Much of the support available to Army personnel and their families is given through the Army Welfare Service (AWS), a professional and confidential welfare support service for servicemen and women and their families, wherever they are located. The Army Welfare Service has four main tasks: Community Support, Personal Support and HIVE information services and the Joint Service Advice Office.
Archives: Guide Entries
An entry for the mindguide
The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army’s national charity, giving a lifetime of support to serving soldiers, former soldiers and their immediate families when they are in need.
It awards grants to individuals and families, and fund leading organisations that support soldiers, former soldiers, and their families.
From helping wounded soldiers to adapt to life after service, to assisting elderly veterans to keep their independence, it can offer support in six key areas: independent living, elderly care, education and employability, mental fitness, families and housing.
The Army Benevolent Fund can assist current and former soldiers with issues such as debt relief, mobility assistance, education and holiday schemes. It can also support military families who are bereaved or experiencing temporary financial difficulties.
The National Careline provides help and guidance to older people, carers and families, to find their way through the social care maze and enable them to plan ahead with more confidence. Their website offers lots of advice and information about care options and funding for older people. Their objective is to provide a portal that signposts users to various organisations, including Government departments and support networks.
Carers Direct is an NHS helpline providing information, advice and support on carers’ issues but is not able to provide on-going casework.
This includes information on assessments, benefits, direct payments, individual budgets, time off, work or education.
They can put you in touch with specialist national or local sources of help, including carers’ centres, social care and self-help networks.
Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. They make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.
Late Spring is a network of support groups for anyone aged 60+ who has been bereaved. Sessions provide an opportunity to remember with others who understand and to remember that, in the midst of the pain, there is still life left to live. Late Spring is not a counselling service, but an opportunity for people to meet with others in a warm, friendly, and supportive environment.
Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nurse charity. Its nurses, known as Admiral Nurses, provide life-changing support to families affected by all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Admiral Nurses work on the free Dementia Helpline, in virtual clinics, and in community services, hospitals, care homes and hospices. They can advise on all aspects of dementia, including getting a diagnosis, understanding symptoms, coping strategies for changes in behaviour, benefits and finances, end of life care and emotional support.
The Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline is for anyone with a question or concern about Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. From looking out for the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s, to understanding the challenges of living with someone with vascular dementia, our specialist Admiral Nurses have the knowledge and experience to understand the situation and suggest answers that might be hard to find elsewhere.
Carers Trust is a major charity for carers. They offer specialist services for carers of people of all ages and conditions and a range of individually tailored support and group activities.
The branch in Oxfordshire is called Crossroads Care, and they strive in providing carers with emotional support and making it personal to each individual’s needs.
Contact provides support for parents and carers of disabled children. They bring families together to support each other and help families to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.
Contact understand that life with a disabled child brings its unique challenges, and they exist to help families feel valued, supported, confident and informed around this.
Offering advice and support to parents/carers on a range of topics such as benefits, social care, medical information and preparing for adult life. They have a free helpline and additional appointments are available as well.
Contact provide programmes, workshops and courses with a range of information and topics to support families. They also have parent support groups and online communities for parents/carers to be able to connect with each other and share experiences.