OUR SERVICES

HOW THE VETERANS COMMUNITY NETWORK CAN HELP YOU

These days, there is so much help out there for Veterans, Reservists and their families that it can be difficult to know exactly where to start. Making phone contact can sometimes be difficult and frustrating if you can’t get through on a help line or feel as if you are being sent around in circles.

The Veterans Community Network will never just sign post you to one of these agencies. We have developed personal relationships with all of our partners and from this joined up working, we offer a monthly drop-in Hub. This ‘one stop shop’ approach means that VCN can immediately connect you with the professional who is able to support with issues such as housing, benefits, employment mental health and social isolation.

Our Peer Mentor Services

The aim of VCN is to support Veterans, Reservists and their families in accessing the treatment and support services to help cope, adjust and manage situations. We do this through our network of trained Veteran Peer Mentors and a range of social activities.

Meet The Team

If you need our help or support, our peer mentors can offer you:

Assertive outreach / identification of need / risk substance misuse support - low level psychosocial intervention (PSI) to educate on the risks and harms, provide harm reduction advice.
Mental Health First Aid to support crisis.
Onward referral, motivational enhancement to prepare for treatment or support to remain engaged in the process.
Treatment and support guides and navigators.
Care co-ordination by ‘connecting’ veterans not just signposting.
Advocacy to ensure a seamless service between partners.
Transport to appointments / post session decompression.
Social Prescribing delivered at the Veterans Rendezvous point. This includes horticultural activity, crafting, woodwork, renovation projects and mindfulness.
Social activities including Breakfast Clubs, drop-ins, and our Therapeutic Gardening Sessions.
VCN’s delivery approach is one of co-production and is peer mentor led.

Where can you find us?

The Veterans Community Network is a registered Charity, proudly offering our services across Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire & Northamptonshire. We provide one-to-one support for Veterans, Reservists and military families, through a network of trained Veteran Peer Mentors and Partnership working. The aim of the Charity is to train Veterans as Peer Mentors, connect them with local veterans, and offer support.

Our Veterans' Stories

The Veterans Community Network would like to thank those who kindly shared their experiences. In the interest of privacy, VCN have understood and respected the wishes of those who shared their experiences but have requested to remain anonymous. Interested in finding out what VCN can do to help you? Please contact us by completing the form on our 'Contact Us' page and a member of our team will get back to you.

Additional Information

VCN has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

We celebrate individual differences and seek to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. We acknowledge that everyone brings a unique perspective and ideas to the Charity and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive.

SAFE ACCESSIBLE SUPPORT

VCN operates Safe Accessible Support through offering Veteran Peer mentoring which actively seeks out other veterans who are in distress and in need of support. Our peer mentors all have a military background, have undergone the accredited veteran mental health first aid training and successfully completed an accredited peer mentor training course. Our ambition is to support veterans to engage and remain in treatment with our partners and other ‘wrap around services’ .

OUR GOVERNANCE

This legal structure ensures that VCN delivers services through a framework of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective network of support. Copies of our policies and procedures are available on our website. We are a member of ASDIC (Association of ex-service Drop-in Centres) and NCVO (National Council of Volunteering Organisations). We have been awarded The Veterans Mental Health Awareness Standard by COBSEO.

PRIVACY POLICY

The Veterans’ Community Network are committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process, and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection. We have a robust and effective data protection program in place which complies with existing law and abides by the GDPR (2018) data protection principles.

THE VETERANS COMMUNITY NETWORK STATEMENT ON COVID-19

In accordance with the Government guidance for COVID-19, there are currently no restrictions in the UK. This being said, the Veterans Community Network do hold face to face events at a variety of locations, all of which have different COVID-19 requirements (if any). Therefore, we strongly encourage those interested in attending any of our events who would like clarification of the COVID-19 requirements (if any) for that location to get in touch with us via our contact form to enquire and we will be more than happy to assist. For the most up to date guidance and support on COVID-19, please refer to the Government Coronavirus Advice Website.