36 organisations in the Wessex RFCA have been awarded the prestigious Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award for 2022, with 13 existing Silver holders having their awards revalidated.
The award from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is in recognition of the support the organisations give to the Armed Forces community.
The winners in the South West area (including the Silver Award revalidations) are:
- 4C Strategies
- AACE Ltd
- Arke Ltd
- Ascent Flight Training
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Blacktree Technologies
- Brady Construction Services Ltd
- Brigantes Consulting LTD
- C3IA Solutions Limited
- Canny Comms Ltd
- CT Health & Safety
- Day 1 People Ltd
- Developing Assets (UK) Ltd trading as HeliOperations
- Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- Expert HR Solutions Limited
- Gloucestershire Health & Care NHS Trust
- Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- GreenSquareAccord
- Helping Homeless Veterans UK
- Katie Mills Funeral Service
- Marlowe Compliance Services
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- North Tower Consulting Ltd
- Perceptive Protection Ltd
- Planned Link
- Retain Limited
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- A.T.H 24 Ltd (Safety.Advice.Training.Health)
- Sand Lizard Technical Solutions Ltd
- Sanderson Government & Defence
- Services Design Solutions Ltd
- SP4 Group Ltd
- University of Exeter
- Vigilant Security SW LTD
- VIMA Consultancy Limited
- Wessex Coach Education*
Revalidations
- Dean Close School
- Royal United Hospital NHS FT Bath
- Yes Mortgage Services Limited
- Computer Network Defence Limited, (‘CND Ltd.’)
- Aspire Defence Services Limited
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Exeter Rugby Group Plc
- Cobalt
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- LiveWest
- Writhlington School
- Somerset Chamber Of Commerce
- Help for Heroes
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme recognises those who demonstrate or advocate support to the Armed Forces community and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant – a pledge from the nation that those who serve or who have served and their families are treated fairly.
Silver Award winners must meet certain criteria, including: employing at least one individual from the Armed Forces community, actively ensuring that their workforce is aware of their positive policies, demonstrating support to mobilisations of reservists and providing at least five days’ additional leave for training.
The Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Awards will be presented to successful employers by the Lord Lieutenants of their county in October 2022.
Sarah Jones, Deputy Director of Nursing at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Regional Employer Engagement Board has approved our nomination for Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award. Since being named a Veteran’s Aware Trust and receiving Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance accreditation in 2021, we have remained dedicated to supporting veterans and the armed forces community in AWP.
As an NHS provider of mental health services, we support veterans and the armed forces community through our specialist veterans’ services across the South West and in our core mental health services. The Silver Employer Recognition Scheme Award is really important to us because it recognises our commitment to ensuring that our recruitment and employment processes support more veterans and their families into the NHS.”
Commenting on the award, Chief Executive of Devon Partnerships NHS Trust Melanie Walker said: “These awards recognise positive actions taken by organisations which help to ensure that members of the armed forces are not unfairly disadvantaged during recruitment and are supported in the workplace. The award levels show different levels of commitment and, while we are delighted to have gained the Silver Award, our ambition is to secure the ERS Gold Award and we are now working towards that goal. I am proud that our organisation has been recognised as actively supporting our highly valued colleagues from the armed forces community.”
