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Two years as Scottish Veterans Commissioner

This week marks two years since I took up the role of Scottish Veterans Commissioner. Over this period, my commitment to amplifying the voices of our veteran community has deepened, and I remain determined to drive improvement so that every veteran, regardless of their background, feels understood, valued, and supported.

In the past 24 months I have been struck most of all by the enormously wide, varied, and valuable contributions made by the veterans I have encountered, working across the private, public and voluntary sectors. The talent, drive and motivation combined with personal values and humour that are the hallmarks of ex-Service people are making a positive impact in many diverse areas. It has been a privilege to see what ex-Service personnel and their families bring to workplaces and communities across Scotland.

This past year in particular has been marked by a focus on recognising the diversity of our veteran community, with a key milestone being the launch of my first thematic report – Community and Relationships: Anything But Uniform. Focused on members of our veteran community whose voices are less frequently heard, it explores the experiences of spouses, children, LGBT+ veterans, non-UK veterans who have served in the UK Armed Forces, women veterans, veterans with disabilities, and the bereaved.

It sets out a series of recommendations to the Scottish Government to help members of these groups feel more understood and valued. These include recognising the diversity of the veteran community in language, imagery, policy, and practice; tackling gaps in provision for the specific needs of under-represented groups; and improving understanding of the specific needs of women veterans among service providers, particularly in the areas of mental health and sexual trauma. From 2025, these recommendations will be incorporated into my annual progress reporting, which monitors the Scottish Government progress against recommendations made by the SVC office.

Another milestone related to SVC work was the launch of the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme across Scotland, which aims to provide more tailored healthcare focused on the specific health challenges that veterans and their families may face following military service. Announced in November 2023, the national roll out of the scheme was aligned with SVC recommendations and represented a hugely welcome move. For most Service leavers, GPs are the gatekeepers to wider healthcare services, so an improved understanding of veterans’ needs is a pivotal step towards ensuring they can access appropriate health and wellbeing services in a timely manner.

Significant events in the wider ex-Service sector included the launch of the Female Veterans Transformation Programme, which aims to improve visibility and support for Servicewomen and women veterans through long-term, systemic change, and the publication of the Etherton Review into the service and experience of LGBT veterans who served prior to 2000. In Scotland, publication of data about our veteran community that was collected in Scotland’s Census in 2022 revealed that 176,100 people identified themselves as veterans, representing a range of ages and living across all parts of Scotland. More detailed data is due to be released in time, which will help build a clearer picture than ever of the veteran community in Scotland and should allow service providers, policy makers and decision takers to ensure that service planning and delivery more effectively meets the diverse needs of our veteran community. I look forward to hearing more about the progress and impact of these developments in due course.

A personal highlight was commemorations surrounding the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings. A pivotal moment in WWII, surviving veterans were honoured with a range of services, including an international ceremony in Normandy.

I attended the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s D-Day service at the Scottish National War Memorial, where the Torch of Commemoration was passed by two Normandy veterans to a young Sea Cadet to symbolise passing the responsibility of remembrance to the next generation, as well as a wonderful service at the Admiral Ramsay Military Museum, at Bughtrig, Coldstream.

Throughout the commemorations, it was incredibly moving to hear veterans share their memories and experiences and pay tribute to their fallen brothers, and I had the huge honour of meeting D-Day veterans Cyril, Jim and John at Scotland’s Salute to D-Day event at the Usher Hall - a magnificent event combining music, memories and Remembrance.

Looking ahead to my third year in post, I have two key reports coming up. Firstly, I will be publishing my annual progress assessment – an effective way to spotlight positive change in the delivery of support and services for Scotland’s veterans, while also bringing attention to areas where greater improvement and potentially urgent action is needed.

Secondly, I will be publishing my second thematic report on Veterans and the Law, which will examine the experiences of veterans involved in the justice system in Scotland. I’ve already been carrying out extensive engagement relating to this work, including visits to prisons and meetings with organisations that support veterans in the justice system. I have also met ex-Service people who work in Police Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service, who continue to provide invaluable service to our community long after their military careers. I’ve had some very insightful and informative conversations, and I look forward to sharing my findings in full in due course.

Reflecting on my journey over the past two years, I am both encouraged by the progress we’ve made and mindful of the work that still lies ahead. As we continue to build on this foundation, I remain committed to advocating for our veteran community, drawing on their invaluable lived experiences to inform and guide our efforts. I am hugely grateful to the individuals and organisations who take the time to support my work. Together, we can move closer to a Scotland where all veterans and their family members feel understood and valued by society and empowered to reach their full potential.