Publish date: 23 June 2022
AWP wins Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) is delighted to have achieved the Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award, showing its commitment to supporting the armed forces community.
As a Veteran Aware Trust accredited by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), AWP is committed to ensuring that the armed forces community is treated equally, in line with the NHS's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant. AWP also ensures that staff working in veterans’ services are highly trained to support the needs of veterans.
As part of the VCHA accreditation process, AWP also signed the Armed Forces Covenant, recognising the value that serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to their communities. As part of the covenant, AWP has made a pledge to promote itself as an armed forces-friendly organisation and support the employment of veterans and service spouses and partners. AWP is also committed to supporting staff who choose to be members of the reserve forces, and actively participates in Armed Forces Day.
Sarah Jones, Deputy Director of Nursing at AWP, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the Regional Employer Engagement Board has awarded AWP with the Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award. Since being named a Veteran Aware Trust and receiving Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance accreditation in 2021, we have remained dedicated to supporting veterans and the armed forces community in AWP.
“As an NHS provider of mental health services, we support veterans and the armed forces community through our specialist veterans' services across the South West and in our core mental health services. The Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award is really important to us because it recognises our commitment to ensuring that our recruitment and employment processes support more veterans and their families into the NHS."
