Supporting the submariner community
In April 2024, together with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) and Greenwich Hospital, we were pleased to have the opportunity to speak with the Armed Forces community in Helensburgh, Scotland. We wanted to understand the support available for Naval personnel and their families; and identify any gaps and opportunities. Over two days, we heard from the Armed Forces community located there, about a range of issues and challenges.
We wanted to find out even more, so we commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to conduct further research into the needs of the Royal Navy submariner community and the impact of separation on family life, to help strengthen the design of what comes next.
Listening to the submariner community
Personnel and families can suffer poor mental health and emotional strain due to unpredictability, frustration, separation and feeling unprepared for deployment. This can also include a period of pre-deployment anxiety as well as the deployment period itself. Reintegration following deployment can also be a challenge as routines are disrupted. An enduring stigma around mental health can deter some from seeking the help they need.
This wasn’t limited to immediate family members, with extended family not feeling included in the support networks available.
Availability and accessibility of services was raised. Families reported a low awareness of support available and there was some hesitancy in accessing statutory services affiliated with the Royal Navy, in case of impact on the submariner’s career. There were added issues for those living in remoter areas, further from the base, with fewer activities and services available.
For the organisations themselves, the research found that collaboration could be better. Especially between military and non-military organisations, where there can be a lack of integration for military families into services designed for civilians.
Other issues included impact on the spouse’s career. However, those who took part in the research talked about the importance of coping strategies such as focusing on work, staying busy and maintaining routines.
Recommendations included:
- Tailored mental health support
- Improved communication and practical advice for managing deployment challenges
- Fostering community connections and encouraging peer support initiatives
- Help with adjusting post-deployment, and the complexities of being away for a long time
- Initiatives that enhance career development for spouses.
Lots of work on these is already underway under our three-year Covenant Fund framework. Our Hidden Needs programme focuses on tailored and specialist mental health support, while our Apart not Alone programme centres on reducing the impact of long or frequent separation for military families. Elsewhere, the Supporting Partners programme, part of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund, supports spouses looking for work or to enhance their careers. However, until now, we have not focused this support on any particular Service or location.
Putting findings into action
We’d like to extend our thanks to everyone who took part and shared their views for this research. Having direct input from the community in Helensburgh has been pivotal.
This report marks the next step in our plans to improve support for the submariner community; and watch this space for more to come. However, this report is for everyone: we encourage others in a position to support this community to read it and consider how they too can make a difference.