SSAFA provides lifelong support to our Armed Forces, veterans and their families, we will:

• make every effort to assist you
• treat you with dignity and respect, and support you in a friendly non-judgemental way
• always keep you informed of the progress of your case

SSAFA volunteers are the friendly faces that the Armed Forces family (regulars, reserves and their families) can turn to in times of need. Our Community Volunteers can offer short term practical and emotional help and support. If we are unable to help, we’ll offer information on other departments in SSAFA or other organisations that may be able to assist you.

• We are understanding, committed, professional, fair and courageous.
• We demonstrate empathy and understanding.
• We are transparent and accountable for our actions and work in the best interest of all our clients.
• We act with integrity and promote inclusivity and diversity.
• We deal respectfully and fairly with all of our clients.

In return, we ask that you:

• Engage with the volunteer assigned to you.
• Always treat the volunteer with respect and dignity.
• Be honest about your situation and inform us if your circumstances change.
• Volunteer support services may be withdrawn in the event of our volunteers being subject to abusive or other inappropriate behaviour.

Our volunteers undertake mandatory training to comply to data protection regulations. This means that any information you share with them will remain confidential with the following exceptions:

• When there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or family member
• To protect others such as children and vulnerable adults
• To prevent a serious criminal act, especially where others may be endangered
• In a military context, there is a requirement to protect the interests of the services, particularly against a breach of security or when the effectiveness of a serving person would be badly affected.

Confidentiality will only be broken as a last resort, and only after all attempts to persuade the individual to disclose information voluntarily have failed.

Your personal information is protected and processed in accordance with current data protection legislation, including GDPR. You can read our privacy policy - hard copies can be provided on request.

All those who come into contact with SSAFA have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse. As an organisation, we acknowledge our responsibility to protect and safeguard vulnerable individuals. We take all reasonable steps to protect, report and respond to concerns about any individual’s welfare or safety whether that person is a child or an adult.

We ensure SSAFA’s statutory requirements are met and maintained and that these are implemented in line with best practice. This includes our safeguarding and recruitment policies and procedures, and the provision of training and support to all volunteers and employees.

We value any comments you have about the support we provide to you. Please complete the following feedback form if you would like to.