The employment experiences of serving partners

This project aimed to raise awareness of areas of potential disadvantage or challenges caused by Service to partners, whilst also helping to identify possible gaps and ensure easy access to support for partners and spouses. This was part of a larger programme, informed by the MOD’s Families Action Plan, to pilot practical new solutions that support partners of serving personnel, including Reservists, to reduce the challenges of Service life through exploring the employment experiences of both accompanied and unaccompanied partners of regular serving personnel. It also explored the barriers and potential solutions to improve employment opportunities for serving partners. The project had a clear aim to establish, what, if any, were the barriers to serving partners accessing and maintaining employment and to determine what improvements could be made to mitigate such challenges. The project was significantly informed and enhanced through co-production with military partners who gave their time generously; and shared their personal experiences in detail. There reflections and insights can help to inform future discussions and explore innovative solutions. The co-designed approach of this work is significant. Serving partners have had an opportunity to be heard and to offer suggestions as to how support could be improved. It is helpful to understand the extent of the impact that employment challenges can have on serving partners. There can be a negative impact on the household finances, and additionally there can be a detrimental effect on partners’ confidence and mental health and wellbeing; all of which may potentially have a negative effect on the quality of family life and be push factors in terms of retaining the serving partner. Whilst those within the serving Armed Forces community may recognise the challenges that are faced by partners in terms of accessing employment, career progression, underemployment and childcare challenges, it is essential to have robust academic evidence to inform policy and decision makers so that they can effectively address the issues. For this, we are enormously grateful to Professor Alan Finnegan and his team at the University of Chester for carrying out this research. Whilst this will undoubtedly serve to inform the development of future grant programmes to be delivered by the Trust in support of the partners of serving personnel in the UK and abroad, it is hoped that it will also inform policy and decision makers and the third sector more broadly.