Army Recovery Capability
Nearly 10 years of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have
left hundreds of soldiers with life-changing injuries. At present
the Army seeks to provide everyone who is injured with a job, but
this is not always the best option for the individual. This places
pressure on the military, which has a finite number of positions
suitable for such employment.
Currently some ten per cent of Army personnel are unable to be
deployed on operations and a further 13 per cent have limitations
on their employability. This places strain on the finite manpower
resource of the Army.
In order to help address this problem The Royal British Legion
is working in partnership with the MoD, Help for Heroes and other
Service charities to support the Army Recovery
Capability (part of the Defence Recovery Capability),
under which medical rehabilitation and resettlement services will
be united under a single umbrella. This holistic new service
aims to offer an array of medical, pastoral and welfare support to
serving and ex-serving personnel through the medium of an
individual recovery plan.
This is a new and exciting opportunity for The Royal British
Legion to aid recovery and prepare our Service personnel to return
to duty or assist them into civilian life. This project will
also provide vital support to their families. It will bring
together a range of separate services into a single coherent
programme.
To meet the challenge of providing a complete service to
its injured personnel, the Army Recovery Capability will be
made up of four key components:
Personnel Recovery Branch, Headquarters Land
Command
will co-ordinate all elements of the Army Recovery
Capability. It will keep track of all those who enter the recovery
process - to the point of discharge and beyond - and will develop
employment opportunities for those leaving the Army. The Royal
British Legion will have a Liaison Officer embedded on its
staff.
Personnel Recovery Units (PRU)
A co-ordinated network of 12 PRU will provide support and
guidance to personnel on a recovery pathway. These units will be
throughout the UK, based in the UK regional brigades and Northern
Ireland, with each PRU commanded by a serving Lieutenant
Colonel.
Individual Recovery Plans (IRP)
Every person on a recovery pathway will have a tailored
recovery plan, which is developed at initial assessment and
co-ordinated and managed by a PRU. This will ensure individuals are
able to access the particular support they need at each stage of
their recovery and IRPs will be tailored to
suit personal ambition and skills. The process can take
up to two years but the emphasis is to ensure that the individual
only leaves once the right skills, housing and appropriate
employment (if relevant) are in place.
Personnel Recovery Centres (PRC)
Experience shows that injured personnel find a military
environment conducive to the best possible recovery, so
purpose-built Personnel Recovery Centres will be built at 4
locations around the UK.
These centres will be built by Help for Heroes and operated
jointly by The Royal British Legion and the Army and will
provide a residential base and day care facilities for those who
need it. Each centre will be located inside or close to Army sites,
enabling access to Army facilities and support from the Army,
including existing medical, educational and other garrison
facilities.
