I am the partner of someone serving/someone who has served
Whether your partner is currently serving, or has served in the past and is now no longer in the Forces, we are here to support you. On this page, you will find details of how to access the different types of support available to you and your children in Somerset.
Our NHS-funded Somerset Armed Forces Link Workers are here to assist you.
They are available Monday to Friday 0900-1700.
If they are unable to meet your needs, they will introduce you to someone who can.
If you need immediate physical support, dial 999.
To speak to someone now, for immediate emotional support or if you feel you are in danger of harming yourself, call the Samaritans on 116 123. You are not alone.
Learn more about (click to view):
Somerset Armed Forces Link Workers
If you want to speak to someone who understands what it's like to be part of the Armed Forces community, our Link Workers here in Somerset can help. Between them, they have almost 50 years experience of service life.
They can advise you about a wide range of services available which are specifically targeted at the Armed Forces community in Somerset and if they are unable to meet your needs directly, they will introduce you to an organisation that can.
The Somerset Armed Forces Link Workers are there to support you. They may not have all the answers, but they will do their best to work with you to find a solution to whatever is concerning you.
Some of the areas with which they have supported family members to date include:
- mental health concerns
- social isolation
- worries about family members, for example, settling children into a new school
- changing family dynamics, for example coping with a new baby
- support for those who have to leave Forces accommodation as a result of divorce
- issues surrounding cost-of-living hardship
The list above is not exhaustive. If you would prefer to speak to an AFLW rather than email, they are generally available by phone during office hours or you can leave your details and they will call you back:
Jon: 07759 005067
Samantha: 07376 090383
Sam: 07561 350995
Physical wellbeing
Your NHS GP should be your first port of call for any physical health needs. Information about registering with a GP can be found below. For help with your symptoms when your GP is not available and it is not an emergency, dial 111 or use the 111 online service.
Mental wellbeing
If you feel that you need support for your mental wellbeing, you should always contact your NHS GP. However, the Armed Forces Link Workers are part of a wider network of individuals and organisations who are able to support those in the Armed Forces community.
Children's education and wellbeing
Somerset Council guidance on enrolling your child into school can be found here.
NHS Somerset guidance on all aspects of children's health can be found on our NHS Somerset children's health webpages.
Additional guidance about ADHD referrals and your right to choose are available here.
If your partner is in the Armed Forces, it is important that you tell your child's school, as they may be entitled to claim the Service Pupil Premium allowance (SPP). SPP helps a school to provide additional support that a service child may need. More information about SPP can be found here.
Adult education and career development
We appreciate that regularly relocating with a partner in the Armed Forces can have an effect on the type of career you are able to pursue. Similarly, many partners of veterans may find themselves in a caring role and therefore struggle to find time for their own personal development.
In Somerset, there are many opportunties to develop your own education and skill-set. Somerset Skills and Learning (SS&L) are one provider we work closely with and more information about their provision can be found here. Many opportunities are available without charge to those with a personal income of less than £25k.
They are currently asking those in the Armed Forces community what type of learning would be of most interest to them. To have your say, complete their 2-minute questionnaire here.
The Armed Forces Link Workers are also able to direct you towards local and national organisations which can support you with training and employment opportunities.
Somerset justice system
Although we may not be able to directly support serving members of the Armed Forces who find themselves in police custody, OpNova provides support for veterans in the justice system.
If your partner is a veteran and becomes involved with the justice system, it is important that they identify themselves as a member of the Armed Forces community. More information about the support OpNova can offer is available here.
Importantly, our Armed Forces Link Workers may be able to introduce family members and dependents (of both serving members and veterans) to sources of support.
Somerset housing services
Information about the Government's 'Forces House to Buy' scheme is available here. This scheme is open to currently serving personnel with 6 months left to serve. Unfortunately, it is not open to reservists.
You can also find information about Somerset's social housing scheme here, which may be of particular use if your partner is considering leaving the Forces in the near future and does not own their own home.
Non Somerset-specific information about Pinnacle Service Families housing is available here.
Should your relationship with a serving member of the Armed Forces break down and necessitate you leaving military accommodation, our Armed Forces Link Workers may be able to direct you to organisations who can support you.
Contact one of our Armed Forces Link Workers who may be able to assist you with sources of support, such as introducing you to your local village agent or supporting you to access food vouchers.
If you are facing financial hardship due to specific circumstances within your relationship, such as gambling addiction, long-term sickness of a family member etc, further help may be available.
Further information on local services
A thriving Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector exists in Somerset and there is a wide range of services available.
Your Armed Forces Link Workers are there to help you to access this support.
Another source of assistance which is available to all Somerset residents and is not Forces specific, is provided by Somerset Village and Community agents.
Whilst access to a Community Agent requires a GP or adult social care referral, Village Agents can be contacted directly. Click here to find details for your local Village Agent.