To receive a verbal presentation on the Army Covenant.

Vanessa Faulkner, Service Lead - HR People Services, explained to the Forum her role in HR with the Armed Forces Covenant. She stated she worked with the Head of HR, Corporate Projects and IT, and with Councillor Rayner to show the Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces and to encourage ex-forces personnel to apply for vacancies within the Council. Part of her role was also to encourage existing Council staff to join the Army Reserves or become a Cadet Instructor and the Council has introduced a number of policies to support any employee who wanted to do so, including an additional two weeks paid annual leave each year. Wives and families are also very supported and encouraged.

Every job vacancy at the Council gets circulated via the MOD Career Transition Partnership and Forces Families job sites, as well as within the two regiments so that the families of serving Army personnel can also apply for jobs with the Council. Vanessa provided a little more detail that ex-Army personnel apply for current job vacancies with the Council they are shortlisted if they meet the minimum criteria for any role.

We have also updated screensavers and letterheads so they show the Army Covenant logo and there are dedicated page about the Army Covenant on the Council’s website, which contains lots of information.

The Council were currently silver members of the Covenant but, Vanessa Faulkner explained the Council were considering going for gold in 2020 so the Council could show is commitment to the highest level.

Councillor Davey said the work being done was excellent and very important. Councillor Rayner stated there was a reservist unit in Windsor that can help anyone trying to join the Army.

Councillor Knowles wanted to know how many how many members of staff at the Council had joined to be a reservist. The Service Lead - HR People Services responded a survey of all employees was carried out six months previously which showed numbers were low. There were only 11 members of staff that had any military links. Councillor Knowles suggested running a recruitment event to show what reservists did, and to encourage more people to join. The Service Lead - HR People Services explained there was a stand at the last Wellbeing Day which showed how people could join and that a Reservist information morning was being arranged.

Councillor Knowles said he would provide the details of the organisations and recruitment agencies which specifically helped ex-forces personnel back into work, to the Service Lead - HR People Services. The Service Lead - HR People Services added that an article on joining the reserves was being published in the next edition of the Around the Royal Borough publication. Susy Shearer stated that if there were posters available and leaflets, she would put them up in her local churches and she could include the website address in the online communications of the Churches Together newsletter.

Councillor Knowles requested that both Families Officers from the Welsh and the Coldstream Guards attend the next meeting of the Windsor Town Forum to give their voice to the Forum. By nature, the armed forces were quite insular but, he believed if the Families Officers were to attend, they could get some of their concerns addressed. Councillor Rayner stated the Council also had the One Borough Group which would be a good forum for the two regiments to attend. She added the Council could never do enough to support the armed forces.

v  Action – Vanessa Faulkner, Service Lead - HR People Services, to send Susy Shearer the posters and any information on the Army Covenant to help with recruitment into reservist roles.

v  Action – Vanessa Faulkner, Service Lead - HR People Services, and/or Councillor Knowles to invite the Families Officers from the Coldstream Guards and the Welsh Guards to the next meeting of the Windsor Town Forum.