Enhancing Support for Armed Forces Families through QI: A Champion’s Journey

 31st May 2023

By Glynis Freeman (veterans Champion) and Carlos Santos (Improvement Advisor)

In the 4-min video below, you will hear from Glynis Freeman, a veterans champion, who shares her experience and insights on a ground-breaking Triple Aim Initiative that aims to revolutionise the support offered to Armed Forces  (AF) families by applying Quality Improvement (QI) principles.

 

The project, supported by numerous AF members and organisations, focuses on expanding the reach and impact of the Trust by increasing the number of AF families who receive comprehensive support, aiming to address the unique challenges faced by veterans and their families. “Family Support” is one of the Drivers for this work. The other drivers can be seen at the Driver Diagram below – Figure 1.

 

As a long-standing member of the AF community, Glynis’ personal connection to the military is profound. Living on military camps with her husband’s service in the Air Force and raising military children, she remains closely involved with the military community through her affiliation with the NHS and the Military Wives Choir Foundation, a charitable organisation.

Glynis emphasizes the importance of raising awareness and understanding of the specific challenges that military families encounter. These challenges often arise from frequent relocations, which can disrupt their access to essential healthcare services. The project aims to address these issues and provide much-needed support to military children who may face anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicide ideation, and other associated health risks.

Looking ahead, Glynis envisions significant changes resulting from this project. By using QI, she imagines a future where families receive the support they need and where data analysis helps identify effective strategies. The project’s success lies in continuous improvement, utilising the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to refine approaches and ensure progress.

This project is gaining recognition beyond its boundaries, as evidenced by its recent awards and accolades:

• Sharon Deans, an ELFT Armed Forces Community Champion, has been named the Family Volunteer of the Year at the annual Celebrating Forces Families awards ;
• ELFT has been shortlisted as Employer of the Year by the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards ;
• ELFT has also been recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust by the Veterans Health Care Alliance (VHCA).

By leveraging QI principles, collaborative efforts and comprehensive data analysis, this Triple Aim work will make a lasting impact and ensure a brighter future for military families across the populations we serve.