There is a huge amount of support for the Armed Forces in Wales.
The Welsh government has published a Welcome to Wales booklet that covers much of what you will need to know before and during your posting to Wales.
Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in Wales comes under the Pinnacle & Amey contract for allocations and repairs. pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk
The Welsh Government has produced a housing pathway document to support the Armed Forces when leaving the Services. AFF was involved in helping to shape the document so it is relevant to serving personnel, families and veterans. The document contains information about housing for anyone wanting to settle in Wales who needs help and support.
Back to topThe Childcare Offer for Wales means that most working parents of 3 to 4 year olds can now claim funds towards the cost of childcare.
This means 30 hours of early education and childcare in Wales for eligible parents.
The 30 hours is made up of a minimum of 10 hours of early education a week and a maximum of 20 hours a week of childcare.
The exact amount of childcare you get depends on how much early education your local authority offers – your local Family Information Service can let you know what the Offer means for you in your area.
Back to topThere is a huge amount of support for Service children in Wales and a dedicated all-Wales project officer who works for the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
The Supporting Service Children in Education in Wales (SSCE Cymru) project was set up in 2014. Since then the project has continued to develop work across Wales, establishing a website, virtual network, video resources and holding the first all-Wales Service Children in Education Conference. SSCE has an informative website with large amounts of information available for parents, children and schools.
Welsh language is taught as an additional language throughout all schools starting right from nursery. Throughout the school day children are trickle fed Welsh phrases and responses starting with answering the attendance and dinner register.
There are no Grammar schools in Wales.
Whilst there is not a dedicated Service Pupil Premium in Wales, there is grant funding available to schools and local authorities in Wales to support Service children. More information on funding streams can be found on the SSCE website.
The School Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Code are available on the Welsh Government website. These lengthy documents refer to children of Service personnel on several occasions, and in particular when moving on posting.
The SEN Code of Practice for Wales provides practical advice to Local Education Authorities, maintained schools and early years’ settings on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs. See gov.wales/special-educational-needs for more information.
Back to topPrescriptions are free in Wales.
If you move into Wales, you may experience differences with waiting list times.
AFF has raised the problem of longer waiting list times with the Welsh Government.
There has been agreement that, in some circumstances, individual cases will be looked at.
If you are receiving long term support it is important that you check the healthcare provision in Wales before a posting. For more information, please contact our Health & Additional Needs team at healthsupport@aff.org.uk
Families need to register with the local dental practice.
In December 2015, the Welsh Government changed the way people choose to become organ donors in Wales. These changes will affect Army family members aged 18 years or more, who have lived in Wales for at least 12 months.
Regular soldiers posted to Wales as part of their Service will not be affected.
Back to topTo teach in primary or secondary schools in Wales you must register with the Education Workforce Council (EWC).
Back to topThere is a large amount of employment and training support available to you in Wales.
Careers Wales has 28 careers offices based across Wales that you can visit to discuss the opportunities and support available and identify your individual needs.
The Careers Wales website also gives you a variety of ways to make contact and gather information.
The Working Wales service was launched in 2019 and is part of the wider Careers Wales programme, dedicated to supporting you and your family into training and employment. It can help you plan your career, prepare to get a job, and find and apply for the right apprenticeships, courses and training.
Forces Families Jobs is the go-to place for training and employment for family members of currently serving UK military personnel.
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