About ASDIC
Concept
ASDIC was set up to support the increasing number of Drop-In locations around the UK that support veterans of the UK Armed Forces, merchant marine, emergency services and their families. Often called Hubs or Centres, they offer their Service Users (SUs) social interaction, general welfare and well-being, including mental health support. This routinely takes place under one roof, all at the same time and in an informal, relaxed environment. The Association of Service Drop-In Centres (ASDIC) network aims to link these Drop-Ins together for mutual benefit and make them more accessible to SUs. It should be noted that there is also a network of ex-Service Breakfast Clubs; these tend to be more social than welfare-oriented, but some locations fall into both categories. Whatever the title, the benefit to the overall well-being of the SU remains paramount.
ASDIC is strongly supported by the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo), and funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCT). It is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, registered with the Charity Commission. ASDIC is not a regulatory body, but all members are expected to follow a common ethos described in the Code of Conduct and sign the ASDIC Membership Application and Agreement. However, ASDIC does not seek to take away the independence of Drop-In but rather to empower it by harnessing collective knowledge and experience and broadcasting examples of best practice and initiatives.
Some Philosophy…
It might be sensible, particularly for the uninitiated, to begin by exploring the fundamental and philosophical ethos of ASDIC and the Drop-In community, and how this differs from the standard and more formal basis of other major Armed Forces charities. Essentially ASDIC is not based on the standard top-down military model, with a powerful HQ laying down a framework of policies, rules and regulations to which descending layers of authority conform. At the risk of sounding slightly anarchic, the USP of ASDIC is that the Association itself is non-regulatory – the network is self-regulatory, run by the community and for the community, and largely policed by its people who are passionate about pursuing its success for the greater good of vulnerable veterans.
ASDIC’s mission statement states that it….
… will work to maximise the sustainability, resilience, effectiveness and delivery of Drop-In Centres and improve liaison with Breakfast Clubs across the United Kingdom to ensure that all vulnerable veterans receive swift and empathetic support and that their needs are appreciated at higher levels.
In practical terms, this translates as providing advice, promoting best practice, stimulating communication and conversation, and giving a moderated consensual voice directly from the coalface of the community to the national veterans’ picture at Cobseo or OVA (Office of Veterans Affairs) level. What it does not do is regulate the affairs of each Drop-In, where leaders are expected to be cognisant of the need for good governance and financial and social probity in all aspects. Nonetheless, ASDIC will offer guidance and experience in best practices when required. Centres are asked to agree to a Code of Conduct that outlines these qualities. However, they are then expected to police themselves on the understanding that failure may bring their community into disrepute.
For ASDIC itself, there is some degree of reputational risk in such a volunteer-led framework, but for an organisation that exists to promote ex-Service comradeship and self-imposed standards, and prides itself on lean management and minimal oversight, this is considered acceptable. It is strongly believed that it is this approach that sets ASDIC aside from the more formal framework of ex-Service organisations but is exactly what makes it attractive to the service-leaver or veteran who maintains a huge amount of personal pride and dignity, but who has perhaps lost the self-confidence to deal with perceived authority.
Drop-Ins
All Drop-Ins extend a warm welcome with refreshments, some offer general welfare support such as housing and employment advice, some have activities to promote wellbeing, and some provide access to mental health support. This routinely takes place under one roof, at the same time and in an informal environment. ASDIC aims to link all these Drop-Ins together, to encourage mutual support and make them more accessible to those seeking help.
Drop-ins vary hugely in their modus operandi and no two function the same: some are very small, some more like a one-stop-shop, but all serve the same overall purpose of helping the ex-military (and sometimes wider) community in need. ASDIC Drop-Ins are open at least once a month and will be supported and attended by local organisations or representatives of national bodies to serve the needs of individuals. These may include the likes of SSAFA, the Royal British Legion and other recognised Service charities, a selection of health and welfare organisations such as the NHS, Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Legal, DWP or local council services, and many individuals – often local – organisations offering activities for the enhancement of general wellbeing and a sense of belonging. Over 120 Drop-Ins are operating in the UK at present and the number joining ASDIC as members is steadily increasing.
ASDIC Regional Structure
The principal objective of ASDIC is to help Drop-Ins work together and support each other to improve what they offer and avoid unnecessary duplication across their respective region. A secondary aim is to make it easier for state, charity and third-sector organisations to support Drop-Ins, helping them work together more effectively and maximise their resources.
ASDIC Membership Benefits
The benefits of ASDIC membership include:
- *Use of the ASDIC membership brand, including the logo, giving national credibility and status within Cobseo and the wider Armed Forces welfare community.
- Dedicated presence on the ASDIC website to promote the member’s Drop-In.
- Mutual support from other Drop-Ins to offer advice and mentoring, and to stimulate best practice.
- Facility to share relevant codes of practice, governance, conduct, outcome measurement and performance standards.
- Conferences and/or regional meetings to share ideas with other members for mutual benefit.
- Access to the members’ section of the website (presently under development).
- Cross-referral when a Drop-In is unable to address the particular needs of a Service User or when another Drop-In may be more convenient for a Service User to attend.
- Contact information and details about the support organisations attending Drop-Ins and the specific services they provide.
- Demonstrable collaboration when applying for funding from grants and trusts.
- The ability to provide data to compile a more comprehensive national picture of veterans’ welfare and needs for the benefit of the whole community.
- Membership to ASDIC is FREE.
*Prospective members may enjoy the benefits of ASDIC membership but should not use the ASDIC brand, including the logo until they are full members.
ASDIC Relationships
ASDIC operates both tactically and strategically across the UK. It covers all Services, all ranks, both serving and former, and deals with any reasonable welfare and/or social need. These wide responsibilities reflect a special and valuable position shared with only a few other organisations in the veterans’ welfare sector, and with the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo), the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCT), Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) and the Veterans Advisory Pension Committees (VAPCs). Close relationships with these organisations are therefore vital for ASDIC in developing the UK-wide picture of need from our experience of issues at the coalface.
ASDIC also maintains informal relationships at national and local levels with a wide matrix of organisations offering assistance to veterans in need. These include many Armed Forces charities, local authorities, NHS services, Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, and other relevant organisations in the veteran support landscape.
The UK also has a vibrant grouping of ex-Service Breakfast Clubs. These are not wholly dissimilar from Drop-Ins but tend to concentrate more on sociability and comradeship than making direct links with external welfare organisations. However, there is often some degree of overlap in operation, and ASDIC maintains a good liaison with their opposite numbers in the Breakfast Club community.
