Overview
Recent research from the ONS that found that the most commonly held perception of veterans was that they are routinely forgotten and ignored. The most recent Supporting Our Veterans consultation highlighted key barriers for veterans integrating back into civilian life, including lack of access to housing, employment, and mental health support. These challenges can be even more pronounced for ‘invisible’ veterans from communities underrepresented and not traditionally associated with the armed forces who face additional burdens securing recognition and accessing post-service support. With the latest census returning 1.85 million veterans in England and Wales, it is imperative that healthcare providers, local authorities, and NGO’s work in close concert to ensure that the support provided meets the evolving needs of the veteran community.

  • More than 30,000 referrals have been made to the NHS veterans’ mental health and wellbeing ‘lifeline’ service since its launch in 2017
  • 2110 households containing a member who served in the armed forces were assessed as homeless in 2022-23
  • According to a 2022 ONS survey only one in 10 people think that it is easy to adjust to life after leaving the UK armed forces

Join us at The National Supporting Veterans Conference 2024 to gain insights into the latest initiatives, challenges, and best practice in veteran physical and mental care.  The conference will address key challenges including providing personalised care for veterans, delivering specialist mental health support as well as ensuring support is joined-up across local service providers. There will also be the opportunity to network with senior colleagues from across the sector to discuss challenges around improving veteran outreach and encouraging help-seeking behaviours.

Why Attend:
✓ Engage with high-calibre keynotes on the latest trends, challenges, and initiatives in veteran physical and mental care
✓ Case studies demonstrating a range of measures for improving the physical and mental wellbeing of veterans
✓ Networking opportunities with professionals from a range of sectors
✓ Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

NEW AND EXCLUSIVE TO YOUR
CONFERENCE PACKAGE – GE Insights:

This year’s conference package includes 12-months FREE access to GE Insights, our cross-sector learning resource of case study focused videos, articles, lived experiences and more (RRP £199). Gain unlimited access to our online platform when you purchase your conference ticket.

Key benefits include:

 ✓100s of Exclusive Case Studies – fingertip access to videos and articles covering all key sectors including healthcare, and ALL CPD certified

 ✓Key Sessions from All Our Conferences – gain valuable insights from our past, present, and future events (160+ pa)

 ✓Articles and Interviews – learn from our network of expert speakers and contributors explore further the key discussions from the conferences

 ✓Additional CPD Hours – automatically earn more for everything you watch, read, and hear

 ✓Your Own CPD Dashboard – charts your progress, allows you to add notes, download your activities, and save/print an official CPD certificate

 ✓Personalised Homepage – only see the relevant content you need to save time

 ✓30+ New Uploads Each Month – we’re adding new content every week to ensure you stay engaged and informed all year round.

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285
Agenda

  • Online Registration 

  • Chair’s Opening Remarks 

    Professor Alan Finnegan, Professor of Nursing and Military Health, Director of the Westminster Centre for Veterans Research, University of Chester (invited)

  • Keynote: National Update and Latest Initiatives for Improving Outcomes for Veterans

    • Insights into the rollout of the Veterans card: streamlining access to support resources
    • Sharing key takeaways from the Supporting Our Veterans consultation
    • A progress update on Op Fortitude and guidance on liaising with veteran homelessness services locally
    • Reflections on challenges and achievements upon the conclusion of the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan

    Johnny Mercer MP, Minister of State for Veteran’s Affairs (invited)

  • Keynote: Providing Personalised Care to Meet the Evolving Needs of Veterans 

    • Identifying emerging challenges for recent and long-term forces leavers reintegrating into the civilian world
    • The Battle Back Centre: supporting veterans in the critical early stage of the post-forces transition
    • Accessing funding to source mobility aids and equipment grants for injured or disabled veterans
    • Guidance on providing financial support and advice to promote veteran financial wellbeing and stability

    Ann Griffiths, Head of Policy & Research, Royal British Legion (invited)

  • Questions & Answers Session

  • Comfort Break 

  • Keynote: Supporting ‘Invisible’ Veterans from Traditionally Under-Represented Communities to Access Assistance

    • The Female Veterans Transformation Programme: employing a toolkit for ensuring services are inclusive for women veterans
    • Delivering immigration advice and connecting non-UK veterans to the Commonwealth and Families Veterans’ Support Group
    • Supporting veterans who have been victims of sexual harassment and assault during their service to access therapeutic care
    • Ensuring employment and healthcare providers are trained on the disadvantages LGBTQI and female veterans have faced to ensure they are not replicated

    Paula Edwards, CEO, Salute Her UK (CONFIRMED)

  • Case Study: Recommendations for Delivering High Quality Joined Up Care for Veterans

    • Offering a single point of contact for veteran’s and their families to access support networks
    • Liaising with healthcare providers to organise regular check-ins and remove the stress of coordinating care from veterans and their families
    • Ensuring care providers employ trauma-informed approaches that help veterans feel safe, empowered and understood when accessing support
    • Developing specialist rehabilitation programmes to help veterans in the criminal justice system

    Bob Blanchard, CEO and Founder, Veterans HQ (invited)

  • Case Study: Providing Wrap Around Mental Health Support for Veterans and their Families

    • Creating a crisis plan to deliver intensive support during critical periods of vulnerability
    • Collaborating with charities to provide targeted referrals to specialised counselling resources and services
    • Guidance for delivering substance misuse treatment and support for veterans
    • Strategies for assessing local need and collaborating with GPs to ensure veterans are effectively allocated across local capacity

    Lt Col (Retd) Guy Benson, National Team Lead, Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers Session

  • Lunch Break 

  • Panel Discussion: Tackling the Common Barriers to Veterans Accessing Physical and Mental Health Support  

    • Best practice initiatives to manage demand for veteran’s services and liaise with local service providers
    • Solutions to tackle and mitigate against veteran isolation and encourage help-seeking behaviours
    • Guidance on connecting with veteran support groups and accessing their feedback about common challenges
    • Attendees will be invited to ask questions

    Lynne Doherty, Director of Social Care Operations, SSAFA (invited)

    Chris Noble, Chief Constable, Staffordshire Police (CONFIRMED)

    Ian Lofting, Armed Forces Champion for Sussex, DWP (CONFIRMED)

  • Breakout Networking: Removing Barriers to Service Uptake and Rewarding Help-Seeking Behaviours

    This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face around increasing uptake of your support services and identifying common barriers to veteran’s help-seeking. This networking session will allow you to share your experiences and encourage cross sector collaboration.

  • Comfort Break

  • Case Study: Supporting Veterans into Housing and Connecting Them with Follow-Up Services

    • Developing active lifestyle and community classes to tackle veteran isolation and encourage socialisation
    • Engaging local charities and authorities to prevent homelessness and swifty provide temporary housing solutions for extremely vulnerable veterans
    • Ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations in all veteran housing initiatives to guarantee a secure and healthy living environment
    • Liaising with local employers to support veterans into local apprenticeships and training programmes

    William Lindsay, Director Housing Services and Development, Haig Housing (invited)

  • Case Study: Supporting Veterans into Employment Post-Service

    • Creating interview practice workshops to help veterans prepare for the application process
    • Engaging local businesses to challenge unhelpful stereotypes and encourage widespread adoption of the Armed Forces Covenant
    • Connecting with active service and recently discharged service members to provide guidance on identifying potential employers and careers pathways
    • Strategies for engaging ex-forces offenders and showcasing employment opportunities and reduce the risk of re-offending

    Sarah Kerr, Armed Forces Outreach Support Coordinator, Shropshire Council (invited)

  • Questions and Answers Session

  • Chair’s Closing Remarks 

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend?

Delegates who will have an interest in this event will be people who work and support the veteran’s community.

*This Conference is open to Public, Private and Third Sectors

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

Sponsorship

Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact Chris and Ali today at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here and we will contact you.

Benefits of partnering with us include:

  • Brand awareness: Be seen by a highly targeted and engaged audience before, during, and after the conference.
  • Lead generation: Meet the decision-makers and influencers responsible for making purchasing decisions on cyber security and data protection.
  • Thought leadership: Position your organisation and experts as thought leaders and the ‘go to’ experts.
  • Networking: Make valuable connections with potential new customers and partners across government and the wider public sector
  • Grow your business: Reach decision makers in a single event on just one day and in one location (with no travel/accommodation required), saving you time and money.
  • Gain valuable insights: Hear the latest from key stakeholders in government, and across the public and voluntary sectors.

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

All packages include:

  • Extensive branding – before, during, after the conference
  • 15-20 min morning speaking session with Q&A
  • Virtual stand to showcase your organisation, products, services, and solutions
  • Opportunities to network during the day
  • Half to full page ad in the E-Guide
  • Banner ad on the virtual events platform
  • Announcement post on LinkedIn
  • Announcement within delegate communication
  • 1-3 delegate places (worth upto £1,947)
  • Access to the delegate details after the event
  • Ongoing exposure through OnDemand (coming soon)

For more information and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris and Ali at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

  • Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
  • Lower sponsorship package costs
  • No travel/accommodation
  • Less time out of the office
  • No stand materials required (lower costs)
  • 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
  • Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
  • Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
  • Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris and Ali at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

Pricing
  • Public Sector Rate incl. GE Insights: £449.00+VAT
  • Voluntary Sector Rate incl. GE Insights:: £379.00+VAT
  • Private Sector Rate incl. GE Insights:: £649.00+VAT

Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you access to all of the following including 12-months FREE access to GE Insights, our cross-sector learning resource, and the easiest way for you to prepare for the conference and then stay engaged all year with the ongoing discussions and best practice:

✓ High Level Keynotes

✓ Case Studies Showcasing Best Practice

✓ Panel Discussions

✓ Live Chat and Networking Opportunities

✓ Q&A

✓ 8 Hours of CPD

✓ Speaker Presentations and Videos OnDemand

✓ 12-Months FREE access to GE Insights (RRP £199)

 – 100s of exclusive case study focused videos and articles

 –  CPD Dashboard

 –  Personalised Homepage

 – 30+ new uploads each month