Ex-Military Veterans Support

Ex-Military veterans are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-veterans, and are much more likely to experience homelessness, prison, or social exclusion. All these issues mean a much higher rate of depression and mental disorders. We offer this programme to support the well-being and re-integration of veterans living in our local community.

Get In Touch

Counselling

Support groups

Advice, guidance, and information

Relationship building

Relapse prevention

Peer mentorship

What we offer

We offer a four-stage programme:

Phase 1 - Access and Engagement.
Phase 2 - Skills Building.
Phase 3 – Re-Integration.
Phase 4 – Aftercare and Relapse Prevention.

Services offered include:

Counselling
Support groups
Advice, guidance, and information
Peer mentorship
Family support
Health and wellbeing
Benefits support
Employment and voluntary work support
Relationship building
Money management
Personal development
Aftercare support
Relapse prevention

As part of the programme, we also offer a choir, designed to use music and singing as therapeutic tools for veterans to re-integrate into the local community.

What we aim to achieve

Funded by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and The Force Trust (and in partnership with The Poppy Factory) the programme aims to improve the health and mental well-being, skills, resilience, and prospects of disadvantaged veterans living in Merton, Sutton, Wandsworth, Richmond and Kingston. The programme is also designed to support the families and carers of veterans.

The programme will bring together a holistic set of services to meet the needs that veterans present, whilst referring them to other local services when appropriate.

The diagram below shows that we aim to cover a four-stage programme to support service users.

Veterans Outreach and Homelessness Support

The Veterans Outreach and Homelessness Project is funded by The Veterans' Foundation and we provide:

Street-based outreach, aiming to engage with ex-military veterans sleeping rough
A flexible and person-centred approach and attend hotspots where rough-sleeping veterans might be staying
We work from other settings, such as supported and emergency and independent accommodation, to engage with veterans at risk of homelessness
Offer hot refreshments and cooked meals to veterans
Advocacy support and act as a middle person between the veteran and the housing agency to ensure the individual does not leave their engagement until they have a fixed accommodation
Support around benefits claim, managing their finance and supporting to get back into work
Advocacy support and act as a middle person between the veteran and the housing agency to ensure the individual does not leave their engagement until they have a fixed accommodation
We work within a network of organisations providing specialist support to refer clients to and from the service

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can access the programme?

Any Ex-Military Veteran living in the Boroughs of Merton, Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston, and Sutton, aged 18 years old or over.

How can the programme be accessed?

We maintain an easy and straightforward referral process. While any professional can contact CDARS for a referral, anyone who feels at risk can call the service directly via:

Email at: info@cdars.org.uk
Telephone: 0203 8728217

Or you can speak directly to:

Veterans Programme Manager - Jope Tikoisuva at: 07943 171752
Email address: jope.tikoisuva@cdars.org.uk