The University of Central Lancashire has marked Armed Forces Week by welcoming the Director of the Service Children's Progression Alliance (SCiP) to discuss Lancashire’s plans to support service children to thrive.
Phil Dent joined representatives from the University, which hosts the SCiP Alliance Lancashire and North West Hub, and other regional partners to learn how the county is continuing to support children and young people whose parents are serving in the military.
Currently there are almost 1,300 armed forces personnel based in Lancashire, with a further 544 military families set to move to the county by September 2024 as we welcome The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment back home.
Many armed forces personnel have families who experience prolonged separation and a transient lifestyle. Local authorities need to recognise that military families have different support needs than civilian families and often need help when finding employment, housing, schools, and other essential services.
"The SCiP Alliance Lancashire and North West Hub is pioneering within the network and contributes to the national effort of community change the Alliance is making."
— Director of the Service Children's Progression Alliance Phil Dent
Speaking to Phil Dent, the SCiP Alliance Lancashire and North West Hub shared its commitment to developing a network of armed forces champions in local government to advocate on behalf of education, ensuring service children across the county are not disadvantaged.
The Hub will develop CPD tools for educators in schools, colleges and higher education so they know how to support service children in the classroom to progress alongside their civilian counterparts.
Another key commitment is to ensure service children are heard, represented, and are able to articulate the challenges and opportunities of service life.
Progress is already being made in this area through a series of interventions, including evidence-based practice and outreach sharing military families’ stories as an information, advice and guidance resource, initiatives with Lancashire County Council’s Education Policy Officers to establish a champions network, and collaborative education and employment pathways targeting military families to raise aspirations and awareness of progression routes.
"Service children have to cope with a lot of disruption in their lives, whether that’s regularly moving house and school and having to make new friends or having a parent deployed overseas and living with the stress of knowing they may be in danger."
— Becky Steel, Director of the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services
SCiP Alliance Director Phil Dent said: “The SCiP Alliance Lancashire and North West Hub is pioneering within the network and contributes to the national effort of community change the Alliance is making.
“It is one of our long-standing partners and has a strong history of giving children from North West military families a voice that is heard by government and policy makers to create positive change.”
Becky Steel, Director of the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services, said: “Service children have to cope with a lot of disruption in their lives, whether that’s regularly moving house and school and having to make new friends or having a parent deployed overseas and living with the stress of knowing they may be in danger. Whilst they are not enlisted members of the military, research indicates service life impacts upon their daily lives, educational attainment, and life ambitions.
“Statistics from the Office for Students show that service children are 52%* less likely to progress to higher education than their civilian peers and this is something we want to reduce. We are delighted to welcome Phil Dent to take part in this important discussion as we mark Armed Forces Week.
"Statistics from the Office for Students show that service children are 52%* less likely to progress to higher education than their civilian peers and this is something we want to reduce. "
— Becky Steel, Director of the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services
“We want to give military families, and specifically the children, a voice that is heard by the relevant local authorities who can address the barriers they face and support them to thrive.”
The Lancashire and North West SCiP Alliance Hub was set up 2019 and since then 16 further and higher education institutes have joined the partnership.
Other members of the Lancashire and North West SCiP Alliance who attended the event included Lancashire County Council, The Royal British Legion, The Army Welfare Service, charity representatives and educators from schools, colleges and higher education institutes.
The University of Central Lancashire signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017 and was awarded the Gold Award of the Employer Recognition Scheme in 2019. It is home to the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services, the Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub and the welfare department of the Royal Air Forces Association in the North.