support for military personnel

Durham Key Options (DKO) is one of the main ways to access social housing across County Durham.

The DKO Policy also gives an additional preference for applicants who are severely overcrowded and applicants who need to move for urgent medical reasons.

An even higher property will also be given for these two reasons, if you have a prescribed connection to the armed forces, through any of the following categories:

• Applicants discharged from the regular UK armed forces within the previous five years and who have served three years or more, or been medically discharged (except people dishonourably discharged)
• Current members of the UK armed forces, and current or former (previous five years) reserve forces, who have suffered an injury in service that makes their current home unsuitable
• Widows, widowers or civil partners of UK armed forces members killed during service and needing to leave armed forces accommodation
• Ex-spouses of currently serving armed forces personnel who are required to leave forces accommodation due to a relationship breakdown.

If you have the above armed forces reserve connection you do not need to be resident within County Durham.

believe housing also has affordable rent and Rent to Buy properties, our latest properties are available here.

We also manage social housing in other areas. To be considered for a property in those areas you will need to apply to that local authority.

Sunderland City of Sunderland Council – Housing Application Form

Tees Valley Homefinder TVLP – Affordable Homes (teesvalleyhomefinder.org)

Hartlepool BC Home – Hartlepool (hartlepoolhomesearch.co.uk)

Darlington BC Darlington BC – Finding a home

Launchpad exists to provide accommodation and other support, with the expertise of specialist providers, so veterans can stabilise their lives and make a successful transition from military to civilian life.

Find out more at: https://veteranslaunchpad.org.uk/

Walking With The Wounded gets those who’ve served – and their families – back on their feet. We do three things: employment, mental health and care coordination which are saving jobs, homes, relationships and lives for the veterans who are struggling since leaving the military.

Find out more at: Welcome – Walking With The Wounded

AFOS is a regional partnership between local authorities and housing associations which provides a dedicated service to the Armed Forces community. believe housing helps to fund the award-winning Armed Forces Outreach Service (AFOS).

The service covers Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle and Northumberland.

Due to unfamiliarity with civilian life and mental issues they can face, veterans and service families can lack knowledge about the social housing services in their area and how to access them.

Working closely with AFOS and an Armed Forces Outreach Worker, we help to identify and support a customer’s needs beyond their housing application.

Support can include help with benefits and debt advice, employment and training, mental and physical health, family needs and sourcing furniture or other household items.

This service is available to those who are currently serving or people who have left the Forces, no matter how long ago that was, reservists and family members.

In 2022, the partnership was believe housing was recognised for best practice in the MOD’s Statutory Guidance on the new Covenant Duty.

Find out more at: AFOS – Home (armedforcesoutreachservice.org)

Armed Forces Outreach Service – AFOS | Facebook

Career Transition Partnership (CTP)

The CTP is a partnering agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Ltd. They provide resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Airforce and Royal Marines regardless of time served. They also operate an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire from the service leavers and veterans pool of talent.

Resettlement for Ex-Service Personnel | Ex Armed Forces Recruitment from CTP

Forces Employment Charity

Forces Employment Charity provides lifelong support, job opportunities and training to service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families. This is regardless of their circumstances, rank, length of service or reason for leaving.

Forces Employment Charity

Forces Family Jobs

Apply for jobs and access employment and training opportunities with companies and organisations which are forces family-friendly.

Home – Forces Families Jobs

Joined up 

Check out Joined Up jobs on LinkedIn for the latest vacancies from employers in the North East that who have all signed up to the covenant.

www.linkedin.com/company/joinedupjobs

believe housing employability and learning support

believe housing has a dedicated Employability Team offering one-to-one support and advice.

www.believehousing.co.uk/your-community/employability-and-learning

East Durham Veterans Trust

East Durham Veterans Trust supports veterans and veterans families through social inclusion, addiction, mental health support as well as case management of veteran support services. They offer counselling programme for veterans who are struggling with their mental health and need support.

Find out more: www.eastdurhamveterans.co.uk

Sporting Force

Sporting Force is a registered sports charity that supports ex-service personnel throughout the UK.

As well as offering a route into civilian employment within the professional sports industry, it provides education, exercise and social events to help veterans and their families by relieving mental health and social isolation.

Find out more at: Sporting Force | Veterans Sports Charity

Swift

The digital home of The Rifles Network. The network also has welfare services and currently, one of those services available, to help with the cost of living crisis, is a Tesco voucher scheme. This can be accessed at https://theriflesnetwork.co.uk/page/tesco-vouche.

Find out more at: Swift | Home (theriflesnetwork.co.uk)

Veterans Woodcraft 

Established by a group of veterans in 2017, Veterans Woodcraft delivers woodcraft courses to help people battling suicide, PTSD, mental health issues and physical disability mainly caused by their military service.

Find out more at: https://www.veteranswoodcraft.co.uk/ 

Armed Forces and Veterans iHub 

Tea and Toast – Coffee and Chat – Soup and a Roll

Every Monday 9.30am to 12.30pm

Loos Road, Community Centre, Catterick Garrison, DL9 4HP

Durham 

Find out more: www.durham.gov.uk/article/29125/Support-for-armed-forces-families

Sunderland

Ex military and veterans | Sunderland Information Point

Hartlepool

Covenant | Armed Forces Support | Hartlepool Borough Council

Stockton

https://www.stockton.gov.uk/media/2550/General-information-sheet-for-veterans/pdf/general-information-sheet-for-veterans-and-their-families-updated-april-2020-v2.pdf?m=637812474810370000

Office for Veterans’ Affairs – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Op FORTITUDE- Riverside Care and Support