PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE RAF IMPACT REPORT 2017-18 OPENING MESSAGE A MESSAGE FROM SSAFA’S DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SSAFA is proud to have been and welfare provision to support HR providing Personal Support and personnel in the RAF. Both have been Social Work Services to the RAF for well received and we look forwards to over 27 years and are delighted to expanding on these initiatives. have been awarded the contract Whilst much has been achieved thus once more. far, considerable work remains to be In 2017 we supported 3067 people done. We look forwards to working from across the RAF community. The with RAF and civilian colleagues, and principle reasons people used the of course the families of RAF service were for support with personnel as we work towards our relationships and family issues, common goal of providing the very WHAT’S INSIDE physical health and disability, and best personal support and welfare personal support. Many cases were services to the RAF community that complex, requiring us to work closely we can. with other agencies in order to achieve the desired outcomes for those involved. Whilst we continue to 03 DIRECTOR INTRODUCTION tailor services to meet these priorities, we are pleased to have introduced 04 OUR VISION – OUR APPROACH TO SUPPORT David Williams two new services: a single point of Director of Health 04 RAF LOCATIONS IN THE UK contact signposting service to make it & Social Care easier for beneficiaries to get support, 06 SSAFA’S IMPACT IN 2017 08 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE Quality assurance Learning and development Utilising technology to ensure continuity of care Single Point of Contact HR Welfare Supervision 10 SSAFA’S ADDED VALUE Adoption service “ Across our UK-based Additional Needs and Disabilities advice service RAF Social Work Service, Specialist services we continue to deliver and 11 CLOSING REMARKS develop the contract...” 2 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE RAF IMPACT REPORT 2017-18 3 OUR VISION OUR APPROACH SSAFA wants to enhance the service we provide to the RAF community in the UK and overseas through technical and organisational change, as well as new and innovative programmes. We want to maintain our high-quality We are always working to provide services and continue to be the RAF’s a high level of support, including Personal Support and Social Work (not specifically in): Service (PS&SWS) provider of choice. • cases of varying complexity; Our team of specialist Personal and • reaching reserves as well Family Support Workers and Social as regulars; Workers are located on stations in CASE STUDY the RAF community. Our approach • meeting increased demand from BEN seeks to tackle issues by going to families of serving personnel; the root cause and not just solving • continuously monitoring A passion for motor racing is helping my core beliefs, my understanding the presenting concern. service provision and seeking former RAF Chinook engineer Ben of people and of life, were challenged client feedback. Norfolk come to terms with a by what I saw, particularly because diagnosis of complex PTSD and an I was not expecting it.” abrupt end to his military career. A medical discharge followed RAF LOSSIEMOUTH Ben completed two tours of Iraq and it was while he was struggling and six of Afghanistan during his to deal with his transition that Ben RAF BOULMER RAF LEEMING 18-year service career but is now first called on SSAFA for support, RAF LINTON-ON-OUSE RAF adjusting to life as a civilian contacting SSAFA’s Personal RAF DIGBY LOCATIONS RAF SCAMPTON following his medical discharge Support & Social Work Service RAF. IN THE UK RAF VALLEY RAF WADDINGTON in November 2017. Supported by He said: “I spoke to the SSAFA rep WITH SSAFA SUPPORT RAF WITTERING military charities including SSAFA, and she went into a welfare meeting RAF SHAWBURY RAF CONINGSBY he is getting his life back on track and fought my corner for me. I didn’t RAF COSFORD RAF CRANWELL with Invictus Games Racing and feel I could confront them directly. RAF MARHAM planning for a new career. From that point onwards it was a bit RAF BRIZE NORTON easier because she had kickstarted RAF HONINGTON “It all relates back to an incident I was MOD ST ATHAN the process for me.” RAF WYTON part of in 2008,” he said. “The role MOD ABBEYWOOD CENTRAL the Chinooks were doing was a lot of Ben went onto to say “Because OFFICE, LONDON RAF ST MAWGAN casualty recovery with the medical of what has happened something RAF RAF BENSON ODIHAM RAF HALTON emergency response teams. I think positive has come into my life.” RAF HIGH WYCOMBE RAF NORTHOLT 4 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE RAF IMPACT REPORT 2017-18 5 OUR IMPACT IN 2017 SUPPORTING RAF SERVICE PERSONNEL A servicewoman whose marriage encouraged her to seek specialist ended suddenly the day before she help to enable her to address the was due to leave the RAF received emotional abuse she had suffered 60 vital practical and emotional during her relationship. They later Staff across the UK support from SSAFA. applied for funding on SAC X’s behalf to pay for new bedroom Staff from SSAFA’s Personal furniture for her children and a , Support & Social Work Service – much-needed family holiday. 3 067 RAF were contacted when SAC X People supported in 2017 Further signposting to legal and and her two young children, aged mediation services empowered six months and two, moved into SAC X to take these matters the local contact house. forward herself. TOP 3 REFERRAL REASONS: After SAC X had overcome her She and her children are now initial shock and disbelief at her settled, the children have places in marriage breakdown, she decided the local nursery and SAC X is due 19% 16% to remain in the RAF. SSAFA staff to return to the workplace shortly. 23% Physical health/disability Personal support Relationships/family ACCESS TO OUR SERVICE BY CATEGORY: 2,257 757 Serving Dependent 30 43 Veteran Reserves 105 21 158 enquiries answered referrals made as a result face-to-face welfare through the single of clients contacting the supervision sessions point of contact single point of contact completed 6 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE RAF IMPACT REPORT 2017-18 7 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE QUALITY ASSURANCE USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE The Quality Manager is an integral OUR CONTINUITY OF CARE post within the SSAFA PS&SWS RAF Our service and support to the RAF service. They provide additional support community has continued to evolve in respect of improving practice across through Care Director, our specialist “ Our priority is always our service, conducting audits of all health and social care software. Care the individual and making aspects of the work undertaken and Director allows easy access to the sure their needs are met ensuring that good practice is digital records of our clients’ data. shared throughout. This gives more robust reporting and with a continuity of care.” effective monitoring of the personal Assurance visits are made to a support and social work service that cross-section of stations throughout we provide. Our priority is always the the year. Service personnel, service individual and making sure their needs users, staff and other agencies are are met with a continuity of care. all spoken to as part of the process – identifying good practice and any Using Care Director and our digital areas that may need to be improved. capabilities allows us to seamlessly transfer clients required data wherever LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT they are based. This ensures we can As the service evolves, we are continue our high level of client SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT HR WELFARE SUPERVISION faced with a wider variety of cases. support with minimum disruption. The single point of contact (SPOC) We’ve developed a support service We need to ensure all our staff are service is available 24 hours a day, to assist the RAF in recognising the trained to handle them in the best 365 days a year and incorporates adverse effects brought about by possible way. The continuous learning a confidential signposting service the emotional demands of their work. and development of our team ensures during working hours and an out It also supports individuals in building that we stay innovative in our delivery of hours support service. resilience to reduce levels of stress of services and align with any and burnout. legislative changes. The SPOC service was introduced as part of the new contract as an Using a tried and tested programme additional way for serving personnel based on the restorative supervision and their families to access the model, the service provides a “ As the service evolves, service wherever they are located. supportive environment where RAF professionals can talk in a confidential we are faced with a wider Since its launch in September 2017, setting. Delivered by SSAFA Welfare variety of cases. We need it has received over 100 calls and Support Officers, it allows individuals emails resulting in 21 referrals to to ensure all our staff are the opportunity to enhance the the PS&SWS team. trained to handle them in coping mechanisms used when facing the best possible way.” challenges, building relationships and making decisions within their role. 8 PERSONAL SUPPORT & SOCIAL WORK SERVICE RAF IMPACT REPORT 2017-18 9 CLOSING REMARKS This report once again clearly This increases the RAF’s capability highlights the excellent work being to deliver welfare support to our delivered by SSAFA in providing personnel to best effect. personal support and social work Accessibility to SSAFA has been services for our personnel and greatly enhanced through the new their families.