There are over 2260 registered UK military charities which supplement the
FEATURE infrastructure of support provided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and
other public services.
A JOINED-UP APPROACH
TO WORKING WITH
VETERANS
SARAH BARRETT
WRITES ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE
OF NETWORKS
WHEN WORKING
WITH VETERANS
T
hey say, ‘no man is an island…’ it’s so true about my
absorbing job helping veterans! Last year (Career
Matters October 17) I wrote about supporting
veterans in their recovery journey making career choices
and building meaningful futures. This article is about the
networks that ensure getting the right help at the right
time and using the ‘Work Star’, an innovative tool that
demonstrates an individual’s movement towards job-
readiness and is reviewed at 3-monthly intervals.
Good networking matters
My ‘patch’ covers North Wales up to Scotland and NI,
with two further careers advisers, based in Colchester
and Tidworth, we’re a small team within Career Recovery.
I couldn’t deliver high-level professional practice without
strong relationships across my network which enables
appropriate, successful referrals, broadening of my
knowledge, solving specific problems and awareness of
opportunities.
There are over 2260 registered UK military charities
which supplement the infrastructure of support provided
by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other public
services. It’s a complicated landscape for professionals,
so veterans are often at a loss to understand what’s
available and how to access it.
16
I’m one piece of the jigsaw for veteran support, so I
access a wide network of additional agencies. My ‘close
family’ are military charities; the RFEA, Poppy Factory,
Royal British Legion and Walking with the Wounded,
who provide specialist employment help. There are also,
Career Matters third sector agencies like Step Together for volunteering
October 2018 / Issue 6.4
opportunities and statutory services through DWP for
Access to Work and the Work and Health Programme.
Links with learning providers and employers includes
a network of universities that support wounded,
injured and sick (UNSWIS) and NHS Step into Health
employment programme for veterans. Of 175 veterans
passing through my caseload in the last year, 141 are in
positive outcomes.
Using the ‘Work Star’ with Veterans
Help for Heroes introduced the ‘Work Star’, (developed
by Triangle Consulting Social Enterprise Ltd) in 2016.
It’s a strong vehicle for the charity to monitor and report
the progress beneficiaries make, provide evidence of
the impact of my work and inform the career recovery
team management reporting. Designed to move people
towards work and the job that’s right for them, the star
covers 7 areas and is underpinned by a 5-step journey of
change;
• 7 areas - job skills/experience, aspiration/motivation,
job search skills, stability, basic skills, workplace/social
skills and health/wellbeing
• 5 steps - being stuck, accepting help, believing and
trying, learning and self-reliance.
Using a 1-10 scale the veteran and I collaboratively plot
their ‘journey of change’ using the scores to then create a
bespoke action plan.
The ‘Work Star’ doesn’t suit all veterans, however
the benefit is immense as part of the support
structure provided and allows me to gather a holistic
understanding of need, so I can offer maximum support.
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When the Star is reviewed the different coloured new of circumstances, rank, length of service, or reason for
scores are overlaid demonstrating movement. leaving. For more information visit www.rfea.org.uk/

Initial Stars can take 2 hours to complete, this is factored
into my working practice, subsequent ones take less
time. Veterans are very receptive to using it and like the
visual representation of how they are progressing. For
me, it gives structure to interventions whilst allowing the
freedom to use different models of guidance. For those
not seeking employment I use volunteering, activities
etc. rather than ‘job’.
RFEA - The Forces Employment Charity exists to provide
life-long, life-changing support, job opportunities, and
training to service leavers and veterans, irrespective
Help for Heroes supports those with injuries and Help for Heroes
illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed introduced the
Forces to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives.
By focusing on the five key areas of an individual’s
‘Work Star’,
life: medical, mind, body, spirit and family, support (developed
is provided to the whole family to help cope with the by Triangle
challenges they face. This is done through Career
Recovery, Sports Recovery, Psychological Support, Health
Consulting
and Wellbeing, and Welfare. For more information, visit Social Enterprise
www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ Ltd) in 2016.

Jason left the Army in 1992 and found transition hard. He didn’t leave his house for the
first 9 months, and then job-hopped but never settled. Diagnosed with PTSD in 1997
and in 2001 prescribed a cocktail of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs, for the
next 15 years he barely existed.
“My friend eventually got me to Combat Stress, and then I found out about Help for Heroes
and was assigned a Key Worker there. It took a few months before I felt able to visit the
Recovery Centre but eventually did and was encouraged to take part in the Pathfinder
Experience, designed to help veterans re-orientate themselves and develop a plan for a
CASE STUDY: purposeful future.
WHAT’S THE During Pathfinder a light came on, suddenly I wanted to change my life and get a job but
IMPACT FOR didn’t know where to start. Over the following months 2 things happened - I stopped all
VETERANS? my medication and was referred to Sarah. She helped develop a realistic career plan and
I could see a way forward to completing training courses in tree surgery. The ‘Work Star’
really helped me focus and monitor my progression.
Initially, I didn’t realise how many people Sarah worked with in the background, she
constantly kept in touch, even when I was really bad withdrawing from medication. I had a
mentor, Sarah spoke to him regularly; she found the courses I needed to do and applied for Sarah Barrett RCDP,
grants to pay for them, liaising with my SSAFA Caseworker who held the funding and with Career Adviser
the training provider organised the courses, accommodation and transport. (Wounded, Injured, Sick
I’m certain Help for Heroes saved my life – at 47, I thought I’d nothing to live for, running Veterans) works jointly
in darkness with demons feeding off my fear. Now I’m clear-headed, and ready to start with the RFEA and Help
work as an aerial tree surgeon. Sarah is always positive… I feel like she’s on my side and for Heroes.
will never let me down”. Sarah.barrett@
helpforheroes.org.uk

“I’ve been working closely with Sarah for 3 years; she’s always been there for me and
been a leading player in my success. She has never once let me down and always delivered
exactly what she promised. In the past with people changing roles and having to be
introduced to new people taking over …. it just makes things hard for veterans to pick up
where they left off. The relationship and trust that was built up automatically goes, you
have to start all over again.
Yet Sarah’s constantly been there from start to finish, pulling things together and
magically making stuff happen. She linked with all the people I’ve been involved with; my
CASE STUDY: Employability Consultant at the Poppy Factory, Caseworker with SSAFA, Mentor at Bulldog
PAUL WAS IN Boxing Community and she negotiated a free course and reduced costs with Thatcham
THE PARACHUTE with whom I completed my Vehicle Damage Assessors qualification.

17
REGIMENT FOR
7 YEARS AND I’m now employed with Bridgwater College as Senior Lecturer teaching accident repair
HAS SERVICE- and running my own dent repair company…. none of this would have been possible without
ATTRIBUTABLE Sarah’s help!!!! She’s always been there for me at the end of the phone/email whenever I’ve
PTSD needed her. Without her support I’d still be in the very bad place I was when I met her. She
is a godsend and I can’t thank her enough”. Career Matters
October 2018 / Issue 6.4