ARK at Egwood (www.arkategwood.com), one of two NHS-funded Armed Forces Hubs covering the Somerset area, had its official launch on the 13th of March. Working with its partner hub, Arc in Taunton, ARK supports the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, reservists, veterans, their children and families.
ARK has three veterans who work on-site. Two have the specific role of being the link with the Armed Forces community, working within the remit, and understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant.
This is a bespoke service providing a named individual who acts as the single point of contact and can include:
– 1-1 or group support either remotely or on-site at ARK
– working in partnership with the military welfare system and health care services
– signposting and support in moving on to other organisations where appropriate
Jon, the Armed Forces Lead, served in the Royal Navy for twenty-four years, first in the Fleet Air Arm before transferring to the Welfare Branch, where he qualified as a Social Worker. During this time, he supported serving personnel and their families with a wide variety of personal, work-related and social issues, working closely with other departments such as the Chaplaincy, Medical Centres and the Departments of Community Mental Health in each base port area.
Jon’s role as the Armed Forces Lead at ARK is to establish and build the Armed Forces Hub. Since opening, there has been a steady stream of referrals from various professionals, including GP Surgeries, Open Mental Health, Housing Officers, Village Agents, as well as self-referrals and transfers between the two hubs.
The Hub has had twenty referrals to date which led to casework involvement, of which:
Seven now come to ARK every week, in addition to the veterans who were already attending
Ten veterans are supported remotely in the community.
Three have closed with no further action or support needed
The main presentation for support appears to be isolation and mental health. However, other challenges have included:
Physical illness/long-term disability
Support with an Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claim
Preparation to leave the Service for medical reasons
Needing decompression from being a carer
Housing
Support while waiting for ADHD assessment
Support following a stroke
For those who come in person, ARK has started a regular veteran-led ‘cook out’ in the woods on a Wednesday morning to bring veterans and other attendees together over a shared meal. Sharing this on social media attracted more veterans looking to connect with others in a safe space. They have continued coming every week to help around the site and enjoy peer support.
ARK has recently held clinics with two Department of Work and Pensions Armed Forces Champions for anyone with queries or concerns, which will continue monthly. ARK is also in the early planning stages of setting up pain cafes at the hub. These will be workshops to support people in managing pain without long-term medication.
If you are working with a member of the Armed Forces Community and you have a query, want to make a referral to the hub or arrange a visit for yourself, you can email Jon at jon@arkategwood.com