Project SALICE: Supporting the people and families behind the NATO mission
Project SALICE addresses practical obstacles faced by UK personnel and their families serving in NATO Command and Force structures – underpinning the Government’s 'NATO First' approach.
When a soldier, sailor or aviator is posted overseas for NATO, their family often goes with them. Their partner may have to give up their job, and their children may need new schools. Life must be rebuilt in a new country.
‘NATO First’ is not just a commitment made in policy documents, but the guiding principle for all our military plans and activities – and Project SALICE is here to address the challenges that can arise with an international move and to support families serving with NATO overseas.
Expanding on issues and recommendations covered in recent reviews of overseas Service life, the Project SALICE initiative is part of a broader commitment to make military life work, for those who serve – and for the families who serve alongside them. It builds on the Armed Forces Offer, which includes competitive pay, healthcare, accommodation support and funded childcare.
Lieutenant General Eldon Millar, the UK's Military Representative to NATO and the EU and Project SALICE sponsor, said:
“The UK is one of NATO's strongest members. Our Armed Forces work every day alongside allies to keep our country and Europe safe – with the right people, in the right places, at the right time.
“But keeping the best people in our Armed Forces doesn't depend only on good training and kit. It depends on Service life being a good life, for the whole family – and that is the purpose of Project SALICE.
“When our people know that their families are settled, their partners have every opportunity to work, and the practical side of overseas life is manageable, they can focus on their mission – being ready to deter, fight and win.”
The project covers: partner employment, education, accommodation, career management, policies and processes, and the Armed Forces Covenant.
Partner employment
Finding a job in another country isn't easy. Rules vary everywhere, and red tape often makes it extremely hard for partners of Service personnel to work at all.
Right now, particular attention is being focused on tackling these barriers to partner employment, and the Project SALICE team is tackling this in three ways:
‘NATO First’ is not just a commitment made in policy documents, but the guiding principle for all our military plans and activities – and Project SALICE is here to address the challenges that can arise with an international move and to support families serving with NATO overseas.
Expanding on issues and recommendations covered in recent reviews of overseas Service life, the Project SALICE initiative is part of a broader commitment to make military life work, for those who serve – and for the families who serve alongside them. It builds on the Armed Forces Offer, which includes competitive pay, healthcare, accommodation support and funded childcare.
Lieutenant General Eldon Millar, the UK's Military Representative to NATO and the EU and Project SALICE sponsor, said:
“The UK is one of NATO's strongest members. Our Armed Forces work every day alongside allies to keep our country and Europe safe – with the right people, in the right places, at the right time.
“But keeping the best people in our Armed Forces doesn't depend only on good training and kit. It depends on Service life being a good life, for the whole family – and that is the purpose of Project SALICE.
“When our people know that their families are settled, their partners have every opportunity to work, and the practical side of overseas life is manageable, they can focus on their mission – being ready to deter, fight and win.”
The project covers: partner employment, education, accommodation, career management, policies and processes, and the Armed Forces Covenant.
Partner employment
Finding a job in another country isn't easy. Rules vary everywhere, and red tape often makes it extremely hard for partners of Service personnel to work at all.
Right now, particular attention is being focused on tackling these barriers to partner employment, and the Project SALICE team is tackling this in three ways:
- New guides – explaining the work rules for partners in every EU country: these will be available later this summer on GOV.UK. Where rules are unfair or unclear, the team is pushing for change – talks are already under way with Italy and Denmark.
- Support for partners in specific professions – the team is looking at what more can be done to support partners who work in healthcare, and other professions will also be considered over the coming months.
- Changing things at home – International Remote Working (IRW) policies are being reviewed across Government departments. While most departments now have IRW policies in place, approaches vary in how they work in practice. In collaboration with the Government People Group, Defence is therefore undertaking a cross-government exercise to gather and compare IRW policies.
Armed Forces People Policy (AFPP) and Armed Forces Remuneration Policy (AF Rem) teams have already made improvements to allowances, processes and provisions.
These include:
