The Forces in Mind Trust, established to help ex-Servicemen and women make a successful transition back to civilian life, has awarded a grant of £91,385 to independent think tank the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) to research resettlement from the perspective of military families.
While there has been significant research from the perspective of the soldier, little has been done to look at the process from the perspective of the family.
This study will help improve and promote understanding of the transition process for families and ensure they do not face disadvantage.
Improving support
The CSJ will research how the current system supports families going through the transition process and areas where they have been failed in the past. The findings will enable it to make recommendations on improving support going to families and to increase the general public’s awareness of the issues.
Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock, Chief Executive of the Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We are delighted to fund research projects such as this one which will concentrate on the family, and we look forward to working with the CSJ in using their recommendations to improve the process and outcomes for families.”
A spokesman for the CSJ said: “There is no doubt that families can play a crucial role in helping veterans transition back into civilian life. But much more research still needs to be done to fully understand the challenges faced by families and the support they need.
“This is why our project is so important and we are delighted to have received support from Forces in Mind to carry out this important work.”
Find out more about the work of FiMT at www.fim-trust.org