Lancashire and the North West Hub
The University of Central Lancashire is privileged to host one of the SCiP hubs in the North West of England with a particular focus on Lancashire. The University is a dedicated to supporting the armed forces community and is one of the few Universities to hold the Gold ERS award, demonstrating our commitment in this area .
The local picture surrounding the armed forces community in Lancashire identifies from the 2011 Census that across Lancashire there were 2,214 residents who stated they were employed by the armed forces. Throughout the county there are a recorded 1,137 service children in receipt of pupil premium (Lancashire County Council, 2019). In this area of England Lancaster and Fleetwood, Wigan and Blackpool South remain in the UK’s top ten constituency areas for recruiting personnel to the armed forces3 (House of Commons, 2019 making the north one of the largest areas for recruitment of armed forces personnel.
There are a number of initiatives supporting the armed forces community at both a national and local level throughout the county and at UClan we host both the:
• College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services
• Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub
The College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services have developed strategic links to enable a North West offer for engaging the military community. In addition to collaborating with SCiP at a national level the team are working with colleagues at Lancashire County Council to develop a county-wide offer for children from military families.
SCiP Alliance Lancashire and North West Hub:
The hub launched in June 2019 and we are now asking HEIs across the region to join the partnership and work with us to help improve education outcomes of young people from military families. By signing up to the partnership we ask the HEIs commit to the following:
1. Develop an action plan for their area, working with local bodies (e.g. councils) to scope provision offered for children form military families in their region
2. Attend at least two SCiP meetings per year
3. Express a commitment towards working towards Armed Forces Covenant status
4. Contribute to outreach activity at events hosted at UCLan.
Engaging young people from military families through the following:
1. Advice and guidance from the College for Military Veterans and Emergency Services (based at UCLan)
2. Access to an annual CPD conference covering Military Family engagement
3. Support and mentorship if you would like to host a military family engagement event.
Actions taking place between the Hub and Lancashire County Council:
Baseline survey to establish:
The number of service children in their schools
The number of service children in their schools in receipt of pupil premium
The needs of service children in mainstream education
Identify youth council representatives of children and young people from military families to advocate on their own behalf and link into the broader youth councils across the county.
Identify key thematic areas where children from military families require support in order to attain and progress as well as non-military children.
Parental engagement strategy – childhood adversity and transference of issues i.e. during deployment or times of high stress in the family
Teacher CPD – information, advice and guidance for teaching staff
Develop Resources – for children from military families, parents and schools.
