Smart Support Hub
24/7 digital guidance for service members, veterans, and families.
This initiative builds a trusted knowledge base and chat assistant so help is always a click away.
Project Overview
The Smart Support Hub will be a virtual assistant system accessible 24/7 through the Squaddies website. This initiative builds a trusted knowledge base and chat assistant to ensure help is always a click away for service members, veterans, and their families. It combines reliable data sources with natural language understanding to provide real-time guidance on topics such as housing, benefits, mental health, and transitioning to civilian life. The platform is being designed to be accessible, mobile-friendly, and fast.
Features
- Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: An AI-powered chatbot trained on a comprehensive range of veteran support topics.
- Knowledge Base: A resource tailored specifically to UK veterans and service personnel and their families.
- Smart Routing: Connects users with real-world support partners as needed.
- User-Friendly Platform: A private, secure, and easy-to-use platform.
How We Keep You Safe
The Smart Support Hub is designed around safeguarding best practice. We follow privacy-by-design principles so that every conversation remains secure, purposeful, and ready for a warm handover when a human is needed.
- Encrypted conversations: Chat data is encrypted in transit and at rest with enterprise-grade controls, so only vetted team members can access it for safeguarding purposes.
- Clear retention limits: We retain transcripts just long enough to resolve a case (30 days by default) before they are automatically deleted unless a user asks us to keep helping.
- Human-in-the-loop moderation: An on-call safeguarding lead reviews flagged chats around the clock, with crisis indicators escalated immediately to trained responders.
- Partner referrals: When specialist support is required, the hub offers direct referrals to Squaddies staff or verified charities with the user's consent.
Read the full Smart Support Hub privacy notice. Safeguarding enquiries can be sent to hello@squaddies.com or via the contact form.
What Is It?
The Smart Support Hub is a digital-first support system built with artificial intelligence (AI) to provide instant, anonymous assistance. It serves as a central hub that equips the military community with technology-driven support and guidance, ensuring help is always available.
Why It Matters
Many service members, veterans and military families face confusion, delays, or stigma when trying to access support. This digital hub removes those barriers by putting help directly into the hands of those who need it, without the need for gatekeeping or waiting.
We're actively seeking early supporters, funders, and collaborators to bring this project to life.