Agenda item

To update the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee on the work that has been undertaken to date, and activities planned, to support the armed forces/veteran community; including Tendring District Council’s participation in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Committee gave consideration to a report of the Assistant Director (Partnerships) (A.1) which updated it work that had been undertaken to date, and activities planned, to support the armed forces/veteran community; including Tendring District Council’s (TDC) participation in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Members were aware that the ERS encouraged employers to support Defence personnel and to inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompassed bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledged, demonstrated or advocated support to Defence and the armed forces community, and aligned their values with the Armed Forces Covenant (the Armed Forces Covenant was a promise by the nation ensuring that those who served or who had served in the armed forces, and their families, were treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they served or had served with their lives).

Councillor Chris Amos had been appointed as TDC’s Armed Forces Member Champion in 2017 and he attended meetings of the Civil Military Partnership Board (Essex).

The Committee was reminded that TDC had renewed its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant in February 2022, in a decision made by the Leader of the Council; which had recognised the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans (including our Chief Executive) and military families brought to the Authority and local community. The covenant focussed on helping members of the armed forces community to have the same access to Government and commercial services and products as any other citizen. This support was provided in a number of areas including:

§  Education and family well-being;

§  Having a home;

§  Starting a new career;

§  Access to healthcare;

§  Financial assistance; and

§  Discounted services.

Members recalled that, at the last update provided to this Committee in February 2019, the Council had held ERS Bronze award status, and was working with the Armed Forces Development Officer at Colchester Borough Council to attain Silver status; which this Authority had been successful in achieving in Summer 2019.

Since then this Council had continued to demonstrate its commitment in this regard, and in July 2022 TDC had received Gold status in the ERS scheme. Gold criteria were more stringent than for Silver, including promoting the scheme to other employers. It included:-

§  must have signed the Armed Forces Covenant;

§  the employer must have already stated their intent to be supportive by using the ERS website to register at the Bronze level;

§  the employer must proactively demonstrate that service personnel/armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruitment and selection processes;

§  the employer must actively ensure that their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues. For example, an employer nominated for support to the Reserves must have an internally publicised and positive HR policy on Reserves;

§  within the context of Reserves the employer must have demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place. They must demonstrate support to training by providing at least five days’ additional unpaid/paid leave (wherever possible not to Reservist employees’ financial disadvantage); and

§  the employer must not have been the subject of any negative PR or media activity.

To achieve Gold award status, awarded to the Council in July 2022, the Authority had had to demonstrate that:

§  it had signed the Armed Forces Covenant;

§  an existing relationship with their National Account Manager/REED/appropriate defence representative;

§  it was already demonstrating support by holding a valid ERS Silver Award;

§  it could proactively demonstrate their forces-friendly credentials as part of their recruitment and selection processes. Where possible, it should be engaged with Career Transition Partnership (CTP) in the recruitment of service leavers and have registered for the Forces Families Jobs (FFJ) portal;

§  it actively ensures the workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues. For example, an employer nominated for support to the Reserves must have an internally publicised and positive HR policy on Reserves;

§  it must be an exemplar within their market sector, advocating support to defence people issues to partner organisations, suppliers and customers with tangible positive results;

§  within the context of Reserves it must have demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place. They must provide at least ten days’ additional leave for training, fully paid, to the Reservist employee;

§  it must not have been the subject of any negative public relations or media activity.

To achieve this a revised Reserve Forces Training Mobilisation Policy had been adopted by TDC in April 2022 which granted Reservists ten days’ additional paid leave for training, up from the five days that been offered previously.

It was reported that TDC was one of just 38 local government organisations to hold Gold status, and one of 48 organisations altogether in the East Anglia region.

Officers were keen to continue this work, not only to support the priorities outlined in the Armed Forces Covenant; but also the Council’s recruitment priorities. Colchester Barracks discharged around 400 highly trained and skilled military personnel each year, a number of whom remained in the local area; and the Council was keen to tap into this talent pipeline. Being an ERS Gold Award holder added to the organisation’s employer brand, and the opportunity to be seen as an employer of choice by potential applicants, particularly from that cohort.

Other activity taken to support the Council’s objectives and the ERS Gold status, included:

·      Regular annual civic events including services for Remembrance Sunday, Armed Forces Day, the Veterans’ Tea Dance and other services or flag raisings (all in conjunction with the Clacton Royal British Legion);

·      In addition the Council had supported the Chairman of the Council in staging a Veterans’ Day event in early August 2022;

·      Attendance by the Armed Forces at the Tendring Jobs and Skills Fair (2019), and the 2022 Tendring Skills Fair;

·      Continued links to the Career Transition Partnership;

·      Continued priority given to ex-forces personnel within their housing band for those on the social housing register;

·      Ran an event in week one of the 2022 Tendring4Growth Business Fortnight to promote the Armed Forces Covenant, ERS, and general benefits of employing Armed Forces personnel, to local employers – this built upon a similar event held in March 2019;

·      An Armed Forces discount was available on leisure services;

·      Workshops held for staff to raise awareness of the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant and possible benefits;

·      TDC had signed up to the Essex Family Friendly Employer scheme – this supported in particular those who had partners in the military; and

·      Established a buddy scheme where existing TDC staff who were from an Armed Forces background could support any new starters from the same background to help with their transition.

The Committee placed on record its gratitude for all of the dedication and commitment demonstrated by those Officers who had played their part in enabling this Council to achieve a Gold Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

Having considered the contents of the update report:-

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Amosand:-

RESOLVED that the contents of the Assistant Director (Partnerships)’s report be noted.