Life as a diplomat may see families placed on assignment in locations where they are exposed to increased danger from crime, terrorism or natural disasters. It is not uncommon for families to undergo forced evacuation where they must relocate without knowledge of how long their evacuation will last. It is important that diplomat parents acknowledge these dangers and the impact they could have on their children. Crucially, diplomat parents must be able to avail of a robust crisis management programme that can be put in place at a moment’s notice to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves and their family. These programmes should provide emergency medical support and evacuation services and all other support services necessary to help families get back on their feet, following a disruptive and traumatising event.
If further support is needed after an event, it is vital that diplomat families have access to the best care, whether for psychological or physical issues. Crisis management programmes must be constantly reviewed and updated, to reflect ongoing changes and challenges in a location. Time invested in proactively planning for these kinds of contingencies gives a level of comfort to diplomat families. They will know that everything that can be done to mitigate the risks, is being done, and that steps will be taken quickly and efficiently if something, unfortunately, does happen.
Foreign Service parents have the opportunity to offer their children a window on the world exploring global cultures, which most children never get to experience. But the foreign Service family needs to plan carefully and prepare to deal with the unique challenges of foreign service life, as they arise.
To that end, Allianz Care has developed a dedicated solution to assist diplomats and ensure the well-being of their children during an assignment.
We offer, as part of our Diplomat Protect plan, an Employee Assistance Programme for diplomats with access to a range of counselling and advice services, which can guide diplomat families at all stages of their journey. Our 24/7 multilingual support service can help diplomat families address a wide range of life issues and challenges such as culture shock and cross-cultural transition.
The plan also includes Security Support Services which provide access to 24/7 personal security information and advice for all travel safety queries. Ensuring that the well-being of diplomats and their children is safeguarded.
Want to find out more about our supporting solutions for diplomats? Contact Embacity, an independent broker, which specialises in international healthcare, life cover and benefits plans for Diplomats.*
*An applicant for Diplomat Protect is free to appoint any intermediary or broker they wish. Embacity is not authorised to act on behalf of or bind Allianz Care in any way.