The College of Paramedics recently signed the Armed Forces Covenant at the Military Paramedics Symposium, held at Defence Medical Services (DMS) Whittington, Staffordshire.
The event was attended by guests including Lewis Andrews, Chief Operating Officer for the College of Paramedics, Sarah Hayward, Paramedic Defence Specialist Advisor on behalf of the Armed Forces and Ben Lyon who instigated the signing in his role as the College’s Member Representative for Military and Overseas.
The Armed Forces Covenant embodies a promise to uphold fairness and respect for those who have served in the Armed Forces, as well as their families, in all aspects of society.
It focuses on helping members of the Armed Forces community have the same support as any other citizen, spanning education, housing, careers, access to healthcare, financial assistance and more.
By taking the significant step of signing the Covenant, the College of Paramedics has made a commitment to providing fair treatment for veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families and to ensure that they are treated with fairness and respect in their communities, workplace and society for which they serve with their lives.
The Covenant’s core principles recognise the unique obligations and sacrifices made by the Armed Forces.
At the signing, the College made a number of pledges, including to:
Prioritise the mental health and well-being of Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families.
Support all members of the Armed Forces community and their families where appropriate with employment opportunities, signpost and offer advice to personnel who are transitioning from full time service into the civilian sector and collaborate with Reserve organisations to aid the employability of members.
Provide advice and advocate for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their familiars on how to progress within the paramedic profession and assist with helping individuals reach their career goals.
Lewis Andrews, Chief Operating Officer for the College of Paramedics said: “We are immensely proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant today. As an organisation, the College recognises the sacrifices made by those in the Armed Forces and the immeasurable value military personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families bring to the healthcare profession and to the wider country. It’s the reason we are committed to ensuring their needs are recognised and met when it comes to healthcare, mental health support, employment opportunities, education and representation. We will always strive to do everything we can for our Armed Forces community, knowing this is what they do for us.”
Speaking on behalf of the Armed Forces, Sarah Hayward, Paramedic Defence Specialist Advisor said: “The aim of both the DMS and the College of Paramedics is to deliver the highest level of healthcare to our service users. Today’s pledge from the College allows us to feel valued and recognised in the unique working environments we find ourselves in. This enables our people to feel validated as paramedics, and nurtures interoperability, shared ways of working and inclusion in the progression and development of healthcare delivery. A shared mental model allows reassurance that we are seen and supported. It will only serve to strengthen the relationship between the DMS and the College of Paramedics and will have a positive impact on the delivery of care throughout Defence and beyond.”
Ben Lyon, College of Paramedics’ Member Representative for Military and Overseas said: “I’m delighted that the College has signed the Covenant because it shows to all serving members of the Armed Forces, paramedic or not, that the College, as an organisation proactively considers the military community in its day-to-day business. It is also a legally recognised commitment that we have to maintain.”
Ben added: “From a personal point of view, I am really proud of my involvement in helping to make this happen. As the first Royal Marine to hold the post of Military and Overseas Rep I wanted to do something that would make a significant and lasting difference, not only for the College but for all serving and future military paramedics, and I think this commitment does that.”
Since 2011, when the concept was enshrined into law, the Covenant has reinforced the moral obligation between nation, government and the Armed Forces and seen more than 12,000 UK businesses and organisations commit to improving the lives of service personnel and their families.
Original story from College of Paramedics
