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Participant Information Sheet  

 

Title of Project: Veteran Connection Programme – Empowering Veterans to manage identity change 

Name of Researcher: Dr. Stefan Schilling, Lecturer, Social and Organisational Psychology, University of Exeter; s.schilling@exeter.ac.uk 

 

Invitation and brief summary: 

This study aims to understand the identity change of former military personnel (veterans) after they have transitioned out of their roles, to assist with development of a programme known as Veteran Connection Programme (VCP) which is designed to improve the well-being and life transition adjustment of veterans by directly focusing on (1) the role that groups and identities play during life changes, and (2) how to manage change and loss through strengthening existing networks and developing/embedding new group networks.   

 

Please read this information carefully and consider your participation before agreeing to participate in the study. Ask questions about anything where you would like more information or a clarification. We also encourage you to have a member of your support network, such as a spouse, sibling, parent, friend, etc, to review the information sheet and consent form on your behalf. 

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Participation in this research is entirely voluntary; there is no obligation to take part in the study. If you choose not to participate there will be no detriment to your future health care.  

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Your answers to questions will be de-identified so that they are completely confidential. Any personal details, which may identify you in any way, will not be passed to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OfV). Your answers will not in any way affect any pension, benefits or health services which you are entitled to. 

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Purpose of the research:   

This research aims to test the Veteran Connection programme and adapt it for wider use with UK veterans. You are being asked to participate in this research because it helps us to test whether the programme is fit for purpose, whether it is useful for veterans such as yourself, and whether we should make changes to it.  

 

Why have I been approached? 

You have been approached as a former military member who has since left military service. You have been contacted via your veterans’ charity.   

 

What would taking part involve?  

Taking part in VCP will involve participating in the VCP modules and a small focus group or individual interview and completion of three online surveys throughout the course of the programme. The modules will be an individual introductory session of 30mins (online), two group sessions of 3.5hrs and 3hrs respectively (Face to Face or online, depending on your preference), and a 60min group follow up session (online). These will include several activities such as group discussions, writing activities, mapping out group connections, and creating a social plan.  

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Throughout the programme, you will also be asked to complete three online surveys (one before the programme, one at the end of the programme, and one 1 months after the programme ends), which take approximately 20 minutes each.  

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After completion of the programme, you will be asked to participate in either a small focus group with other participants, or an individual interview (you can choose which you prefer). The purpose of these sessions is to talk about your feedback on the programme and more generally discuss the changes experienced when separating from your service. This focus group/interview will take place on a video teleconferencing platform and will take approximately 60-90-minutes. The session will be audio-recorded with the audio being deleted once it has been transcribed and de-identified so that we can analyse the anonymous data to identify improvements for the VCP. 

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What are the possible benefits of taking part?  

The programme will be designed to inform our understanding of veteran transitional process and help us to identify policy guidance that may benefit other veterans in the future. Possible benefits for you may include increased well-being and social connection. We are deliberately convening the sessions in locations that minimise travel for participants, and the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) will pay for participants’ travel to/from the sessions.

 

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?  

It is important to note that this study is not intended to be therapy for psychological trauma. You can still participate in this study if you are currently experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or another mental health condition, as long as you are already receiving help/support from a health professional. If you are not yet receiving help/support from a health professional, we will ask you to postpone participation until relevant professional support via your General Practitioner/doctor or any of the organizations listed below is in place before participating.   

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Participation in this study should involve no physical or mental discomfort, and no risks beyond those of everyday living. If, however, you should find any question or procedure to be invasive or offensive, you are free to skip a question or not participate in that aspect of the study. 

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If you need crisis support at any stage, please contact one of the following organisations:  

 

While UK government restrictions have been removed for most day-to-day activities, we will minimize respiratory disease risks by appropriate ventilation, and hygiene practices, alongside offering remote participation and having a responsive plan for any incidents of illness. 

 

Please note that you will not be explicitly asked during the sessions to disclose your engagement in any inappropriate, illegal, or otherwise hazardous behaviour. However, if such a disclosure does occur then the relevant authorities will be informed. Additionally, if you disclose evidence of mental ill-health then the research team will signpost you to relevant sources of support during the sessions. If other participants are present during the disclosure, then they will also be signposted to relevant sources of support.     

 

What will happen if I don't want to carry on with the study? 

Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Refusal to participate will not affect you in any way. Once your survey responses have been submitted to the research team, it will not be possible to withdraw this data as your individual responses cannot be identified. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally- identifiable information possible and keep the data secure in line with the University of Exeter’s Information and Data Compliance policies. 

 

How will my information be kept confidential? 

The University of Exeter processes personal data for the purposes of carrying out research in the public interest. The University will endeavour to be transparent about its processing of your personal data and this information sheet should provide a clear explanation of this. If you do have any queries about the University’s processing of your personal data that cannot be resolved by the research team, further information may be obtained from the University’s Data Protection Officer by emailing dataprotection@exeter.ac.uk or at www.exeter.ac.uk/dataprotection 

Your data will be kept completely confidential. Programme and survey responses will be collected and stored securely and your personal details will be removed to protect your anonymity. Data will be analysed and reported in such a way that responses cannot be linked to any individual. 

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The focus groups/interviews will be recorded and then transcribed – removing any personal details. Once transcriptions are completed, the recording will be deleted. All interview responses you provide will be stored without any identifying information to protect confidentiality. All data will be safely secured using a password-protected system at the University of Exeter. Data will be managed in accordance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act of 2018. 

 

What will happen to the results of this study? 

Results of this project will be used to develop and improve VCP and will also be used to write manuscripts for publication in academic journals. Any dissemination of quantitative data will only include aggregated statistical summaries and not your individual data. With your permissions, we may use quotes form interviews and focus groups, but in a way that cannot link them to any individual. The results may be presented at academic conferences and in public forums. The data may also be included as part of reporting processes for the grant body funding this research. If you would like to learn the outcome of the study in which you are participating, you can contact Stefan Schilling (s.schilling@exeter.ac.uk) and an abstract of the study and findings will be sent to you. 

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Who is organising and funding this study? 

The sponsor for this study is the University of Exeter. The Study is organised by a team of researchers from the University of Exeter, University of Queensland and Nottingham Trent University with support by several Veteran Charities. Initial development of the programme has been funded by the Australian Government Veteran and Community Grants Programme. 

 

Who has reviewed this study? 

This project has been reviewed by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee at the University of Exeter

 

Contact for any questions or requests regarding your participation in this research 

In the event of queries or requests you may contact me using the following contact information. 

Please email s.schilling@exeter.ac.uk or juliet.wakefield@ntu.ac.uk  

 

To contact the Research Ethics Committee  

please email c.civile@exeter.ac.uk 

 

You can also contact the University Research Ethics and Governance Team if you wish to make a complaint or comment please email cgr-reg@exeter.ac.uk 

 

or  

 

Dr Antony Walsh 

Head of Research Governance, Ethics and Compliance 

University Corporate Services, University of Exeter 

G14, Lafrowda House, St Germans Road, Exeter, EX4 6TJ 

DD: 01392 726621 email A.Walsh3@exeter.ac.uk 

 

 

Thank you for your interest in this project. 

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