A simple phone call from a Second World War veteran on a dark November evening has sparked a national training programme now supporting frontline professionals across the UK to better identify and assist older veterans.
Age Cymru Dyfed has developed the Building Stronger Futures for Older Veterans eLearning course, a free, bilingual training resource designed to help organisations recognise veterans in their communities, record their status and connect them with the right support.
Funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust; the course was made possible following a successful grant award in April 2024. Over the following 12 months, a dedicated project team worked alongside specialist eLearning partners and external agencies to design an accessible, practical and evidence-based training programme.
The course was officially launched to veterans, dignitaries and project collaborators, and has since been adopted by a growing number of organisations across health, local government and policing. Most recently, Hampshire Police and NHS England have added the training to their internal learning platforms, further expanding its national reach.
Project officer at Age Cymru Dyfed, James Glass said,
“Building Stronger Futures for Older Veterans was created to make it easier for frontline staff to recognise the people behind the service record. Too often, older veterans don’t identify themselves, which means they can miss out on vital support. This training gives professionals simple, practical steps to identify, record and assist veterans so no one slips through the net. We’re incredibly proud to see the project growing nationally and being adopted by organisations across health and policing.
“The project began in April 2024 and over the past 20 months our team has worked tirelessly to design, develop and promote the Building Stronger Futures for Older Veterans eLearning course across the UK. This free, short, bilingual English and Welsh programme has been created to raise awareness of older veterans in our communities and to ensure they are recognised and supported appropriately. By encouraging professionals to ask a simple question, ‘Did you ever serve in HM Forces?’, the course helps identify veterans, record their status, guide them to speak with their GP, and connect them with local third sector support where needed.
“While many veterans live well without additional help, around 6% of the veteran population, approximately 120,000 people at any one time, may require extra assistance. We have already delivered the course to partners including the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, National Health Service Trusts, county councils, Blue Light services, and universities, and we are proud that it will now also be available across the Age UK network. By working together, we can build stronger futures for older veterans nationwide and ensure those who served our country receive the recognition, care and support they are entitled to.”
With more than a third of UK veterans now aged 80 or above, around 650,000 people, frontline professionals in healthcare, policing, housing, social care and local authorities are increasingly likely to encounter veterans with complex needs. Many older veterans do not identify themselves as such, meaning they may miss out on specialist support and services.
The course equips staff with simple, practical steps built around the core approach of Identify, Record and Assist. Learners are supported to recognise veteran status, ensure it is accurately recorded, for example on GP records, and signpost or refer individuals to appropriate third sector and specialist veteran organisations.
Key features of the course include:
- Funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (2024 to 2027)
- Free access in both Welsh and English
- Available as a SCORM file for upload into learning platforms such as Moodle and Blackboard
- Designed for use across health, policing, education and local authority settings
The SCORM format allows organisations full autonomy to host and manage the training internally. The course has already been delivered to NHS organisations, county councils, universities and police forces across the UK.
Age Cymru Dyfed hopes the training will ensure that no older veteran slips through the net and that those who served feel recognised, understood and supported in later life.
The course is available at the following weblink: training.no-ordinary-ant.uk/account/create
Feature image: Welsh Senedd Visit with Sarah Murphy MS
