To approve the Herefordshire Armed Forces Corporate Covenant.

THAT:

·         In May 2012 Herefordshire Council, together with local partners signed the Herefordshire Armed Forces Community Covenant (Appendix A).  The covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between the civilian community and its local armed forces community. 

·         Partners developed an action plan in order to deliver the key aims of the AFCC in the county and put together a Civilian Military Task Group (CMTG) to drive through the actions in the plan.

·         Since May 2012, many actions have been achieved and the Action Plan has been regularly refreshed to ensure that the CMTG is addressing current and pertinent issues.

·         In addition to the community covenant, the Government introduced the corporate covenant as a way of formally recognising and valuing the support that employers provide to the armed forces community.  The corporate covenant is designed to allow businesses and charitable organisations to express their support for the armed forces community and commit to ways in which they can provide that support. 

·         The corporate covenant guidelines (Appendix B) encourage businesses to commit to as much or as little as they can, and it is clear that many businesses in the county are supportive of the armed forces community.  Unfortunately, to date the number of businesses actually signing up to the corporate covenant in Herefordshire is very low. 

·         The CMTG is anxious that this position changes and that businesses across the county are encouraged to commit their support.

·         The council already supports four of the eight potential commitments suggested in the Government guidelines.  Namely:

1.      endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting  leave for service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment;

2.      seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible;

3.      offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible; and,

4.      aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day.

·         The council could add to this list by advertising all job vacancies through the armed forces welfare news system thereby promoting our employment opportunities directly to the armed forces community and promoting the fact that we are an armed forces friendly organisation.

·         It is therefore proposed that Herefordshire Council plays a positive leading role by approving, signing up to and publicising a set of supporting commitments as set out in the draft Herefordshire Armed Forces Corporate Covenant (appendix C).