We are committed to becoming Armed Forces and Veterans (AFV) aware. We aim to understand the challenges of service life and to remove the barriers to successfully accessing healthcare and employment.
Read the news story about NHS Fife receiving the ERS Silver award
About the scheme
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver, and gold awards 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.
The ERS is designed primarily to recognise private sector support although public sector organisations such as the emergency services, local authorities, NHS trusts and executive agencies are also eligible to be recognised.
Silver award holders
To achieve the Silver award the organisation:
- must have signed the Armed Forces Covenant
- must have already stated their intent to be supportive by using the ERS website to register at the Bronze level
- must proactively demonstrate that service personnel/armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruiting and selection processes
- must employ at least one individual from the armed forces community category that the nomination emphasises.
- must actively ensure that their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues.
- must have demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place. They must demonstrate support to training by providing at least 5 days’ additional unpaid/paid leave (wherever possible not to Reservist employees’ financial disadvantage)
- must not have been the subject of any negative PR or media activity
Our community
The AFV community includes all those, who are currently serving in either the regular or reserve forces, veterans, the family of service personnel or veterans, or bereaved family members.
Veterans are defined as anyone, who has served for at least one day in HM Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Naval Seafarers, who have deployed as part of a military operation.
Let us know if you are part of the AFV community when you are in contact or using NHS Fife services.
