Most councils across the country are set to mark Armed Forces Day this weekend having already pledged to support service men and women, past and present, integrate into the local community.
By the end of next month all councils will have signed-up to the local Armed Forces Community Covenant, which commits authorities to helping serving and ex-service people and their families by raising local awareness of the issues that affect members of the Armed Services.
Types of assistance that can be provided to service families within localities include help with housing, finding work and school places.
The commitment follows the collaborative sharing between councils and the Royal British Legion of best practice guidance to local authorities.
Many councils have themselves developed innovative practices under the covenant, such as putting on special employment events for servicemen and creating bespoke webpages with targeted information and online resources.
Rochdale MBC, for example, guarantees job interviews for service leavers who meet minimum job specifications and who have been searching for work for at least six months.
Buckinghamshire CC accepts the children of families requiring school places within the county even if they do not have an exact moving date or address and in Croydon LBC members of the armed forces are moved into the top band for housing.
Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: ‘As Honorary Squadron Colonel of 41 (PLK) Signals Squadron, it is really encouraging that all councils will have signed up to the Community Covenant by July this year.'
He added: ‘It is a clear sign of how committed councils are to promoting the work of the armed forces and ensuring that men and women who selflessly dedicate their careers to protecting our country can access the services they need.'
Chris Simpkins, director general of The Royal British Legion, said: ‘With the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the rebasing of troops from Germany and the increasing number of reservists expected in society, support from local authorities and local communities is more important than ever.
‘We are delighted then that all councils in England and Wales will have signed the Community Covenant by July and are starting to put in place tangible measures to help meet this new challenge.'
