Armed forces support

Supporting the Covenant

We work in partnership with Lancashire County Council, the NHS and HQ North West in the support and delivery of the Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub providing ongoing daily support to the armed forces community across Lancashire.

We have a long history of developing military veterans and offer a vast range of flexible courses that can be studied full or part-time, at foundation, degree and master’s level. Our courses cover subjects ranging from sport and business to computing, nursing, engineering and policing. Whatever path you choose, we are proud to support serving and ex-military personnel and their families in developing skills and knowledge, in turn enhancing employability.

Enhanced learning credits

Whether you are still serving or have been resettled, you might be entitled to full or partial funding for an undergraduate or master’s degree.

The Enhanced Learning Credits Accreditation Services (ELCAS) provide funding for educational courses to enhance your skills and knowledge base. The University has been a registered ELCAS service provider since 2006 and has had more than 300 military personnel enrol.

For more information on how to apply for funding visit the ELCAS website and reference our provider ID = 1275.

If your chosen course doesn’t appear on the list of ELCAS approved courses, please contact the Student Fees and Funding Team or telephone +44 (0)1772 892440.

Please forward your Claim Authorisation Note (CAN) to the team to ensure your Enhanced Learning Credits are applied to your tuition fee account.

We work closely with the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services (CMVES), and have achieved an Armed Forces Covenant Gold award and national acclaim for helping service members resettle.

The CMVES team based at UCLan can help you and your family make a smooth transition from a career in the military services to civilian life. Specialist staff who have experience in the armed forces will provide you with professional guidance and advice if you are planning to leave the armed forces, or are already a military veteran.

You can speak to a member of the team about anything from resettlement and starting a new career to ELC funding, qualifications, family support and making the most of civilian life. It is a great opportunity for you to find out what possibilities exist and get a head start.

Research

Understanding the transition pathway for ex-service personnel discharged due to physical challenge

The Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £149,625 to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), in partnership with the University of Salford, to undertake a two-year research project to understand the transition to civilian life for ex-Service personnel with physical conditions as a direct result of Service.

The research will identify the support and provisions that are available during transition for ex-Service personnel with service-related physical conditions, or physical conditions acquired whilst serving, and offer suggestions on what further, or better, support could be offered.

Project research will comprise an extensive review of relevant literature and existing data, consultation with policy and practice stakeholders, and a qualitative study with a cohort of medically discharged Service personnel.

The University are also partnering with the University of Salford on the ground-breaking research considering Sanctions, Support & Service Leavers: Experiences of the UK social security system in transition, Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), £299,150. This three year project which will complete in 2023 follows the previous Sanctions, Support & Service Leavers: Welfare conditionality and transitions from military to civilian life project also funded by FiMT, £172,000.

Service Children’s Progression Alliance

Lancashire and the North West Hub

The University of Central Lancashire is privileged to host one of the SCiP hubs in the North West of England with a particular focus on Lancashire.

The University is a dedicated to supporting the armed forces community and is one of the few Universities to hold the Gold ERS award, demonstrating our commitment in this area.

The local picture surrounding the armed forces community in Lancashire identifies from the 2011 Census that across Lancashire there were 2,214 residents who stated they were employed by the armed forces. Throughout the county there are a recorded 1,137 service children in receipt of pupil premium (Lancashire County Council, 2019). In this area of England Lancaster and Fleetwood, Wigan and Blackpool South remain in the UK’s top ten constituency areas for recruiting personnel to the armed forces (House of Commons, 2019) making the North one of the largest areas for recruitment of armed forces personnel.

The hub was established in June 2019 and we welcome Schools, Further Education Providers and Higher Education Institutions across the region to join the partnership and work with us to help improve education outcomes of young people from military families.

By signing up to the partnership we ask partners to commit to the following:

Develop an action plan for their area, working with local bodies (e.g. councils) to scope provision offered for children form military families in their region
Attend at least two SCiP meetings per year
Express a commitment towards working towards Armed Forces Covenant status
Contribute to outreach activity at events hosted at UCLan.

Engaging young people from military families through the following:

Advice and guidance from the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services (based at UCLan)
Access to an annual CPD conference covering Military Family engagement
Support and mentorship if you would like to host a military family engagement event.

Actions taking place between the Hub and Lancashire County Council:

Baseline survey to establish:

The number of service children in their schools
The number of service children in their schools in receipt of pupil premium
The needs of service children in mainstream education
Identify youth council representatives of children and young people from military families to advocate on their own behalf and link into the broader youth councils across the county.
Identify key thematic areas where children from military families require support in order to attain and progress as well as non-military children.
Parental engagement strategy – childhood adversity and transference of issues i.e. during deployment or times of high stress in the family
Teacher CPD – information, advice and guidance for teaching staff
Develop Resources – for children from military families, parents and schools.

For more information please contact our Hub Chairs: Rebecca Steel or Dr Celia Hynes.

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