The Armed Forces Covenant Part 2

The Armed Forces Covenant in UK Policing
In the second of our two-part series on the Armed Forces Covenant, Steve Jackson (“Cop Coach”) & Ryan Mills (“The Connector”) examine the challenges around the successful implementation of the Covenant in UK policing.
One of the challenging issues around the Armed Forces Covenant in UK policing is that there is very little national outcome data. This is where the system becomes difficult to assess properly.

There is currently no consistent national dataset showing:

• how many veterans apply to policing
• how many are hired
• how many stay long term
• how many are promoted
• how many leave early
• how many struggle during transition

At national level, police workforce statistics and College of Policing material report headcount and protected characteristics, but they do not track ex‑Armed Forces status, and veteran figures only appear in isolated FOI responses at force level. FOI - West Midlands Police

This is one of the biggest structural gaps in the system.

So, while forces may position themselves as Armed Forces friendly employers, there is limited evidence showing which approaches actually produce consistent long term outcomes.

The issue is better understood as one of system visibility rather than intent or integrity. At present, delivery is fragmented, and improvement is difficult to measure consistently across forces

The Hidden Challenges of Transition
One of the most consistent themes at Aldershot was the openness around dyslexia and written communication barriers among serving personnel and veterans.

Some were confident in their operational ability but less confident navigating written applications or online assessment systems.

A serving NCO at Aldershot summed it up: “The work doesn’t scare me. The application form does.”

Some forces already adjust their recruitment processes for dyslexic candidates.
Avon and Somerset Police, for example, offer display changes, assistive technology and extra time, and have published a dyslexia case study where interview questions were provided in writing, while College of Policing guidance confirms that extra time and other reasonable adjustments can be made in national online assessments. Nathan's Journey - Avon & Somerset Police, College of Police Guidance, Reasonable Adjustments

Modern policing recruitment is heavily built around:

• written competency based applications
• online assessment systems
• reflective language
• structured interviews

Whereas military environments often reward:

• action
• discipline
• teamwork
• direct communication
• operational delivery

Therefore the result is a predictable gap.
Policing recruitment increasingly rewards articulation of experience; military service often rewards execution of it.

So the issue is about how military capability is translated into civilian language, and in many cases, no structured support exists to bridge that gap effectively.

A lot of incredibly capable people struggle simply because nobody has helped them translate military experience into civilian recruitment language.

The Financial Side of Leaving the Forces

Another commonly misunderstood area is transition funding and financial support available to service leavers.
Depending on eligibility and service length, individuals may receive:

• A tax free Resettlement Grant
• Pension entitlements
• Early Departure Payments
• Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC)
• Individual Resettlement Training Cost grants (IRTC)
• Tuition support for approved qualifications

Eligible service leavers may access up to £6,000 in Enhanced Learning Credits across the scheme lifetime (typically via multiple claims subject to eligibility rules). Leaving the military? Don’t leave money on the table.

In practice, most individuals access a combination of support rather than all available elements.

Useful official resources:
Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS): https://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com
Career Transition Partnership (CTP): https://www.ctp.org.uk
Armed Forces Covenant: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk

Where Cop Coach and The Connector Fit In

This is where Steve Jackson and Ryan Mills operate.
Steve Jackson, known as “Cop Coach” brings over 35 years’ combined military and policing experience, including service in the Royal Signals, UN operations in the Balkans, and policing within the City of London Police.

Ryan Mills (“The Connector”) works across recruitment, positioning, and candidate strategy in both UK and international markets.

Our focus is not simply job placement. It is helping people understand how their experience is interpreted within civilian systems, how to position themselves effectively, and how transition impacts your confidence, identity, and long term direction.
Many people are not lacking capability. They are lacking clarity, structure, and translation support.

For coaching, speaking enquiries or support with movement into policing, contact Steve Jackson at steve@copcoach.co.uk

Why Starting Early Matters
One of our strongest pieces of advice from the event was simple:
Start early. Do not wait until your final few months in service to think about civilian life.
Start building confidence early.
Start understanding recruitment processes early.
Start thinking about identity early.
Because leaving the military is harder when someone is not clear on what they want, what they are good at, how they communicate, and how civilian recruitment actually works.
The earlier those conversations happen, the smoother transition usually becomes.

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