Female Veterans Transformation Programme

Over the last few years lots of work and academic research has been conducted on the challenges female veterans face as a result of their time in the Armed Forces. However, we recognise that we need to now use this research as a basis to take action and make improvements so women get the right support at the right time and in a way that matters to them.
We pulled together the key themes of the research in an Evidence Review and Statement of Need before moving to a consultation phase. We asked female veterans and those who work with them – What are the solutions? How do we improve things? What is currently working well and what needs to change and how does it need to change?
We also need to make sure that these improvements are across ALL services, not just veteran specific organisations – how do we raise awareness and educate professionals such as GP’s, social services, hospital staff, leisure services, employers etc.
But this isn’t just about focusing on what’s wrong, we also want to celebrate what is currently working well and where good practice exists– How can we share this and demonstrate how to do things well?

The aim of this programme is to transform service provision for female veterans.

The Female Veterans’ Transformation Programme will produce a toolkit for use by service providers in the commercial, statutory and charitable sectors, helping transform service provision for female veterans. The toolkit could take the form of a digital resource, awareness-raising resources, or an interactive app.

Co-production is underway in 3 stages. Firstly, we asked as many female veterans as possible to complete a questionnaire (or for those who support them, a second questionnaire). We then pulled together the key themes and took these to a series of focus groups both face to face, across the country, and online. The focus groups helped us in starting to create the main sections and criteria of the toolkit – setting out the self-assessment section which identifies ‘what you need to do to provide good services for women veterans’.
The last stage of this process moves us into phase 3 of the overall transformation programme by testing and changing the toolkit based on feedback from women veterans and those that support them, with the final version being available in the last stage of the project.

• What are the solutions?
• How do we improve things?
• What is currently working well and what needs to change and how does it need to change?
• How can we share this and demonstrate how to do things well?

Female veterans and those who work with them. The programme has spoken to approximately 900 female veterans.