Social inclusion through service provision for the armed forces community: the officers’ perspective

Abstract

Public awareness and interest in the UK armed forces has increased over the years as a result of their involvement in various conflict situations. Research has also identified the increasing support and services that the armed forces community need, including mental wellbeing and the transition to civilian life. The voluntary sector has played a key role in the social inclusion of the armed forces by providing support and services for the armed forces community in the UK. This paper argues that gaining a more in-depth understanding of the armed forces community and their needs would help the various service charities to plan and deliver their services as well as to promote themselves more effectively. The purpose of this research was to understand and identify the service needs of one cohort of the UK armed forces – officers and their families. Qualitative, in-depth interviews of case workers and the beneficiaries of a service charity working with officers and their families were carried out, as well as observations and discussions with various service charities and the attendees of outreach services for veterans. The thematic analysis of the interviews, observations and discussion notes helped identify eight specific service needs that were important to the officers and their families.