside of the difficult to make, within the small group of focus
Army structure, whilst the boys had friends from children involved in this research, all of the children
other Army families (particularly from the same had lower than average literacy levels. Concerns
regiment as their fathers). The Army had a very were also raised that there may be higher incidences
strong influence on all of the children – most of special educational needs in Army children.

19. My feeling was that schools did not really understand Wider Implications of the Research for all Service
the Army ‘culture’ and that this led to Families
misunderstandings between teachers and Army Since finishing my PhD, I have been involved in
students and their parents. Similarly, local Army promoting education issues for all service children, not
officials did not realise the extent to which their way just those specifically from an Army background. With
of life had an impact on the ability of schools to do that in mind, the theories outlined above can be
their work and links between schools and the Army developed and applied, to a greater and lesser degree,
were often weak. to children from both RAF and Navy Families.
Essentially, the key to understanding the experience of
Theories Emerging from this Research education of all service children is analysing the extent
I concluded that there were five theories to emerge to which, firstly, the service child leads a highly mobile
from this research. Firstly, Army children developed lifestyle and, secondly, the extent to which the service
individual coping strategies to help them negotiate child identifies with the service ‘culture’. Generally,
their time at school. Social coping strategies involved children from RAF and Naval families lead less mobile
not getting too close to their friends and ‘letting go’ of lifestyles than their Army peers. As a result, the first
them when they knew they had to move on. Outside two theories outlined above may well apply less to
of school, all of the children developed a very strong RAF and Navy children. However, all service children
bond with their mother as she was the constant pres- are likely to identify with the culture of the armed
ence at home. Academic coping strategies involved services – particularly if the service family live in a
not taking responsibility for one’s own work and main- quarter and the service child attends a school where
taining a ‘low profile’ in the classroom. The implica- there is a high percentage of service children. Both of
tions of these coping strategies are clear - they help these would lead to a stronger understanding of and
these children to ‘get by’ at school although they identification with the service lifestyle. This could well
didn’t necessarily thrive there. Secondly, I felt that put service children at risk of exclusion if schools do
mobility both directly and indirectly affected the not meet their particular needs.
educational experiences of Army children. Relation-
ships with teachers and friends, described above, were
Recommendations for Families
most affected. However, mobility also meant that par-
ents were unlikely to know about local schools and, in I do feel that making broad-reaching
the run up to moving quarter, were not able to sup- recommendations from such a small-scale study, albeit
port their children at school due to the sheer energy in-depth and at doctoral level, is not possible.
involved in moving house. Mobility was also seen to However, I feel that there are things that I hope that
affect the delivery of the curriculum in schools and the service parents can learn from this. I would urge all
way that schools in highly mobile areas were funded. parents to ask for further clarification of the syllabus
I felt that mobility had a particular impact on the de- and curriculum requirements from schools so that you
velopment of a child’s literacy skills since other re- can help your child to work out what they have already
search has indicated that literacy and self-esteem covered and what they may need additional support
issues are inter-linked. with before you move to another posting. When you
know you are going to move, let your child’s school
know as soon as possible and start thinking about a
The third theory to emerge from this research, as I
new school. Ask around but also find out from other
have indicated above, was that there was a clash of
sources about education in your new posting area.
cultures between the Army and schools. The world of
Ofsted, for example, has an excellent website which
the Army, involving its own particular brand of
can help you to make choices. At every stage of a
language and traditions, was misunderstood by
move, involve your child – talk to them about where
schools and, as such, the lifestyle of the Army children
you’re going to go, involve them in the decision about
was not fully appreciated by teachers. Fourthly, the
what school to go to next. Finally, find out how you,
culture of the home was seen to have a particular
or your partner, can get involved in school life because
effect on the educational experiences of Army children
it’s only through informal links like this that schools
as these children had to negotiate mobility, the
might understand the service lifestyle a bit more and,
exigencies of Army life and the absence of their
in doing so, be able to support your children a bit
parents. Finally, bringing together all of these
better.
theories, I felt that neither the Army nor schools really
understood the experiences of education of Army
children. As a result, I felt that these children were Dr Grace Clifton, The Open University, SCSN
expected to integrate into local schools rather than Academic and Research Advisor.
being actively included in them. (Previously published in Envoy in March 2011).

20. The sessions were built around a series of 4 task
workshops where discussions were lively and it was
wonderful to see such a range of people and views
represented, from Deputy Headteachers and other
school staff, Nursery School staff, LA support staff
and a representative from the Army Families
Federation.
SCSN Training
In Suffolk
February saw Joy and Kev O’Neill take an SCSN
presentation on the road to Suffolk and the
Conference Centre at King Edward VI School, Bury St
Edmunds proved to be an excellent venue.
This was to be the first of 2 days of training
requested by Suffolk County Council and drew
delegates from across the county. It was interesting
that the group actually contained a very high
percentage of people with a close service
connection, be that as a spouse, or as a former We found it fascinating to hear about the specific
service child themselves. It was also interesting that issues facing Army and RAF families in the East of
so many delegates were from an Early Years England and the work currently going on in the
background which allowed us to explore the issues county such as the pilot project that is being run to
from a less traditional perspective. support the children of deployed Service parents by
the Community Interest Company ‘Our Little
Heroes’.
We are looking forward to returning to Suffolk in
September for our second day of training. Details
will be published nearer the date on the SCSN
website and the Suffolk County Council CPD
webpages.
For more information on the September training or
to book a place please email us on
contact@servicechildrensupportnetwork.com
With particular focus on Transitions and Mobility,
together with Operational Deployments and their
impacts on Service children and their families, the
day went very well. The audience were very
receptive and keen to get as much as possible from
the event. They were open to new ideas and very
willing to share their own experiences with their
fellow delegates. At times it was hard to get a word
in!

21. Death is a fact of life, but for the families of those implications for support organisations. These
serving in the Armed Forces, especially during features include:
periods of conflict, there is a greater awareness of Ÿ The impact of deployment on the family pri-
death as a distinct possibility. For some families, or to the death.
this possibility is, sadly and tragically, turned into a Ÿ The nature of the death.
reality, and they then have to cope with all aspects Ÿ Who has died and who has been left behind.
of the radically altered circumstances into which Ÿ Media coverage of the events.
they have been plunged. During the past decade, Ÿ Military culture and personal identity, and
many military and civilian organisations have been Ÿ Additional losses and changes.
created, or have extended their services, to
contribute to meeting the needs of bereaved Not all of these features apply in the case of all
military families. One such service, Forces Support bereaved military families, and their impact is
(http://www.forcessupport.org.uk/), a charity further mediated by the specific circumstances that
providing practical support to families bereaved as a surround each individual family.
result of a military death, commissioned us to Whilst other countries, including the US, have
undertake a literature review of the needs of those identified inadequate support to the bereaved
bereaved through military death, and a scoping family members as a key issue, there have been
study of how UK military and civilian support significant improvements in the way the UK Armed
organisations were responding to these. This article Forces have coordinated and managed their
summarises our findings. response to the notification of a death, and to
repatriation. The UK response to families bereaved
A search of the literature identified a paucity of through military death has also been substantially
research on the topic of the bereavement needs and enhanced over recent years with an increasing
experiences of those in armed forces. The bulk of number of military and civilian organisations
the literature came primarily from either the USA or offering support. Types of support include:
Israel, with British contributions being in the
minority. However, this is beginning to be redressed Ÿ Advocacy work - mediating families’ experi-
by several new reports, commissioned by ence with the MOD or the coronial system,
organisations such as the Royal British Legion and lobbying and influencing policy.
the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund, Ÿ Emotional support – including friendship,
that draw upon the experience of UK bereaved support, and counselling.
military families. Ÿ Infrastructure support – one organisation
supporting the work of another.
The literature and the experience of support Ÿ Training and guiding the staff of other or-
organisations suggest that many of the bereavement ganisations (in military culture, for bereave-
needs of military families are similar to those of the ment services, and in bereavement, for
civilian bereaved population. However, military organisations), and
bereavement as a result of a military death is likely Ÿ Practical support including:
to take on a different shape as a result of key ○ Helping people make decisions and
features specific to the military context. It is these choices.
that appear to have an impact on the experience of ○ Offering ‘special’ activities that are
the death and its aftermath, and add significant not part of the usual run of day-to-
complexity to the experience of families, and have day life, or

22. ○ Undertaking practical activities thatScotland a few months after John started primary
relate to the smooth running or school in England. Due to the different age and en-
everyday life. try requirements in Scotland, John effectively had to
This latter is a minority activity amongst go back a year and return to a nursery class.
organisational providers. Although John had started to learn to read in his
primary school in England, his new nursery school
Organisations face a number of challenges in would not support this and Sally had to help John to
providing support including: agreeing the criteria for continue with his reading at home as best as she
who is eligible for their service provision, could. The different age and entry requirements in
understanding the military culture, the complexity Scotland are just one of three main differences be-
of the needs of military families, the experience of tween the Scottish and English education systems.
staff; and access and timing of the support. Although these differences may cause difficulties for
Fortunately, there are very few deaths each year of some, there are many positive points about the
members of the UK Armed Forces although each
Scottish education system which could benefit
one is a tragedy for the family and friends.
service children.
However, there is a lack of information that
identifies the number and status of those who are
Age and entry requirements
bereaved, in terms of the relationship to the
deceased. This makes it difficult for organisations to In Scotland, children start primary school between
plan their provision as the potential ‘demand’ is the ages of four and a half and five and a half.
uncertain. A full copy of the report is available on Unlike England, where entry is open to children
the Forces Support website whose fifth birthday falls within the academic year
http://www.forcessupport.org.uk (calculated from 1 September), in Scotland, entry is
calculated from March. In other words, if your child
Dr Liz Rolls is ‘young’ for their year in England, it is highly likely
Honorary Research Fellow, University of that they would not be offered a place at school in
Gloucestershire, Honorary Research Fellow, Scotland. If your child has not already started
Lancaster University, Independent Researcher: school, they may well profit from this additional
Pegasus Projects. time in a more informal and flexible setting.
And Dr Gillian Chowns, Co-director, Palliative Care However, for children already in formal education in
Works, Visiting Fellow, University of Southampton. England, being required to go back to nursery, like
John, might be a very difficult experience. Given
that the entry requirements for all children at
schools in Scotland are standard, this issue may also
present itself to service parents with a child
returning to schools in England.
Curriculum differences
Unlike schools in England, schools in Scotland do not
follow a set national curriculum. The Scottish
curriculum, called Curriculum for Excellence, is re-
nowned for the way that it celebrates breadth
Education in Scotland across a range of subjects. It aims to develop four
key areas within each child – the successful learner,
Benefits and Pitfalls… the confident individual, the responsible citizen and
the effective contributor. As children in Scotland do
Can you remember your child’s first day at school? not sit national examinations until they reach the
For most of us, it is a time of celebration and some- end of their time in senior school, children’s
thing that we prepare our child for for several progress through the Curriculum for Excellence is as-
months. Now consider Sally (names changed) and sessed on an individual basis so that they can move
her son, John. Sally’s husband was posted up to through the various levels at their own pace.

23. For a service parent moving to Scotland, the Learning and Teaching Scotland (agency set up to
curriculum differences might be viewed as a huge support education in Scotland which provides
benefit as Scotland’s education system is highly further information about curriculum and
thought of throughout the world (OECD, 2007). In approaches to teaching and learning in Scotland)
order to make sure that your child is able to profit www.ltsscotland.org.uk
from this different approach to education, make HMI Education Scotland (library of inspection
sure that you take as much information as you can reports for all schools in Scotland which will allow
to your child’s new school about the sort of things you find out more about your child’s new school)
that your child has already studied. In this way,
www.hmie.gov.uk
your child’s new school will be able to quickly assess
what they have done and where they can help your The Royal Caledonian Schools Trust www.rcst.org.uk
child to build on that learning.
Dr Grace Clifton, The Open University, SCSN
Academic and Research Advisor.
Special Needs
The Scottish education system recognises that all (This article was previously published in Army
learners will, at some point in their time at school, Families’ Journal in March 2011 and Envoy
require additional support in order to help them to Magazine in July 2011).
achieve to their full potential. As a result, each
child’s need for additional support is assessed
regularly and parents are entitled to ask for an
assessment if they feel that their child’s needs are
not being met in the classroom. Children moving
between any local authority within the United
Kingdom are likely to experience some degree of
difficulty getting their needs re-assessed and
recognised by a new education authority – and this
is the case whether your child’s new school is in
Scotland or in England. If your child has special
educational needs, it is advisable to get in touch
with your child’s new school as early as possible to
discuss your child’s support needs and gather to-
gether as much documentation as you can regarding
the particular issues that your child has. Be aware
that there is likely to be a period of re-assessment
when your child starts at their new school.
Although this might be annoying for you and your
child, it does, at least, mean that your child’s needs
will be correctly met.
A new book, "Service Children: A Guide for
Education and Welfare Professionals" has been
The Royal Caledonian Schools Trust (also known as launched with the specific aim of helping fellow
The Caley) is helping to bring practitioners in professionals understand the issues that Service
Scotland together in order to improve the families and their children face. It discusses Mobility
experiences of education of service children. At a and Transition, Parental Deployment on Military
recent conference organised by The Caley Operations, Continuity of Education and a number
(Dunblane, November, 2010) representatives of of other significant issues that they are likely to
local authorities, service agencies and education encounter when working with Service children.
professionals met to discuss issues specific to Supported by research and case studies, it describes
Scotland. As a result, various education issues have examples of best practice, offers practical advice
been identified and work is being done to help to and outlines strategies that have been shown to be
address them. effective when working in this field. The book is
Further advice and information can be found on the available for £13.95 (plus p&p) from the SCSN
following websites: website.

24. Start and a number of other public and charitable
services. Organisations with very different cultures
have worked together towards the shared goal of
better outcomes for families and children. The
emphasis has been on achieving self-sufficiency,
with active parental involvement, so that the work
can be sustained over the longer term.
The issues identified
The Barracks are home to 60-70 children aged under
5, and the facilities on the base are also available to
Albemarle Barracks, other service families living in Newcastle. Prior to
the project there was no dedicated space for
Northumberland families with young children available on the camp
and services were patchy and disconnected.
Meeting the needs of Family life with young children in the military can be
problematic, because:
military families with
young children • The lifestyle is transient, often disrupted
and sometimes stressful.
Working in effective partnership is likely to grow in • The lack of support from wider family
importance as we confront the challenge of networks.
delivering more responsive and customer-focused • Jobs and services are hard to access.
services in a context of severely constrained public • Providing responsive, joined-up and cost-
resources. These case studies have been developed effective support services can be difficult.
in order to showcase helpful North East examples of
• Families at Albemarle Barracks are
working partnerships and, in particular, to draw out
geographically and socially isolated.
lessons about the importance of nurturing the right
cultures, attitudes and behaviours. • Other families living outside the camp may
In a nutshell also be very isolated.
This case study describes how partners in • There are many young mothers needing
Northumberland have come together to improve lots of support.
the wellbeing of families with young children living Families at Albemarle Barracks are geographically
at the Albemarle Barracks – an isolated military and socially isolated. Other families living outside
camp. A multi-agency steering group, led by the camp may also be very isolated. There are many
Prudhoe Children’s entre, oversees the young mothers needing lots of support.
project.Working with the military welfare service The approach
and other partners, families with young children at
Some families from the base were accessing the
the base have been able to access a range of
relevant services and a thriving Mini Mess. Children’s Centre at Prudhoe. Links were then
established between Sure Start, the Unit
WelfareTeam at the camp and the Primary Care
The Mini Mess provides a large brightly decorated
Trust. These organisations recognised the need to
room stocked with children's play equipment. Play
respond more effectively to meet the aspirations of
sessions, health visitor sessions and learning
the families living at Albemarle.
activities (for parents as well as children) take place
here. This is a rare example of a Children’s Centre The local authority,Ministry of Defence, health
outreach post being established on a military base. service, local schools and charitable organisations
Many Sure Start partnerships have developed came together to agree common goal, and
creative ways of serving their target audiences, but undertook to work together to achieve it. They
this is an interesting example of collaboration formed a partnership and established a steering
between the military authorities, the local Sure group to oversee their work.

25. The partners have pooled resources – including gratifying, and the resourcefulness of the military
knowledge, funds, skills and staff. Parents have has been a positive contributory factor. The project
been encouraged to influence decisions about all has helped provide a focus, and to make the camp
aspects of service development and delivery. The into a socially cohesive community.
facilities are provided free of charge. A Service Level
Agreement has been signed detailing arrangements A range of new services have been provided:
for shared use of the building. Service delivery costs Ÿ Weekly play and stay session.
are currently being met by Prudhoe Children’s Ÿ Monthly toy library.
Centre and the Primary Care Trust.
Ÿ Adapt CommunityTransport (part funded by
The partnership
Prudhoe Children’s Centre) providing
The project comprises a central core of partners, outings and a ‘wheels to work’ project,
with wider partners joining in the steering group.
including scooter loans and driving lessons
The project is managed by Prudhoe Children’s
to access work opportunities.
Centre and overseen on a day-to-day basis by the
Unit Welfare Team. Ÿ Programme of Greenstart activities through
The core partners are: ‘Growing for Play’ funding.
• Prudhoe Children’s Centre – led by the Ÿ Family SupportTeam undertaking one to
Centre Coordinator and Locality Manager. one work with families.
• Unit Welfare Officer and Team at the Ÿ Courses for parents, e.g. Baby Save a Life.
Barracks. Ÿ Childcare/crèche.
• Primary CareTrust – represented by the
Ÿ Involvement in army decompression days.
Health Visitor Manager responsible for
Health Visitors and Community Nursery Ÿ Referral to specialist services, e.g. Domestic
Nurses. Violence Support Group.
• Families living at the Barracks. Ÿ Family learning courses.
Other supporting partners are: Ÿ Parenting courses.
• ArmyWelfare Service. Next steps
• Greenstart – a local environmental project The partners are committed to the on-going review
• Ponteland Extended Services and Parent and evaluation of services in order to ensure that
Support Partner. they continue to make a positive difference. The
army is very supportive of the project, but funding
• Educational Psychology Service.
remains an issue. In particular, the Sure Start budget
• Library Services.
is being cut. It is the intention to be creative and to
• Family Learning Services. pursue other ways of ensuring the project’s
• Northumberland Toy Library. sustainability. The partners are sure that they have
• Children’s Centres in Newcastle. developed a robust model of good practice and they
Achievements are keen to share their experience to support the
Prior to the Mini Mess there was limited provision development of Children’s Centre services on other
for families with young children. Issues of concern military bases. Building on the lessons learned
to families that were not previously recognised are through the Mini Mess project, the partners will
now being addressed. Mini Mess is a thriving facility support the Unit Welfare Team in establishing a
which is highly valued and heavily used by the steering group to oversee the development
families living at the camp. Independent evaluations of services for older children and young people.
have shown that parents find the new services
Contact for the project
invaluable. Parents report that their children are
Jackie McCormick, Sure Start Children’s Centre
more confident, socialise better with other children,
have enjoyed the new experiences and are better Locality Manager –West Northumberland
prepared for nursery school. The achievements have Northumberland County Council.
exceeded the initial expectations. The support and 07785 721298
active participation of local families has been Jackie.mccormick@northumberland.gov.uk

26. that support. Camo Day is an ideal opportunity for
children to ditch their school uniform for a military
uniform, cam up their faces or simply wear red, navy
or airforce blue clothing or accessories, in aid of a
fabulous Armed Forces charity”.
Last year, several schools held Camo Days by
organising Armed Forces Day themed events during
the school day, or mini assault courses in the
playground, challenging the bravest teachers to take
SSAFA Forces Help them on, and this year, SSAFA’s fundraising target
for Camo Day is 100k, and any pupil taking part will
Launch Camo Day be given a special Camo Day wristband as a thank
you.
Camo Day is a new fundraising initiative aimed at all
UK schools, in support of SSAFA Forces Help - the Julia added “Service children can have a very
UK's oldest Armed Forces charity. SSAFA provide different experience at school to civilian children,
practical help and assistance to anyone who is and Camo Day is an opportunity to highlight how
currently serving or has ever served, even if it was their lives can be challenging as well as the chance
only for a single day, supporting more than 50,000 to raise valuable funds to make sure that SSAFA can
continue to care for the children and young people
people each year in the Armed Forces community,
we support via our holidays, and Support Groups.
including children and young people.
We would be grateful to any education professional,
parent or anyone else who was able to encourage
Camo Day is a nationwide non-uniform day to be schools to join in Camo Day or any Head Teachers
held on 29th June, which is the day before Armed who agree to join – more information is available
Forces Day 2012. All UK schools have been asked to here http://www.ssafa.org.uk/fundraising/national-
join in with Camo Day to show their support to our events/camo-day/ including a downloadable
Armed Forces and their families. resource pack and details of how to register”
Julia Clark, Head of Regional Fundraising at SSAFA Julia welcomes any comments or enquiries
said “We know that children and young people care regarding Camo Day and can be contacted on
very much about our Armed Forces and we wanted julia.c@ssafa.org.uk 07748 999944.
to give a public platform to them to demonstrate
29 June 2012
Join In!

27. SCSN
Service Children Support Network
Recruitment
Job Title: Service Children Support Coordinator
Salary: Bucks Pay Range 3 - £20,092 to £21,736 (pro rata and depending on
experience/qualifications)
Location Area: Schools clustered around RAF Halton and RAF High Wycombe
Location Details: Based at Halton Community Combined School Buckinghamshire
Description: To start April 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter. We require 2 committed and
enthusiastic individuals to manage mobility and deployment issues for children
from Service families arriving and departing schools in Buckinghamshire. Relevant
experience/qualifications necessary (Level 3 qualification in Education/childcare or
equivalent and a robust understanding of the issues faced by Service children and
families).
These posts will be for 30 hrs per week, term time only, and for a fixed term of one
year. (These posts are fully funded for 1 year by the MOD £3M support fund for
state schools with service children)
The successful candidate will work under the direction of the Head teacher Halton
School and SCSN, and will be deployed to schools serving RAF Halton and RAF High
Wycombe.
Responsibilities will include managing and co-ordinating induction programmes
across the primary phases and supporting Service pupils and families during
parental deployment.
This is an exciting opportunity to develop an innovative role in a proactive county –
flexibility, teamwork and excellent communication skills will be essential.
Secondments to this Range 3 role will be considered subject to the agreement of
the current employer.
Application details: Please contact the school for more details and an application form: e-mail:
office@halton.bucks.sch.uk or tel: 01296 622264
Closing date: 15th March 2012 / Interview date: 22nd March 2012
Buckinghamshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our recruitment and selection process
therefore highlights the importance of ensuring children’s welfare and safety