Understanding the transition to civilian life for ex-Service personnel with physical conditions as a direct result of Service or acquired whilst in Service

The University of Central Lancashire and others have published an interim report of the project ‘Understanding the transition to civilian life for ex-Service personnel with physical conditions as a direct result of Service or acquired whilst in Service’.

This is the interim report from a two-year project (2019–2021) that represents the first substantive qualitative longitudinal research exploring how Service leavers experience the transition to civilian life when they have left the UK Armed Forces with a physical injury or condition. Please find the report attached, and you can download the report and read a summary by Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) here.

The project aims to provide an understanding of the support and provisions that are available during the transition into civilian life (including benefits and financial compensation, education and training, employment, health and housing) and make recommendations for further or better support that could be offered to this cohort during the transition from the UK Armed Forces.

In this report we highlight some of the challenges experienced by service personnel, such as the processes of discharge and transition, and the impact of a physical condition on their mental health and family lives. The report also identifies crucial requirements for successful transition, including the importance of adequate time, and the need for both financial security and personalised support.

The report has been published following one round of qualitative interviews with ex-Service personnel who have left the Armed Forces with a physical injury or condition, together with consultations with key stakeholders. A round of interviews is currently being conducted with those who are in the process of leaving Service, as well as partners and carers of those who have left Service, and there will be subsequent follow-up interviews with both cohorts of Service leavers to provide an in-depth understanding of the process of transition over time.

Call for participants
We are still seeking to recruit a number of personnel who are still in Service, and who are going through the process of transition. A project recruitment ad can be downloaded here, and the sign up form is here

The project is a collaboration between the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Salford, and is funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT). Correspondence and queries should be directed to Celia Hynes: chynes1@uclan.ac.uk