Council to begin working towards silver level of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

Carmarthenshire County Council remains fully committed to supporting serving members of the armed forces, veterans and their families.

Having been awarded the bronze level in February 2022, the Council’s Cabinet has now expressed its intentions to attain the silver level of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS).

The DERS encourages employers to support those serving, reservists or who have served in the armed forces and their dependants and aligns with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Armed Forces Champion, Cllr. Philip Hughes, signed the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council in July 2022, which is a pledge to the Armed Forces Community and their families that they will be given respect and fairness.

The DERS encompasses Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards for employers that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to the Armed Forces Community, and uphold the principles which are:

• The unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the armed forces.
• That it is desirable to remove disadvantages arising for service people from membership, or former membership, of the armed forces.
• That special provision for service people may be justified by the effects on such people of membership, or former membership, of the armed forces (in respect of those who have services related medical conditions or injuries and the bereaved).

The Council are also working towards adopting a Guaranteed interview scheme for members of the Armed Forces Community, for those applicants who meet the essential criteria for the advertised role.  This initiative is an additional measure to support our Armed Forces Community.

Cllr. Philip Hughes, Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce, and Armed Forces Champion said: “As a Council, we recognise the important contribution of serving members of the armed forces, veterans, reservists, and their families and the value that they bring to our communities and businesses.

“We are very proud to employ members of the armed forces community and this next step to achieving the silver level of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme is just that, only the next step. We intend to go further in our support as we will now begin working towards offering the guaranteed interview scheme to applicants from the armed forces community that wish to join our workforce in the future.”