Supporting the Armed Forces Community

Our Commitment in Practice

In July 2024, CMP signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to recognise and support the Armed Forces community across all areas of our business. By signing the Covenant, we formally committed to upholding its values and to acknowledging the vital contribution that Service personnel, both regular and reservist, along with veterans and military families, make to our organisation, our communities, and our country.

At CMP, we are proud to support colleagues who are ex-military, veterans, reservists, adult cadet instructors, spouses, and members of families connected to the Armed Forces. We deeply value the dedication and experience these individuals bring and are committed to helping them transition successfully into fulfilling civilian careers within CMP.

Building a Supportive Network

As part of our ongoing commitment, CMP recently launched its Armed Forces Employee Network. The network will bring together colleagues connected to the Armed Forces, whether through service, family, or shared experience to create a strong community within CMP.

This initiative will provide peer support, share resources, and raise awareness of the unique strengths and challenges faced by members of the Armed Forces community. It will also help shape CMP’s ongoing efforts to make our workplace welcoming and inclusive for veterans and reservists alike.

We are proud that we have over 20 veterans and reservists making up roughly 16% of our workforce coming from an Armed Forces background. These colleagues have contributed significantly to CMP’s success and embody the values of discipline, teamwork, and resilience that define both military and CMP cultures.

The network aims to establish CMP as a company that offers a “soft landing” for veterans as they transition to civilian life. We want every colleague with military experience to feel that CMP is a place where their skills are recognised and their service is valued.

Paul O’Donnell, CMP’s Managing Director, and a veteran himself, champions our commitment to the Armed Forces community:

“We want to create a pathway that brings good colleagues from the Armed Forces into the company, but also connects our existing colleagues back to them. CMP’s strength lies in our people, and we are proud to support those who have served.”

Using your ELCAS Funding

Our NOCN Level 3 Award in Mediation Skills is approved for ELCAS funding, meaning you can use your Enhanced Learning Credits to cover the cost of your training. This accredited course exceeds the Civil Mediation Council’s national minimum standards and equips you with the confidence and competence to mediate effectively in a wide range of workplace situations. It’s the same programme chosen by the Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to train their internal mediators.

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Leadership and Advocacy

CMP already has well-established practices that reflect the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the military community. We are a Bronze Award holder within the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), an acknowledgement of our advocacy and support for the Armed Forces.

The ERS accreditation is renewed every five years, providing an opportunity to showcase how we have upheld our promises and strengthened our support for the Armed Forces community. We are actively working towards achieving the Silver Award, reflecting a deeper level of engagement and support across all areas of CMP.

To drive our commitment forward, Sarah Dinnis has been appointed as CMP’s Armed Forces Champion. A veteran herself, Sarah brings first-hand understanding of the transition from military to civilian life and is passionate about creating a supportive environment for colleagues with military backgrounds.

“I commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1996 and joined the Royal Military Police. I was posted to various units in the UK and Germany and completed tours in Northern Ireland and Bosnia before spending my last 2 years as an Officer Commanding in the Special Investigations Branch (SIB). Realising that policing was my true passion, I left the Army in 2002 and joined North Wales Police as a Police Constable. I later transferred to Avon and Somerset Constabulary, retiring in 2023 after 25 years of policing. I worked in frontline policing for most of my service – response policing, neighbourhood policing, specialist operations and drugs teams. I have been with CMP since 2023, as an associate and now as Team Leader MOD.

By taking up the role of Armed Forces Champion, as part of the Armed Forces Covenant that CMP committed to in July 2024, I am proud to be supporting the Armed Forces and am looking forward to establishing an employee and associate network of veterans, reservists including spouses of and bereaved, that can meet and support one another.”

Sarah Dinnis, MOD team leader

“I am a former Royal Navy Weapons Engineer, I began my service in 1988, training at HMS Raleigh and HMS Collingwood before joining the Royal Navy’s leading assault ship, HMS Fearless, during the early 90’s. My deployments took me across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Norway and across the Arctic Circle, and into the Black Sea, where HMS Fearless became the first British warship to visit Sevastopol (Ukraine) after the fall of the Soviet Union. Promoted to Leading Weapons Engineer Mechanic (Radio), I later served aboard HMS Cornwall a Type 22 Frigate before leaving the Navy in 1994”.

Paul O’Donnell, Managing Director

Supporting the Armed Forces Community

Our Commitment in Practice

Building a Supportive Network

Leadership and Advocacy

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