A WIRRAL health trust has formalised its commitment to ensure serving and ex-armed forces personnel are treated with fairness and equality.

Karen Howell, chief executive of Wirral Community Health And Care NHS Foundation Trust, signed the Armed Forces Covenant on Wednesday.

Saturday is Armed Forces Day 2022, a day provides the opportunity to show our thanks and support to our armed forces community, including serving personnel, their families, veterans and cadets.

Karen Howell said: "As a Trust we are so proud this week to have signed an Armed Forces Covenant to coincide with Armed Forces Day.

"This is a great way to recognise the value serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families bring; I know we have so many staff with military connections amongst us and I for one want to thank you.

"On Saturday June 25, I ask you to raise a glass or a cup, just to say thank you to those people who look after the security of this country."

The principles of the covenant include a promise to:

  • Learn and understand the complex challenges that the armed forces community and their relatives can face, and strive to deliver our services with understanding, sensitivity, and support.
  • Promote Wirral Community Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust as an armed forces-friendly organisation and provide training and awareness sessions to staff.
  • Welcome and encourage job applications from the armed forces community, including military spouses and commit to providing a supportive environment to work.
  • Work in partnership local organisations to explore employment and voluntary opportunities for veterans of all ages.
  • Endeavour to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner's deployment.
  • Seek to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces and accommodate their training and deployment where possible.
  • Actively participate in, and support colleagues who would like to participate in Armed Forces Day; offering flexibility on shift rotas and flexibility of annual leave, if arranged in advance.

Over the next few months, the trust will be working to achieve accreditation under the Veterans Aware Scheme. The scheme is designed to develop, share, and drive the implementation of best practice to improve provision of healthcare to the UK Armed Forces community.

It is also working towards the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). A scheme for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant, in relation to the proactive recruitment and support for the Armed Forces community.

If you would like to show your support and appreciation of the armed forces community for Armed Forces Day on Saturday 25 June, you can take part on Twitter by tagging @ArmedForcesDay and using the hashtag #SaluteOurForces.

This is a simple way for anyone to pay tribute to the British Armed Forces community for their hard work, dedication, and efforts to and keep us safe in the UK and across the globe.