SSAFA Community Health Services delivers preventative, clinical and public health services from pregnancy through childhood and adolescence, working alongside Defence Medical Services, Defence children’s services, welfare, command teams and other partner organisations to improve health, wellbeing and outcomes.
SSAFA operates overseas in three distinct ways:
- We provide community health services to the British Forces community, as part of our contract with the Ministry of Defence.
- We run In Service Committees, providing a community hub for members of the Armed Forces and their families.
- We have SSAFA branches, which provide veterans based overseas a place to go and seek help.
SSAFA provides a number of health and welfare services to British service personnel and their families.
For more information, please visit the website mentioned above.
Vision: Deliver high quality, family centered, evidence based care.
Purpose: Promote health, prevent ill health, safeguard children and support families.
| Model | Locations |
|---|---|
| Remote Health Visiting Only | Mainland Europe & Turkey, United States |
| Face-to-Face Health Visiting Only | Belgium (Mons & Brussels), Gibraltar, Canada, Kenya |
| Face-to-Face and Remote Health Visiting | Naples, Sennelager, Belize |
| Face-to-Face Midwifery Only | Brunei |
| Remote Midwifery Only | Kenya, Nepal |
| Full Range of Community Health Services | Cyprus |
Public Health works to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of the military community through prevention, health promotion, health protection and community engagement.
We focus on understanding the health needs of our population and developing initiatives that support healthier lives, reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for children, young people, families and the wider British Forces community.
Key areas of work include:
- Health improvement and wellbeing programmes
- Health promotion campaigns and awareness events
- Community engagement and co-production
- Population health needs assessments
- Public health intelligence and data analysis
- Health protection and outbreak response support
- Reducing health inequalities
- Supporting the Healthy Child Programme and Best Start in Life agenda
- Developing evidence based services and interventions
- Building community resilience and social connections
Who we support
Children, young people, families and eligible members of the British Forces community overseas, with a particular focus on improving population health and wellbeing across military communities.
Contact
Kerry Riley Public Health and Engagement Manager
Email:[email protected]
Telephone: +357 99 324574
Public Health is everyone's business. We work alongside healthcare professionals, educators, welfare teams, military leaders and families to create healthier communities, prevent ill health and ensure every child, young person and family has the opportunity to thrive.
Health Visitors are Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who support families from pregnancy until a child starts school. We deliver the Healthy Child Programme, helping children to have the best start in life.
We offer:
- Pregnancy and preparation for parenthood
- Infant feeding and nutrition
- Child growth and development
- Parenting and family relationships
- Child behaviour and sleep
- Emotional wellbeing and mental health
- School readiness
- Safety and accident prevention
- Safeguarding and early intervention
Services are delivered predominantly face-to-face, with some virtual appointments available where appropriate.
Who we support
Expectant parents, babies, children aged 0–5 years and their families within the British Forces community in Cyprus, Brunei, Gibraltar, Canada, Belize, Mainland Europe and Turkey, the Americas, Naples, Sennelager and Kenya.
Contact
RAF Akrotiri [email protected] phone: 00357 25275832
Rest of Cyprus: [email protected] Phone: 0035725963900
All areas in Mainland Europe and Turkey including Gibraltar Sennelager, Naples and Belgium [email protected] and phone 0035725963900
Kenya [email protected] Phone 0035725963900
America, Belize and Canada [email protected] Phone: 0035725963900
Midwives provide care throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period, supporting both mother and baby.
We offer:
- Antenatal care and assessments
- Birth planning and preparation
- Postnatal care
- Infant feeding support
- Maternal physical and emotional wellbeing support
- Health promotion during pregnancy
- Referral to specialist services where required
Services are delivered both face-to-face and virtually depending on location.
Who we support
Pregnant women, new mothers, babies and families within the British Forces community in Cyprus, Brunei, Kenya and Nepal.
Contact
RAF Akrotiri [email protected] phone: 0035799618162
Rest of Cyprus: [email protected] Phone: 003579961815 OR 0035799007536
School Nurses promote the health and wellbeing of school aged children and young people.
Support includes:
- Physical and emotional health
- Healthy lifestyles
- Safeguarding
- Growth and development concerns
- Support for long-term health conditions
- Health education
- Signposting to specialist services
Who we support
Children and young people aged 5–19 years attending schools in Cyprus.
Contact
Phone: 0035724744829
Community Children's Nurses provide specialist nursing care for children and young people with acute, complex or long term health needs.
Support includes:
- Care planning and coordination
- Complex medical care
- Long-term condition management
- Support following hospital discharge
- Family education and support
- Assessment and support for Autism
- Liaison with specialist services
Who we support
Children and young people requiring specialist nursing care within the British Forces community in Cyprus.
Contact
RAF Akrotiri [email protected] Phone: 0035725275843
Rest of Cyprus [email protected] Phone 0035797771316
CAMHS supports children and young people who may be experiencing emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
We provide:
- Mental health assessments
- Therapeutic interventions
- Emotional wellbeing support
- Advice for parents and carers
- Risk assessment and safeguarding
- Signposting and referral to specialist services
- Assessment and support for ADHD
Who we support
Children and young people experiencing mental health or emotional wellbeing concerns.
Contact
Phone: 0035725963123
Speech and Language Therapists assess and support children and young people with communication and Language difficulties.
Support includes:
- Speech development
- Language understanding and expression
- Social communication skills
- Stammering
- Autism assessments
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties
- Advice for parents and schools
Who we support
Children and young people with speech, language or communication needs.
Contact
Phone: 0035725275832
Dietitians use specialist knowledge of nutrition to support healthy growth, development and wellbeing.
Support includes:
- Infant feeding
- Healthy eating advice
- Weight management
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Specialist dietary support
Who we support
Children, young people and families requiring nutritional advice or support.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0035724744092
Community Paediatricians assess and support children with developmental, behavioural and complex health needs.
This may include:
- Neurodevelopmental concerns
- Autism and ADHD assessments
- Developmental delay
- Complex medical needs
- Educational and behavioural concerns
- Multi-agency care planning
Who we support
Children and young people with additional or complex health and developmental needs.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0035725963123
Podiatrists assess, diagnose and treat conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs.
Support includes:
- Pain and injury management
- Gait and mobility assessment
- Skin and nail conditions
- Foot health advice
- Biomechanical concerns
Who we support
Children, young people and adults requiring specialist foot care.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0035725963123
Early Help provides coordinated support to families before difficulties become more serious. Early help is provided by all our services depending on need
Support may include:
- Parenting support
- Emotional wellbeing support
- Family resilience
- Housing and welfare advice
- Access to community services
- Multi-agency support planning
Who we support
Families who may benefit from additional support to improve outcomes for children.
Working with
Health, education, welfare and community partners.
To access early help contact any community health professional and request an assessment for early help.
SSAFA provides access to free online parenting courses and family wellbeing resources from Togetherness , helping parents and carers develop practical skills and strategies to support their children's emotional health, behaviour, communication and development.
The programmes aim to:
- Strengthen parent-child relationships
- Build parenting confidence
- Support children's emotional wellbeing
- Promote positive family relationships
- Reduce isolation and increase social connections
- Improve resilience for military families
- Provide accessible support at every stage of a child's development
Who can Access
Parents, carers, children and families within the overseas British Forces community.
How to access support
The eRedbook is a secure digital version of a child's personal health record.
It allows parents to:
- Access health information
- Track child development
- View growth records
- Store important health information
- Access trusted advice and guidance
Download form android or apple and see here for instructions and further benefits
If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, young person or vulnerable adult overseas, please contact first your local police on either 999 or 112 followed by British forces social work service on 0044 (0) 808 168 3111 and then a member of the Community Health team as soon as possible. Concerns will always be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately.
To speak to the named nurse for Safeguarding:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0035725963900 or 0035799781348.