Who is Sinterklaas and how do Belgians celebrate 6 December?

Who is Sinterklaas and how do Belgians celebrate 6 December?

 

Whilst in most countries children must wait until the last few days of the year to unwrap gifts below their Christmas tree, in Belgium, they are visited by a jovial old man dressed in red on 6 December every year. But only if they behave, that is.

 

On the evening of 5 December, children across Belgium will leave a shoe in the living room and the next morning (provided they have been good throughout the year) they will wake up to presents, as well as speculoos, chocolate Sint figures, chocolate coins, marzipan and tangerines.

 

To read more about this tradition: https://www.brusselstimes.com/.../who-is-sinterklaas-and...

DIO SHAPE Helpdesk

Great News Dio Helpdesk have produced easy to use Qr codes to access documents. please scan. You can find them as featured and also on ejsu.net.

 

BFPO Post Office Christmas Opening Times and Closure

Last date for posting items to the UK via BFPO and picking up items from the BFPO post office is the 15th December 2022

QR codes to help

 

Armed Forces Covenant Duty Statutory Guidance

Armed Forces Covenant Duty Statutory Guidance​

The new Armed Forces Covenant Duty will come into force on 22 November 2022. A summary of the new Duty can be found in this news article

NSPCC resources

 Please click here for a helpful list of resources available on NSPCC websites for schools and parents/carers

Reserves - Did You Know?

 

Royal Collection Trust

All valid MOD90 and Defence Discount Service (DDS) card holders are entitled to complimentary admission to Windsor Castle, on production of their card. Further details about Windsor Castle can be found here.

Cardholders are entitled to a complimentary ticket for themselves and up to four other guests, after 12:00 noon at Royal Collection Trust venues. Please note admission is subject to availability and at sites where we operate a timed-admission system you will be offered admission for the next available time slot.

Tickets are available to be booked in advance by calling our Ticket Sales and Information Office on +44 (0)303 123 7304, please note all telephone bookings are subject to a £2.00 booking fee. You will need to present your MOD90/DDS card at the ticket desk on arrival to collect your tickets.

DDS cardholders will also need to bring supporting photographic identification such as a passport, driving licence or MOD90 card. For further admission information please visit the website www.rct.uk or telephone the Ticket Sales and Information Office on +44 (0)303 123 7304.

 

Talkback

 

Education Advisory Team

Defence Children Services

The Defence Children Services (DCS) provides professional direction, support and advice in order to ensure that Service children and young people are provided with every opportunity to achieve the best possible outcomes and fulfil their potential.

DCS seek to ensure that Service children and young people receive their full entitlement to statutory services and support and suffer no disadvantage because of their parent’s Service status; this is the underpinning principle of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The aim is to provide support which is proactive and preventative as well as being responsive to emerging needs.

Please click here for more information

RBL - Cost of Living Energy Top Up Grants

 

Over the last 12 months we've seen a 20% increase in requests for support with food and basic living costs.

RBL have announced new emergency energy top up grants to help members of the Armed Forces community pay their fuel bills.

This will give those struggling to pay their bills up to £200 per month, depending on their financial circumstances.

Apply directly at rbl.org.uk/costofliving
Or call 0808 802 8080​

Forces Families Jobs

Forces Families Jobs is the go-to place for training, employment and volunteer roles for family members of currently serving UK military personnel.  

Apply for jobs and access employment and training opportunities with companies and organisations who are Forces family friendly. 

You can use this website with confidence, knowing that employers have signed the Armed Forces Covenant or are able to demonstrate their commitment to the Armed Forces. 

This is your gateway to accessing information about acquiring new skills, upgrading your existing skills or applying directly to employers who are understanding of the unique challenges that come with being a family member of a serving person. 

For more information; https://www.forcesfamiliesjobs.co.uk/

Mindful Connections - Scotland - Service Leavers

 

Forces Children Scotland has launched a holistic support service to help families leaving the armed forces to make a successful transition to civilian life across central Scotland.

Titled Mindful Connections, this new service has received funding from the Scottish Veterans Fund to pilot holistic support to help former armed forces families to make a successful transition to realise their potential and thrive in civilian life.​

​Mindful Connections - Forces Children Scotland

Armed Forces Spouse Development Programme

 

Supporting Partners: Innovation Grants, under the Armed Forces Families Fund

 

 

The Trust has partnered with the MOD to administer the Armed Forces Families Fund.

This programme provides funding to projects that will offer innovative, new forms of support for the partners of those who are serving.

Armed Forces Bases, Stations or Units
Charities registered in the UK
Community Interest Companies (CICs).
Universities in the UK

More information on who can apply can be found in the programme guidance 👇
https://covenantfund.org.uk

Employment Workshop for Service Families - Amazon

MILITARY FAMILIES EMPLOYMENT WORKSHOP – WEDNESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER 2022

We are delighted to announce that for the first time, Amazon UK are hosting an Employment Workshop for military spouses and children of Servicemen and women aged 17+ on Wednesday 2nd November 2022, in our Headquarters in Shoreditch, London. The aim of the event is to help military spouses and forces families to into employment. Full details are at the link below, but we are planning to have sessions on apprenticeships, CV writing and interview skills, plus guests speakers from LinkedIn and Amazon Web Services for careers in technology.

Spaces are limited to we encourage people to sign up well in advance:
​​https://amazonforcesfamiliesworkshop.splashthat.com/

 

Positive Pathway Programme - RFEA

 

The 'Positive Pathways' programme at the University of Winchester is a two-year long project which aims to support ex-forces, military families and reservists in exploring pathways into Further Education and Higher Education and build the skills and confidence to do so. This survey is to help inform the development of targeted outreach activities and tailored transition support through the 'Positive Pathways' programme, in partnership with the RFEA (the Forces Employment Charity).

The coordination of the activity delivered in the Positive Pathways programme at the University, under the EM3 Armed Forces Veterans and Families Programme led by RFEA, is part funded by the European Social Fund, January 2021 – December 2024.​

 

Guidance: Help for service leavers from Defence Transition Services

 

For information about how military personnel and their families can get more support and extra help from Defence Transition Services when leaving the armed forces, please click HERE
 

Who are HIVE

 

Kooth

Children and young people with a parent Serving in the Armed Forces often face moving from place to place with their family, living overseas, attending several schools, leaving friends behind and making new ones. Being part of an Armed Forces family can also mean long periods of separation from the Serving parent when they are deployed or away training.

Kooth and the British Army Regional Command, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, are working together to provide easy access to mental health and well-being support for children and young people aged from 11 to their 19th birthday. Kooth.com/mod is available for all children and young people with a Serving parent and children and young people who are living overseas with parents working for the MOD or British Government.

Celebrating Forces Families

 

Army HIVE is proud to be once again supporting the Celebrating Families Forces Awards for 2023 as part of the Partner Employment Working Group​

About the PEWG — Celebrating Forces Families

Sponsorship for the 2023 event is now open, for more details visit Sponsorship — Celebrating Forces Families

UK Government Advice on Domestic Abuse Updates

 

The UK Government Website have updated their advice on domestic abuse in the following areas:​

Guidance and support for those affected by or dealing with cases of domestic abuse in the Armed Forces Community.​

www.gov.uk/government/collections/domestic-abuse-guidance-and-support-for-the-armed-forces-community

​A hand book for civilian suppport services, designed to help and informa civillian support services who are working with the Armed Forces:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/armed-forces-domestic-abuse-a-handbook-for-civilian-support-services​

Support within the foreign and Commonwealth community for those affected by domestic abuse:

​www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-within-the-foreign-and-commonwealth-community-for-those-affected-by-domestic-abuse​

The Joint Service Housing Advice Office is transferring to MoD’s Defence Business Services on 1 October 2022

 
Following a review as part of the MOD’s Strategy for Our Veterans, the services provided by the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) will be transferred to Veterans UK’s Defence Transition Services (DTS) team, part of MOD’s Defence Business Services (DBS), from 1 October 2022. The transfer will enhance the tri-service transition offering provided centrally by Defence as a function of the holistic approach to transition. This will bring efficiency to the co-ordination and delivery of services, meeting the needs of the Service community now and in the future.

What does this mean for Service leavers and their families?

From 1 October, Service leavers and their families who need information and support on civilian housing options should contact DTS who will work with them on a one-to-one basis to fully understand their needs and simplify and coordinate access to the information they need.

As well as the current transition services provided by DTS, they will also be responsible for delivering the following:

* Virtual briefings that help Service personnel and their families, particularly those living military accommodation, understand what their accommodation options are once they leave the military.

* Responses to enquiries from Service leavers and their families about civilian housing. At present, this is done by JSHAO. The current JSHAO phone line will cease to exist and emails to the JSHAO multiuser email address will be re-directed to the DTS multiuser.

* The MOD Referral Scheme (RS) is a key responsibility for JSHAO ‘as is’ and will move across to DTS to administer. It is already used by DTS caseworkers, alongside other mechanisms, including direct engagement with local authorities and other social housing providers and landlords, and relevant charities to support clients with housing needs.

* Engagement with key stakeholders, such as Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities), local authorities, housing associations, charities and MOD Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on civilian housing matters.

How do I contact DTS?

If you need support and further information on civilian housing options, you can contact the DTS team from 1 October via: DBSVets-DTS-Central@mod.gov.uk

About DTS

DTS was established in October 2019 as part of Defence’s new Holistic Transition Policy or JSP100 as it is known internally.

DTS exists to provide information and support for those service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the armed forces and adjust to civilian life. DTS delivers a full range of transition support and facilitates access to the support its clients need, whether that be from government departments, local authorities, the NHS or trusted charities.

The policies referenced will be updated in due course to reflect the transfer of JSHAO to DBS and the guidance will be made available on the DTS GOV.UK pages from 1 October.

RFEA: Cyber Security Bootcamp this October Half Term!

 

Cyber Security is a growing industry, with high earning potential and the opportunity to keep the nation safe, this might be a career your teen hasn’t thought of yet.  

 

Provided by CIISec and developed with a variety of education and cybersecurity partners the bootcamp will teach students, cryptography, digital forensics, business resilience, secure testing and so much more.  

 

Benefits of attending this course include: 

• A certificate on completion  

• NOS and CIISec knowledge  

• A strengthened CV  

• Ability to transfer to the CyberEPQ 

14 – 15 years and old and interested in enrolling? Spaces are limited so sign up at www.rfea.org.uk/EM3 to join!  

 

Location: Aldershot Enterprise Centre 

24-28th Oct 2022 

Help for Households

 

Countries around the world are facing rising goods and energy prices, inflation and cost of living pressures after the pandemic and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

We know people are worried so the government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for HERE

JCCC Virtual Contact Card

The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) have produced a Virtual Contact Card for Service Personnel and their families.
Download, save and share with family members today!

www.gov.uk/guidance/joint-casualty-and-compassionate-centre-jccc

Queen Elizabeth II: 1926 - 2022

  

Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Helpline

 

FDIS update on SFA accommodation contracts

Updates on Accommodation contracts

​For updates on the Accommodation contracts, please go to DIO's SFA Gov.uk page where you can subscribe for update notifications.

Compensation

Pinnacle has added details about the types and rates of compensation to its website. The compensation claim form has also been updated ready to receive claims.

Togetherall: No judgement, No stigma

No judgement. No stigma. Togetherall is an anonymous place where anyone can begin their journey towards better mental health.

✅ There is no waiting list to join Togetherall and it is accessible 24/7.

✅ FREE to anyone in the UK Military, Veterans & Family members aged 16+ 

✅ Visit account.v2.togetherall.com/register/uk-armed-forces to join today.

National Insurance Credits for Partners of Armed Forces Personnel Overseas

You may be able to get National Insurance credits if you’re married to or the civil partner of a member of the armed forces and you go with them on an overseas posting.

Credits can help to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, for example if you were not in work when you were with your partner on an overseas posting.

Credits can make sure you qualify for certain benefits including the State Pension.
How spouses and civil partners of armed forces personnel posted overseas can fill gaps in their National Insurance record.

 

Learn more here

Eligibility and Entitlement Focus Groups

Have your say on Eligibility and Entitlement policy

During the 3rd and 4th week of September MOD will be holding virtual focus groups with Serving personnel and families to discuss eligibility and entitlement to allowances and benefits within Defence policy. We know that due to the mobile nature of Service life that eligibility and entitlement is important. All Serving Personnel and spouses / partners are welcome to volunteer, and we would also be grateful for the following demographics to participate so all are represented:

a. Dual Serving couples

b. Single parents

c. Separated families with shared custody

c. Those in long-term relationships; and

e. Married couples/ civil partnership couples.

The focus groups will be 1.5 hours long and be held virtually over Teams*. We would be grateful for your participation to ensure that Defence policy is reflective of the needs of Armed Forces families.

Dispelling HIVE Myths

 

Launch of Army Official Health and Wellbeing Facebook Page

Please note that this is only for current Army (Regular and Reserve) personnel, not for Veterans, Families or MOD Civilians.

Use this link

 

A new Health and Wellbeing Facebook group has been launched for Regular and Reserve Army personnel only.  The aim of this group is to provide access to information on relevant topics (including policy updates and useful articles) and will also act as a forum for peer-to-peer support. 

Join the group by using the link below (forwarded to your personal device) or it can be found on Facebook through searching Army Health and Wellbeing.  

 

Once joined please share the group far and wide with your Army colleagues.  They will be asked a series of questions to confirm that they are serving – please ensure that these are completed fully. 

Defence Discount Service - Essentials

 

Dispelling HIVE Myths

 

Updates on Accommodation contracts

 

For updates on the Accommodation contracts, please go to Service Family Accommodation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)where you can subscribe for update notifications

Missed Appointments in the North and Central Regions

Unfortunately, a number of missed appointments were experienced by families earlier this week in Amey’s North and Central regions. This was a result of a server security certificate expiring on 7 August which meant appointments did not transfer from Amey’s scheduling system to its operatives’ hand-held devices from 7-9 August.

When the problem became apparent, Amey’s Regional Service Centre staff intervened to schedule engineers by telephone to attend the planned appointments. Where appointments are confirmed to have been missed, Amey’s Regional Service Centre will issue an apology, re-book appointments and proactively issue compensation.

ETS: Whole Life Development Virtual Brief - 23rd August

A brief covering the education (functional skills/ALDP) courses run by education centres and the personal development opportunities that the Army can offer, such as SLCs, ELCs, higher education and language learning.

Aimed at service personnel (regular and reserve) who want to know about development opportunities