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Op COURAGE partner praised for armed forces support

The Trust, which delivers Op COURAGE South East in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, has passed its one-year review as a Veteran Aware Trust, earning praise for its support to the armed forces community.

The Veteran Aware status is awarded to NHS Trusts that have made a series of pledges, such as ensuring members of the armed forces community are never disadvantaged when receiving care, training staff on veteran-specific needs, and supporting the armed forces as an employer.

The Trust has developed a five-year Armed Forces Strategy to deliver on the promises of the Armed Forces Covenant and in conjunction with the NHS Forward View, and their five-year Organisational Strategy, and has shown continuous improvement and a strong, ongoing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community.

Andy Stubbs, Armed Forces Covenant Lead Manager at the Trust and a reservist serving as a Major in the Royal Army Medical Service 256, Multi-Role Medical Regiment, said:

" Sussex Partnership were one of the first mental health trusts to gain the Veteran Aware Award five years ago.

"We are very proud to continually improve our service delivery for the Armed Forces community, which is recognised by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance who independently monitor us. This can only be achieved by the hard work of all staff at the Trust."

Dr Jane Padmore, Chief Executive at Sussex Partnership, added:

“I am so delighted and proud to retain the Veterans Aware status for another year. This demonstrates the continuous hard work and dedication of our staff to understand how we can better support the Armed Forces community.

“Being Veteran Aware is all about improving the healthcare that veterans receive. We have a range of support available through OpCOURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health Service. We’re also part of ‘Step into Health’, an initiative that helps ex-service personnel gain employment or work experience in the Trust, bringing a huge range of experience and transferrable skills to the NHS.

“We hope this gives veterans living in our local community confidence that our staff understand their needs and are committed to giving them the right support when they need it.”

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which also provides Op COURAGE services in the South East is also accredited under the Veteran Aware scheme.