This page provides information/advice/guidance and signposting to organisations and resources relevant to supporting Service children and non-Service children during times of conflict.
Although some of the resources refer to a specific conflict, for example the conflict in the Ukraine, the resource can be applied to other conflicts.
Times of conflict and crisis affect many families, Service and civilian, and a school community plays a vital part in ensuring our families feel safe and supported during a potentially challenging time.
It is not uncommon for Service children to experience regular changes to their family and school lifestyle, which can be at relatively short notice. Service families are adaptable and generally very resilient in times of uncertainty. They also have access to a lot of support from the MOD, charities (including the family federations), and through many Armed Forces community networks.
The SSCE Cymru School Toolkit includes a section on Mental Health and Wellbeing, which provides information about local authority, Health Board and school level wellbeing support and interventions.
Article 17: I have the right to get information in lots of ways, so long as it’s safe.
Save the Children is the world’s first and leading independent children’s organisation – transforming lives and the future we share. They work with children, their communities, and partners worldwide, discovering new solutions to help ensure that the world's most vulnerable children survive, learn and are protected.
The Welsh Centre for International Affairs promote a worldwide Wales were everyone contributes to creating a fairer and more peaceful world. They hope to inspire people to learn and act on global issues through three programmes; Global Learning, Global Action and Global Partnerships.
There resources below focus on Peace in Israel and Palestine and the Ukraine.
Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK.
Schools of Sanctuary is a programme that supports schools to create a culture of welcome, understanding and belonging for those forced to flee. Their resources 'Speaking with Children about the War in Ukraine' shares advice on helping children navigate the news about the war and how they feel about it.
Place2Be provides emotional and therapeutic services in primary and secondary schools, building children’s resilience through talking, creative work and play. Working with over 600 schools, supporting a school population of over 350,000 children and young people, it helps them to cope with wide-ranging and often complex social issues, including bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma.
"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."
Aiden
"I lived in Nepal, then we went to Brunei, then Malaysia."
Ashim
"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."
Chloe
"I’m used to moving now and mixing with the children... I’ve done it so many times, it’s just a normal thing now."
Chloe
"It's ok talking over skype and that, but sometimes you just want a hug when Dad is away."
Georgia
"He signed off last week, so he will be done by the end of this year. He’s done 24 years. I find that better because he will be around a lot. He likes watching us playing rugby, so he will get to see us more."
Lewis
"I’ve enjoyed going around to lots of places around the world, it's adventurous and exciting."
Harry
"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."
Ieuan
"My mum got a chalk board and it says how many sleeps on it with chalk, every minute it’s getting closer for him coming home."
Mia
"I don’t want him to get promoted... I want him to get promoted but I don’t want to leave."
Oliver
"I might be going to boarding school so that I don’t change schools every few years."
Ryan
"I've been to seven different schools; I’ve not stayed put in one school long enough."
Shana
"He has been away for six months and he is back for two weeks, then he goes away again."
Sianed
"My parents were in the Army. My mum is a like a nurse and my dad went to the war in Afghanistan. I actually didn’t really know what he was doing so I was like, ‘Cool Dad, go there,’ but then I found out and thought, 'Thank God he came back alive.'"
Sanjog
"I’m going to a new place entirely. They don’t know anything about me and that’s a big restart and that’s really good for me."
Piaras
"I moved to Wales because my dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends."
Dan
"I've moved seven times in fourteen years."
Lilia
"Now we've got a forever home. I never have to worry about leaving or how long until I am leaving. I feel like I belong here a lot more, that's always great."
Oliver
"In June or July, my Dad is going away quite far. He's in the Army, he's a chef. Having your Dad gone is so sad."
Josie
"I've lived in many places. So, I was born in Cyprus, after that I've been to Germany, then I went to this place called Stafford. Then another place which is Wales."
Dominic
"My Dad, he's in the Army and he works in the Engineers and he goes away on week days and comes back on weekends"
Emily
"Dad often goes away. It is a bit worrying not knowing where your Dad is going. It does worry me and my sister. Yeah, you just never know when he's coming home".
Joe
"My Mum is my parent that is in the Armed Forces. She is a reservist. So when I was younger it was a lot worse, she travelled around a lot. I've lived in the same house my whole life, but she has moved around me. I was in a constant cycle of saying goodbye".
Emma
"For military children they [Mount Street Junior School] do a club called Little Troopers, they've done a Remembrance service, purple up day. We celebrate Holi and Dawali".
Arushi
"Being a military child is hard, but it also gets you a lot of new experiences that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise".
Esme-Jane
Welsh Local Government Association
One Canal Parade
Dumballs Road
Cardiff
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