(Approximate starting time: 2.30pm)
· Recognise and Remember Task Group
o SCMPB presence at National Armed Forces Day
· Community Integration Task Group
o Care Act
o School admissions and Service Pupil Premium
Minutes:
Recognise and Remember Task Group
The Chairman of the Task Group, Brigadier Paul Evans gave the following update:
· The last meeting was held at ATC Pirbright and the group were invited to watch a Passing Out Parade of both Regulars and Reservists.
· Current focus is on developing a forward plan and establishing a role for the Armed Forces Champions.
· There are two major VC events in Surrey on 25 April and 26 April in Woking and Surrey Heath respectively.
· The War Memorial Amelioration Project is going well. Board members noted that Memorial Halls were within the remit of the project.
· Promoting ‘I want to book a soldier’, but uptake is slow and officers are looking at how to increase it.
Peter Bruinvels then took members through the full programme for National Armed Forces Day in Guildford and the other events leading up to it, including the official launch of Armed Forces Week at The Guildhall on Monday 22 June 2015. The programme for the full week was discussed, and it was noted that the Board would consider how best to have a presence on the day. ACTION: DM/JP/PB/SG
Community Integration Task Group
The Chairman of the Task Group, Michael Cannon updated that the Group has had two meetings and consolidated the action plans from the former Transition Task Group and Armed Forces Forum. Four working sub-groups have been established as set out below. A few of the actions being taken forward are noted. In addition the group has been monitoring the relaunched web pages and the @SurreyMilitary twitter feed. Board members were asked to further promote these, and send any events for the military calendar to armedforces@surreycc.gov.uk. ACTION: ALL
Housing:
· Ensuring the armed forces community has the same access to housing and advice as any other citizen. Looking at standard data collection, reviewing housing websites etc
· Increased links to Joint Services Housing Advice Office (JSHAO)
Employment and skills
· Ensuring support to service leavers and spouses is clear through improved marketing and communications, and providing ongoing support to service families and reservists
· Promoting opportunities for developing learning and skills, eg adult learners events.
Health, Wellbeing and Welfare
· The group is amalgamating the work of the previous two task groups, and is looking at numbers of the armed forces community using either NHS or DMS (Defence Medical Services) facilities.
Education:
· Promoting the understanding of the admissions process to military families and maintaining good communication with 11 Brigade to secure early information for pupil place planning.
· Promoting greater understanding of the needs of service children.
· Exploring a link between the military and the new University Technical College in Guildford.
Mark Scarborough, Area Education Officer for Surrey County Council with the Military lead gave a further update:
· Service Pupil Premium (SPP) – schools are not held to account for the use of this funding in the same way as they are for the Pupil Premium. This will be raised with OFSTED and the appropriate schools.
· As a result from a request from schools, and following best practice from Hampshire, a newsletter has been produced and sent to all Surrey schools with service children. This includes ideas for the use of the SPP.
· Admissions are working closely with 11 Brigade. Changes to the School Admissions Code was circulated – the earliest that changes could come into effect is September 2017. However, at the moment there are not enough service children coming through Surrey for a countywide change to the Admissions Code. A request was made to find out the issues service families raised with the Admissions Team. ACTION: MS
During discussion it was noted that:
· The Army Families Foundations report that the SPP, school places and continuity of education are all key issues for service families.
· SPP is not available for the children of Reservists.
The Chairman requested a further update on education issues at the next Board meeting in October. ACTION: SG/MS