Decision

The Adults, Health and Housing Scrutiny Committee considered the Annual Report of the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership and RESOLVED to note the progress made by the Somerset Armed Forces Covenant Partnership since December 2025.

The Committee considered whether the proposed improvement programme provides a sufficiently ambitious and practical response to the anticipated extension of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty, andthat a further update be brought back to the Committee in summer 2027.

The Committee also RESOLVED to endorse the recommendations below, subject to further assessment of resource implications, affordability and governance requirements, including consideration of staffing capacity, implementation costs and any detailed business cases required through the Council's decision-making processes:

1. Support the development of a costed and time-bound action plan towards Gold Employer Recognition, subject to confirmation of the organisational requirements, resources and governance arrangements required.
2. Support the identification of a named officer champion in each Council service materially affected by the current or extended Duty, with responsibility for advice, coordination, escalation and evidencing due regard.
3. Recommend a review of housing allocations and homelessness practice to determine whether the Council’s current approach provides appropriate consideration for members of the Armed Forces community, including whether any change to priority banding or associated guidance is justified.
4. Recommend a Council-wide review of the treatment of military compensation in means-tested support, including Disabled Facilities Grants, with the aim of establishing a consistent approach that prevents compensation for service-related injury or disability creating disadvantage.
5. Support mandatory Armed Forces Covenant training for all staff, supplemented by role-specific training for housing staff and other relevant customer-facing, commissioning, policy and decision-making roles.
6. Support exploration of a structured offer to Somerset cadet units, including employability activity, mock interviews and appropriate work-experience opportunities.
7. Request that an implementation plan, including accountable leads, milestones, resource implications, performance measures and unresolved policy choices, is reported back to the appropriate committee within six months.
8. Identify any additional action or evidence required before recommendations are submitted to the Executive or incorporated into the Council’s service planning.
9. Ensure that the lived experiences of serving personnel, veterans and Armed Forces families continue to inform the development and implementation of the Council’s Armed Forces Covenant commitments.
10. Support consideration of Armed Forces Covenant training and awareness for elected Members following the 2027 elections.
11. Develop proposals, in conjunction with the Children and Education Scrutiny Committee, to improve support for service children and educational continuity, recognising the challenges associated with frequent relocation and transitions between schools.