Clare's story for Armed Forces Day
For Armed Forces Day, we share stories of inspiration from those in the Trust, their journey from the forces to the NHS, and what motivates them to continue their essential work.
Clare Hayes is a VLSO Veteran Liaison Support Officer in the Core Pathway for Op Courage.
I was born into the Army as my father was in the Royal Artillery and served for 23 years, and then I joined the Army myself at 18, serving for 11 years. I left to raise my son and worked predominantly in Education administration with primary, secondary and university experience. I took redundancy and moved from Bradford to Rotherham, having met someone who was also an army veteran. Over the next few years, his mental health and physical health both declined. I found myself in a challenging situation on many occasions, both living with someone with complex needs and also supporting and advocating for them through multiple services, the NHS being one of them. I worked for a mental health charity in Sheffield, bringing together as many mental health charities across the third sector to work together and form an alliance, so I did a lot of networking.
I served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) and Royal Signals for 11 years. I worked in education for 17 years in administration and programme management. I worked for Rethink Mental Illness charity, building an alliance with mental health voluntary sector organisations. In 2023, I started work for WWTW as a VLSO in Core Pathway – the first Core VLSO for LYPFT. I like leading the way and making the job my own. I love working alongside NHS colleagues to deliver the service. I am one of only two veterans in my team, so my experience is vital in discussions. I like that I can learn a lot from my clinical colleagues, too, and confidently link between WWTW and NHS.
Ultimately, I struggled to look after my own needs whilst supporting someone else and working mentally; I was a victim of domestic abuse and was made homeless in 2022, needing the help of charities for support. I was helped by several charities to get back on my feet with housing, finances and mental health support, and I wanted to help others going through similar situations. I joined WWTW in 2023 and cited my lived experience in my interview. I am proud to be a \VLSO and use my experiences, love of networking and problem-solving skills to help other veterans. Working to deliver NHS Op Courage is a real honour.
Helping people going through a difficult time and being able to guide and support them gets me up in the morning. Being part of a fantastic core team that values my input and is supportive keeps me enjoying my role. Making great connections in the veteran support world, such as charities and communities, and also in support services such as Councils, housing,
benefits, and NHS makes each day different and being able to use my experience and networking connections has led to some great outcomes. However, speaking to veteran clients face to face or over the phone is what I love the most. Them telling me they look forward to my call or visit, seeing them attend a drop-in for the first time, getting more benefits and adaptations that give them a new lease of life – seeing them smile and feeling positive is what I do the job for.
I have recently been sent a message from a veteran I started working with in September with a big debt, no social life and a very depressed outlook. He was embarrassed to ask for help and let everything get on top of him. I have collaborated with his clinician, with WWTW, with the RBL caseworker and with other support services to provide him with more benefits and funding to get him and his family back on their feet, a new orthopaedic bed and a motorised wheelchair and powerpack. He sent me a photograph in his wheelchair in a forest, told me it was the first time they had done anything like that in a decade, and thanked me for making it a reality. He said it is a serious life-changer. To receive this knowing where he was eight months ago is a great collaborative achievement.
This role is busy with many ups and downs, but if you want to work in a positive role with so much potential to change someone’s life, go for it. Thinking that you can make such a difference to a person and their family every day is priceless. If you are naturally curious, like to hear others’ life stories, are good at problem-solving, have a good listening ear and love to build strong relationships with multiple services, then this might be the job for you.