A Word From Head Of Policy Rachel Smith…
As an army family, who do you turn to when you are most in need of support? As civilians we would probably turn to our friends and family, however, when you are constantly on the move as a service family, finding the information and guidance you need can be tricky. As an army spouse, I was often hundreds of miles away from those closest to me, and I felt isolated and unsure of where to go to find the right support.
Navigating the different avenues of information and advice that are available can also be a bit confusing, and knowing who to turn to can be half the battle!
A good place to start is of course your own chain of command, unit or unit welfare officer, who will often be able to provide you with the advice you need, or signpost you in the direction of another organisation or charity that is able to help. There are of course many armed forces specific charities (1,700 as of July 2023) and 286 of these specifically support families.
One of those charities is of course the Army Families Federation (AFF); we work closely with the MOD, government and the chain of command, but we are totally independent. AFF is here to provide information, but when things don’t go quite to plan, we are able to advocate for army families with everything that service life throws at us. We received 7,213 enquiries in the last year* with 43 per cent of these coming from army service personnel themselves, and 32 per cent from service spouses/partners.
As well as having a wealth of digital resources at aff.org.uk, and also online portals such as Forces Families Jobs, our specialist staff (who more often than not are part of an army family themselves) can guide you through a number of key policy areas, such as housing, education and childcare, employment and training, money and allowances, healthcare and additional needs.
In addition, we have OISC-qualified immigration advisors who will be able to provide you with individually tailored support.
So when you need to make decisions about your next posting, or everything that you need to happen to make army life work wherever you are in the world, the AFF team is here to support you.
*June 2023 to June 2024.