Contact

Phil Loader

01636 557543

enquiries@careaftercombat.org

Website

Facebook

Description

Care After Combat is a veterans charity providing support to those within the Criminal Justice System. On notification of a veteran in custody, CAC will make contact with the individual and, if in a prison we have full access to, will interview them on a face to face basis and identify their needs and requirements. This may range from practical support in obtaining training for employment, signposting for accommodation or finance or substance misuse liaison to complex mental health support. With our links to NHS England, mental health support is provided to those directly affected by service related trauma. Support is offered from point of sentence until release and then up to a year post release through a volunteer mentor scheme. Whilst in custody, veterans will be invited to attend monthly group forums which are held to promote community but also have a psycho-educational  direction to assist in addressing offending behaviour. These forums take place within the prisons and may also just be used as a good get together over a cup of tea and a biscuit. This provides a sense of wellbeing and camaraderie. Additional to the full service, we also offer a remote service whereby veterans are supported through letter and phone. All veterans who sign up to the service whilst in custody are entitled to receive a wellbeing pack, which was developed during COVID and has continued. This contains fact based articles, puzzles, jokes, advice, exercises and letters from others. It has been proven to greatly improve the MH of veterans within custody. We currently operate in over 70 prisons across England and Wales providing both full and remote services.. Over the entire prison system we support upwards of 500 veterans at any one time.

Delivery Partners in support

NHS, Veterans in the Criminal Justice System