By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) is proud to show its support for the military community and has received the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze Award. 

The award recognises positive actions taken by organisations to help ensure members of the Armed Forces, including existing or prospective employees who are members of the community, are not unfairly disadvantaged during recruitment and are supported in the workplace.

Dr David Vickers, Medical Director, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, said:

“We’re delighted to receive this award which demonstrates that we’re a forces-friendly employer and open to employing reservists, Armed Forces veterans (including the wounded, injured and sick), cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.

“CCS is embarking on a journey to become a Veteran Aware NHS Trust, and this is the first step towards accreditation.”

Veteran Aware is part of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), which consists of more than a hundred NHS providers in England who have been accredited as exemplars of the best care for veterans, helping to drive improvements in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK armed forces and their families.

David Wood, Regional Lead for Veteran Aware, said: "It's great to see Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust make this commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and also their intent to achieve Veteran Aware accreditation to support the military community.”

Kristina Carrington, Regional Employer Engagement Director for the East of England, added: “We congratulate Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust on being awarded their Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award in recognition of the intention to support Defence People, and are looking forward to working with them on their journey to attaining a Silver Award.”

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For further information, please contact Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust’s Communications Team on 0300 555 6655 or email ccs.communications@nhs.net

Photo: Dr David Vickers, Medical Director, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (left) and Bruce Luter, Assistant Director of Business Development and Strategy (right), who served as a commissioned officer in the RAF from 1984 to 2006, retiring as a Wing Commander, photographed with the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze Award certificate. 

Notes for editors

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations who pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Bronze Award holders are self-nominated by employers who pledge their intention to support the Defence community and take a positive stance towards Reservists who are either existing or prospective employees.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust provides the following extensive portfolio of services:

• a range of children’s services to children, young people and families in (Cambridgeshire and Norfolk)
• school age immunisation programme (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk)
• iCaSH: Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health Services (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk)
• dental services (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Suffolk)
• musculoskeletal services and pelvic health physiotherapy services (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)
• Children and Adults’ Community Health services for the residents of Luton

• Children and Adults’ Community Health services for the residents of Bedfordshire are provided in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT).

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust: providing services across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk