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Armed Forces Covenant

Find out about the Armed Forces Covenant and community, the East Riding Community Covenant and its delivery group, and our links with other local authorities.

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What is the Armed Forces Covenant?

If you are serving, or have served in HM Armed Forces, the Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to make sure you and your family, as part of the Armed Forces community, are treated fairly when you access services, and do not face discrimination compared to other citizens. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.

Watch a short video (below) to learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant:

National reports are produced annually that set out major achievements of the Armed Forces Covenant and highlight remaining challenges and new commitments. View the reports on the GOV.UK website.

Find out more about the Covenant and how it can help you on the Armed Forces Covenant website.

Who does the Armed Forces community include?

You are a member of the Armed Forces community if you are:

  • Serving/regular personnel
  • A reservist (volunteer and regular)
  • A veteran (those who have served at least one day in HM Armed Forces)
  • Family of serving personnel, reservists and veterans (including spouses, civil partners, children whom they are responsible for and, where appropriate, parents and unmarried partners)
  • Immediate family of serving personnel and veterans who have died, whether or not that death has any connection with service.

What is the Covenant Duty?

The Covenant Duty is a legal obligation on certain public bodies to ‘have due regard’ to the principles of the Covenant, and requires decisions about the development and delivery of certain services to be made with conscious consideration of the needs of the Armed Forces community.

The legal obligation impacts organisations that are responsible for delivering principally statutory functions in healthcare, education, and housing services. The Armed Forces community will be affected as beneficiaries of the new Duty.

The Covenant Duty will raise awareness amongst organisations that provide services in healthcare, education and housing, of how Service life can impact on the Armed Forces community, and how disadvantages can arise due to Service when members of that community seek to access key local services.

The Duty will require organisations delivering local services to pay due regard to the Covenant principles when exercising functions in the areas of housing, healthcare, and education.

‘Due regard’ means that organisations in scope of the Duty will need to consciously consider the unique obligations and sacrifices made by the Armed Forces; that it is desirable to remove disadvantages faced by the Armed Forces community; and that special provision may be justified in some circumstances.

The Council has developed a position statement and action plan, which highlights the areas where due regard is already being shown and identifies the areas where further work is required.

East Riding Armed Forces Covenant Duty Action Plan (pdf 377kb)

For further information on the Covenant Duty, visit the national Armed Forces Covenant website.

What is the East Riding Community Covenant?

East Riding of Yorkshire is home to both current and ex-serving men and women and their families from across the Armed Forces. These men and women, and their families, form a valuable part of the East Riding's community, bringing with them skills and a contribution that is unique and valuable.

In 2012, representatives from various local statutory organisations, voluntary groups and military charities signed the ‘East Riding Community Covenant’. This was renewed again in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.

An Armed Forces Covenant - Signed 1 July 2018 (pdf 352kb)

The East Riding Community Covenant complements, at a local level, the Armed Forces Covenant.

The council signed it's own individual Covenant in January 2024.

ERYC Armed Forces Covenant - January 2024 (pdf 1mb)

What is the East Riding Community Covenant Delivery Group?

The Delivery Group is a partnership that was established to consider the issues facing the local Armed Forces community and any support that is required to meet their needs. The Group meets three times a year and is chaired by the council’s Armed Forces Champion.

More details on the group and its current membership are provided in the Terms of Reference (below).

Delivery Group Terms of Reference

ERCCDG Terms of Reference (pdf 198kb)

Delivery Group Action Plan

The Delivery Group's Action Plan outlines how partners will work together to improve the support for the local Armed Forces community.

The ERCCDG Action Plan 2024-2029 covers the themes outlined in the expanding panels below (if you would like a detailed copy of the plan, please email community.covenant@eastriding.gov.uk).

Sub-groups for a number of key themes in the Action Plan are in place to drive progress forward.


Employment Education and Skills
  • Support the Armed Forces community in the East Riding to access services and advice to secure employment
  • Raise awareness of the benefits of employing veterans and encourage local businesses to recognise their transferrable skills
  • Identify how organisations/partners can undertake more joint working with Health employers/educators to promote employment and training opportunities in the sector
  • Work with the DWP to support Service Leavers with disabilities and long-term health conditions into employment
  • Assist Veterans and military spouses/partners who want to develop their own career path through raising awareness of training/education and access to career advice
  • Identify and promote suitable volunteering opportunities to members of the Armed Forces community and improve voluntary and community sector understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant to develop their offer of support
  • Delivery Group organisations to consider recording Armed Forces status of employees to ensure relevant employment support/advice is provided at first point of contact and throughout individuals’ careers and identify and engage with veterans currently working for them to obtain feedback on how they could be further supported in the workplace.
  • Encourage partner organisations and local employers to identify and engage with Reservists currently working for them to obtain feedback on how they could be further supported in the workplace
  • Support Cadet Force adult volunteers in the workplace and explore further support for local cadet units
  • Promote the Armed Forces Covenant and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme amongst partner organisations.

Housing and Finance
  • Raise awareness of financial support available to members of the Armed Forces community facing financial difficulties.
  • Explore ways in which the financial education/awareness of local serving personnel can be further supported.
  • Raise awareness of housing support available to members of the Armed Forces community
  • Ensure that the needs of the Armed Forces community are considered during the review of relevant housing and homelessness policies and strategies
  • Monitor the numbers of homeless members of the Armed Forces community in the East Riding and work with providers to address any increases or complex cases.

Health and Wellbeing
  • Support work to help reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing, and mental health and promote services available
  • Raise awareness of Armed Forces and Veterans’ Breakfast Clubs in the East Riding and continue to support breakfast clubs with sustainability, helping members to explore and develop their own projects
  • Engage with local serving personnel and their families to identify if there is any further support required to improve their health and wellbeing
  • Improve access to peer support for carers of veterans by building relationships with local carers groups and carers forums and consider how carers from the armed forces community can be supported locally
  • Encourage carers in the armed forces community to access support and take up a carer’s assessment
  • Consider if carers services could ask and record whether patients and clients are a member of the armed forces community and if they have caring responsibilities
  • Support the work of health care providers and local authority services to increase awareness with members of the armed forces community of the importance of recording status on point of contact /registration to inform delivery of appropriate/tailored services
  • East Riding Health and Care Partnership to encourage further take up of the Veteran-friendly GP Practice scheme in the East Riding, working with practice managers and the GP Patient Engagement Group
  • Offer new e-learning package to staff working in the East Riding Health and Care Partnership and Trusts to raise awareness of the Covenant duty and signposting resources/local support available for the armed forces community
  • Implement a tailored approach to veteran suicide prevention and awareness raising
  • As part of the Needs Assessment consider the experience of under-represented groups and those with particular health needs within the Armed Forces Community and establish any additional support needed or gaps in provision
  • Explore needs and promote support and resources available to LGBTQ+ members of the armed forces community
  • Explore needs and promote support and resources available to female members of the armed forces community
  • Explore needs and promote support and resources available to ethnic minorities within the armed forces community
  • Explore need and promote support and resources available to Commonwealth soldiers/veterans
  • Promote bespoke support and resources available to veterans with disabilities.

Children and Young People
  • Identify the challenges faced by children and young people from military families in relation to education and skills and explore what could be done to support them and their parents through these challenges
  • Regularly monitor the number of service children and consider what data is available on attainment for military children in the East Riding and how this compares with civilian children.
  • Ensure Service families are supported when children are transitioning to a new school (including the transition from Primary to Secondary school and moving into the East Riding)
  • Examine the use of Service Pupil Premium in local schools, encouraging registration of Service children and promoting best practice
  • Defence School of Transport to work closely with the East Riding Safeguarding Children’s Partnership to support service children’s health and wellbeing
  • Identify the challenges faced by children and young people from military families in relation to mental health and wellbeing and explore what could be done to support them and their parents through these challenges
  • Explore the potential for a Service Pupil Buddy Scheme within schools with higher Service Pupil numbers
  • Explore opportunities to develop a programme of family/children’s learning opportunities and activities
  • Include the voices of Service children and young people in the development of policies, support services and events that impact on them.


Action Plan Annual Progress Reports

Can I access minutes of the East Riding Community Covenant Delivery Group?

How can you help us to help you?

When you access a service, such as healthcare, housing or benefits, it is important to let professionals know that you are a member of the Armed Forces community if you feel able to. This will make sure that you can access certain services or support that are specifically aimed at members of the Armed Forces community.

Does the East Riding work with other local authorities?

We work with our neighbouring local authorities wherever possible to improve the support for the Armed Forces community across the wider region. Follow the links below to find out what other local authorities in the region are doing to support the Armed Forces Covenant:

Doncaster Council (external website)

Hull City Council (external website)

North East Lincolnshire Council (external website)

North Lincolnshire Council (external website)

What other support and advice is available?

A wide range of services and support is available to help you, whatever your needs.

These pages are also useful if you support members of the Armed Forces community as part of your job, or as a friend, carer or family member.

Community and relationships

Employment, education and skills

Families, children and young people

Health and wellbeing

Housing

Money advice

General advice and support

Supporting the Armed Forces community

If there is something that you need help with that is not listed, or any information needs updating, please email community.covenant@eastriding.gov.uk or call (01482) 391426.

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