The Armed Forces Covenant in UK Policing - Part One

In the first part of a two-part blog, Steve Jackson (“Cop Coach”) & Ryan Mills (“The Connector”) examine the Armed Forces Covenant in the context of policing and what is currently working well.

Introduction

At the British Forces Resettlement Services event at Aldershot Garrison, a consistent theme emerged across conversations with serving personnel and veterans.
Many were confident in their ability, but less confident in how that experience translates into civilian recruitment processes.
This is a consistent pattern across conversations with both candidates and those involved in recruitment processes.
What became clear to us is that this is not a motivation problem or an ability problem.
It is a structural translation problem, the recruitment system is assessing how experience is described, not how it was performed, and that is where strong candidates are being lost.
This matters because policing is one of the most natural post-service routes for veterans. Forces actively recruit from the Armed Forces community, promote Covenant commitments, and offer structured pathways such as guaranteed interviews and resettlement support.
Yet despite this, a recurring issue persists: capable candidates are not always progressing, not because of performance, but because of how military experience is interpreted within civilian recruitment systems.
Across the event, we spoke with serving personnel, veterans, and representatives from Thames Valley Police, the Metropolitan Police, Surrey Police, Sussex Police, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary. Those conversations extended beyond recruitment into identity, confidence, dyslexia, and the wider challenge of rebuilding life after service.
This piece looks at what is happening between intent and outcome in Armed Forces Covenant delivery within policing. And why, despite significant effort across forces, the results are not always aligning in practice.
Between us, we bring experience from both sides of that transition, Steve Jackson (“Cop Coach”) with over 35 years’ combined military and policing experience, and Ryan Mills (“The Connector”) working across recruitment, positioning, and candidate strategy in both UK and international markets.

What the Armed Forces Covenant Actually Is

The Armed Forces Covenant is often misunderstood.
A lot of people assume it creates a major legal obligation across the whole public sector. In reality, it is more limited than many think.
The Covenant is a national promise that those who serve, or have served, should not face unfair disadvantage because of military service. In certain situations, special consideration may also be appropriate.
The Covenant Legal Duty is not a general obligation on every organisation that has signed the Covenant.
It applies to a defined list of public bodies delivering healthcare, housing and education, such as local authorities, NHS bodies, and schools, and does not include police forces.
Private and third sector organisations are also not directly in scope, although councils or NHS bodies can write Covenant expectations into contracts when they outsource relevant services. Armed Forces Covenant Duty Statutory Guidance
Police forces are heavily involved with the Covenant, but interpretation and implementation still vary significantly between forces.
Many forces sign pledges, hold Employer Recognition Scheme awards, and actively recruit veterans.
Because the Covenant duty does not cover core policing functions, much of what forces do for veterans is driven by voluntary policy, internal culture and leadership choices, rather than a specific statutory requirement.

The Positive Side: What Forces Are Doing Well


Several forces now hold Silver or Gold awards under the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

• Gold level employers are expected to:
• Actively support reservists
• Provide additional paid leave for reserve duties
• Promote Armed Forces-friendly recruitment practices
• Engage with military resettlement pathways
• Maintain supportive HR policies
• Advocate for the Armed Forces community publicly
• Some forces have gone further than pledges alone.

Thames Valley Police offer a resettlement payment for eligible veterans moving directly into policing, promoted through its Military Resettlement recruitment page. TVP Careers
The Metropolitan Police support reservists with additional leave as part of wider London Armed Forces Covenant commitments. Metropolitan Police Service
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has dedicated military recruitment support, including a specific “Military Recruitment” pathway. Hampshire Police Jobs
Surrey Police and Sussex Police both run Armed Forces networks and structured transition support, including Armed Forces Champions and Covenant pledges. Sussex Police Careers, GOV.UK: Surrey Police Station
Some forces also offer guaranteed interviews for veterans, reservists, or military spouses who meet the essential criteria. For example, Dorset Police and Devon & Cornwall Police guarantee interviews for veterans, reservists and military spouses who meet the essential criteria for certain roles. Devon & Cornwall, Dorset Police
It is important to be precise here, it is a guaranteed interview, not a guaranteed job.
That distinction matters, because misunderstanding of what Covenant support actually delivers in practice is still common.
In the second part of this two-part blog, Steve and Ryan will look at the remaining challenges to implementing the Armed Forces Covenant and how to overcome them.

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