8 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2009
Putting the
welfare in
warfare
TWO of the Navy’s biggest
training bases have received
glowing reports from education
chiefs for caring for their men and
women.
Both HMS Raleigh – home
to all basic entry training for
ratings, as well as the logistics
and submarine schools – and
the Commando Training Centre
Royal Marines in Lympstone
impressed the Office for
Standards in Education (Ofsted).
Ofsted inspectors visited
a dozen military training
establishments in the past 12
months across all three Services,
with the two RN establishments
coming out top.
The inspectors turned up with
less than 24 hours’ warning and
spent between two and four days
at establishments observing and
interviewing, before compiling
the report The quality of welfare
and duty of care for recruits and
trainees in the Armed Forces.
At Lympstone, they found 769
recruits undergoing training on
the week of inspection.
Ofsted says CTCRM strikes a
good balance between the needs
of demanding military training
and the needs of the trainees,
with “very effective” staff on hand
at the Devon base to deal with
welfare issues.
What particularly impressed
the Ofsted team was Lympstone’s
efforts to listen to trainees and to
monitor training so it could be
continually refined and improved.
Overall, it gave the base a
‘good’ assessment across the
board.
HMS Raleigh is also
considered “very effective” at
meeting the welfare needs of the
2,800 recruits passing through
the Torpoint establishment
annually. It is also deemed to ● One of Cornwall’s fl ight deck team enjoys a Mediterranean sunset
offer “good support” to those Pictures: LA(Phots) Simmo Simpson and Matt Ellison, FRPU East
trainees who require help with
their learning.
The Ofsted inspectors did
raise a handful of issues, notably
that some recruits arrived at
Raleigh having been provided
with misleading information by Rattler and sun
careers offices, and some of the
classroom instruction was “dull”.
The report does say there is a
IT’S not unusual to fi nd
have prevailed for the Fighting So the passage between
shortage of PTIs at Raleigh and
two of Her Majesty’s Type
99, attached to NATO’s Standing Lisbon and Crete was devoted
phase two trainees (submariners,
22 frigates in the same
Maritime Group 2. to practising boarding operations
seaman specialists and chefs,
The Mediterranean is the force’s using Cornwall’s sea boats and her
stewards and logisticians) do not
port at the same time. traditional stomping ground, Lynx, Rattler.
have enough access to structured
It’s just that normally, you don’t but before entering the Middle When Rattler wasn’t in use,
physical training sessions.
have to travel 3,000 miles from the Sea, the international force put the flight deck was used for far
But the inspectors were
UK to find them. into Lisbon – and enjoyed their more important things, such as
impressed with the entire Raleigh
Usually in the familiar fi rst proper taste of sun of the bucketball (sort of basketball but
staff for working effectively as a
surroundings of Devonport, HM deployment. with a bucket).
team.
Ships Cornwall and Cumberland Cornwall acted as the offi cial “It’s supposed to be a non-
Across the entire defence
berthed next to each other in hosting ship on behalf of the contact sport like basketball.
training network, Ofsted were
Soudha Bay, Crete.
task force’s Italian commander, Instead of a hoop at either end,
particularly unhappy with the Pay
The Mighty Sausage is about to
Admiral Giovanni Gumier. one of the members of each team
As You Dine system for phase
chase pirates in the Gulf of Aden
That meant hosting a formal holds a bucket to catch the ball,”
two trainees. The report says as
(see page 6)...
reception for local dignitaries and explained Lt Cdr Alex Kendrick,
a result of PAYD, “the quality
... which is precisely what the
embassy offi cials, ending with Cornwall’s weapon engineer
of food has fallen and portion Fighting 99 is also about to do
a ceremonial guard conducting officer.
size has reduced” with some (much to the surprise of her ship’s
Sunset. “The number of scraped knees
trainees buying double portions company).
There was a lot of sporting evident the following day indicated
to compensate. We last caught up with Cornwall
fi xtures played against local sides the ‘no contact’ rules may have
pummelling the ranges of Cape
and teams from the other NATO been bent on a few occasions...”
■ We’ll have a feature on the
new-look basic training package Wrath with her 4.5in main gun.
ships, including a good result by As ship buffs will no doubt
at Raleigh in next month’s paper. Since then, warmer climes
Cornwall’s footballers against the know, the quartet of Batch 3 Type
Italian 11 from ITS Durand De 22s have a command function –
La Penne. namely the ability to direct the
Many of the ship’s company operations of a task group.
specialist legal advice
were also able to take advantage of It’s not used too often, but it’s
the hot weather and sunshine and coming in handy now.
make it up the coast to the beaches The Italians’ 12 months
to forces personnel
and see the sights around the old in charge of the NATO force
● Cornwall’s 815 NAS Lynx – callsign
town of Lisbon. ends right about the time you’re
Rattler – practises winching drills from
Next stop after Portugal should reading this.
the fl ight deck
Suffered a Military Injury?
have been Split in Croatia... And taking over from them is a
We deal with all types of injury claim involving
... but it was actually Soudha British staff, led by former HMS
Bay thanks to a programme Illustrious CO Cdre Steve Chick.
the military.
● Cornwall’s sea boat races away from the frigate during a series
change. The RN’s assumption of of checks in the Med
We can assist you with your claim under the
It’s been determined that the command was brought forward
new AFCS and advise you on whether to
task group will not prowl the a few weeks so the international
pursue your claim in the civil courts under our Med, but instead sail for the Horn force could be coordinated in
‘no win no fee’ specialist military legal of Africa and join the concerted preparation for its new mission
advice scheme.
effort against piracy. east of Suez.
Police Interview/ ● HMS Cumberland leaves Soudha Bay after meeting up with
Courts Martial Cornwall
Nigel Burn and Gilbert
contact
Blades are well known for
Nigel Burn or Tean Butcher
Bank Street, Lincoln LN2 1DR
their Courts Martial
Tel: 01522 512345 between 9am - 5.15pm
expertise throughout the
or for Military Discipline Matters only contact
UK and Europe. Nigel Burn Mob: 07775 860608 after 6pm
www.wilkinchapman.co.uk
We can also advise on:
Employment Issues
Family Problems
House Purchases
Wills
A LEADING SPECIALIST IN MILITARY LAW
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