Helen Helliwell
Head of Service Personnel Support, UK Ministry of Defence
Helen took up the position of Hd SP Support in November 2015. She is responsible for the strategy and policies around Health, Wellbeing and Welfare for the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. Within this, Helen has specific responsibility for delivering the Armed Forces Covenant, a promise by the nation that those who serve and have served, and their families, are not disadvantaged in accessing goods and services. Helen is also responsible for transition policy out of the Armed Forces and for the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for physical and mental injury caused by Service.
Helen is a career Senior Civil Servant who joined the Ministry of Defence in 2001; she has held roles in HR developing talent, leadership and engagement; with the Department of International Development, where she developed a cadre of Civil Servants to deploy to fragile states; in the Prison Service, where she lead a Programme of Workforce Modernisation within Prisons and a number of roles within Defence, including on Afghanistan and War Crime Tribunals.
Helen has a BSc (Hons) in Physiology and Pharmacology; is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (FCIPD) and is working towards Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors.
In her early career, Helen also enjoyed time as a Royal Navy Reservist (Medical Branch).
