Scottish Veterans Commissioner Recommendations

The purpose of this work was to listen to the experiences of the wider veteran community, seek to understand how well served all veterans and their families are by existing services and capture observations and findings. Each section sets out suggestions of how things could be improved for veterans and their families based on the evidence and testimony gathered.

These suggestions will support the following outcome focussed recommendations I am making to the Scottish Government: 

• The identity and contribution of under-represented groups within the veteran community are recognised. Diversity is recognised in language, imagery, policy and practice and barriers to access are eliminated. Gaps in provision for the specific needs of under-represented groups within the veteran community are addressed.
• A better understanding by service providers of the specific needs of women veterans is required, particularly in the areas of mental health and sexual trauma, to support them more effectively.
• Improved and expanded data capture, analysis and transfer supports and enhances policy development, quality of support and service delivery for the veteran community. 
• Spouses, partners, children and the bereaved are explicitly included in policy and practice relating to the veteran community.
• Mechanisms are established to raise awareness, promote good practice, identify and resolve challenges, and provide assurance and consistency of delivery of veterans’ services by public bodies in Scotland (in line with the principles of removing disadvantage due to Service and applying special consideration if appropriate).
• Inconsistency of financial support for the most vulnerable veterans in Scotland should be eradicated by Scottish public bodies. 

My recommendations are made in line with my remit to ‘provide leadership and challenge and drive momentum’ towards realising the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve support and access to services for veterans and their families.

These are long term outcomes and I recognise that achieving them will require collaboration with a range of delivery partners across public, private and third sectors. By working collectively, we can continue to make life better for veterans and their families living in Scotland.