Confidential Helpline rolls out to support Armed Forces and their families - Forcesline relaunches 1st March
A confidential helpline called Forcesline, set up to support the Armed Forces and their families, is to roll out with a new look and feel from 1st March. Previously known as the Confidential Support Line, the relaunch aims to reach even more people and coincides with a new wave of troop deployment to Afghanistan.
Operated on behalf of the MoD by Armed Forces charity SSAFA Forces Help, the confidential service is totally independent of the military chain of command and is accessible through free phone numbers from anywhere in the world. Over 6,000 servicemen and women, veterans and family members call the helpline every year. Callers can talk about any matter concerning them, and issues vary from mental health problems, debt concerns, relationship advice to queries concerning operational deployment.
The helpline was originally set up in 1997, and staff are trained to deal with every type of situation - callers can be of any rank and from any Service. Additionally, the helpline provides support for members of the Armed Forces who have gone AWOL for whatever reason. A staff member nicknamed “AWOL Andy” is on hand to provide guidance and can act as a mediator between the AWOL serviceman or woman and their chain of command.
Visit the SSAFA Forces Help website for full details.