New SLT Blog

This is an experiment, allowing members of SLT to have a blog in place of Karen’s video, but SLT hope it will give a broader flavour of what’s going on and the work within different departments.  It also gives Karen a bit more time between her videos!

Let’s see how it goes!

Message from Piers:

“I thought I would start off with my work as Armed Forces Champion on the staff side, and I am starting here because I am looking for a volunteer to take it on from me.  In essence I support Councillor Keira Vyvyan-Robinson, herself ex-armed forces, to ensure that as an organisation we do all we can as an employer and as a service provider to understand the needs of those who take part in armed forces work or who used to be part of the armed forces.

We do this for several reasons, beyond having a legal duty to do so.  As an employer we support volunteering because we know that it provides an outlet away from work that can develop skills which assist people in work.  On the military side, and you may not be aware, we have leave policies for those adult volunteers who work in the cadet forces.  We are also making available guidance for any reservists that we employ setting out what we would do as a Council should they be called up and mobilised.  This is to ensure that as an employer we respect that they may be called to active duty and we need to ensure they are treated fairly, and that we are an attractive employer for those who wish to be reservists.  You can find the guidance for adult cadet volunteers here, and the guidance for reservists will appear in the same place shortly.

As a provider of services it is also important that we recognise and understand some of the particular difficulties experienced by service and ex-service personal.  By way of example, I attended the Surrey Armed Forces Covenant Conference recently.  There were powerful stories, including some from children within armed forces families. One had been to 6 different primary schools.  Another had experienced difficulties getting braces for teeth resolved because they kept moving and therefore moving dentists.  Families can experience difficulties with housing, because whilst they have lived in a house, they have no rental history.  Just a few examples. Understanding and being aware of these difficulties can help us to help them.

Being the Armed Forces Champion has been rewarding and it is my own failing that apart from this blog it may have been invisible to you.  I wish it were more visible in the authority and therefore I would like to hand the baton over to someone who can take it forward and really help to embed a culture of supporting and understanding the armed services.

So, if you were to put yourself forward what would you get out of it?  Firstly it’s a massive eye-opener to another world, one that is new and interesting.  You’d get to meet, liaise and work with some high-profile officers and people from across the County, and with the Councillors champion support set your own projects and goals.  My goal has been to try to get us to Silver employer status (still waiting on the outcome of that).  It’s an opportunity to add something to your skill set and list of achievements that’s just perhaps that bit different from your day job.  If that sounds exciting to you let me know or pop round to see me for a chat.  I’d say “Your Council Needs You” but that would be trite. And if you have an idea about how we could better support armed forces personnel, or a concern about an aspect of your role in respect of armed forces personnel please seek me out for a chat”