34 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009
News and information for serving personnel
Doing
CAB in
families
Naval bases
A THREE-year project has been
set up at HMS Sultan and HMS
Take
Nelson which provides benefi t and
a FAVA
debt advice by trained caseworkers
from Portsmouth Citizens Advice
charge of
Bureau.
Funded by the Royal British
your JPA
in flying
Legion and the RAF Benevolent
Fund, the caseworkers are fully
trained CAB advisers who can
WE have recently received a
offer debt and benefit advice to
number of enquiries concerning
any eligible individuals with a
the fi nancial schemes available
service connection.
destiny
to assist families to visit their
The caseworkers are primarily
Service spouse/civil or long-term
office-based, but will undertake
partner or relative when they are
home visits and outreach work if
deployed overseas, should such
needed.
IF YOU want to make sure your an opportunity arise, writes Lt Cdr
They are all RBL case work
career manager knows where Julie Mayell of DNPS Pay Pensions
trained and are familiar with the
you want to be going, then you and Allowances.
programmes and support available
need to keep your employee We have asked the Navy
for Service people and their
preferences up to date on JPA. Command Headquarters Pay and
dependants.
Select ‘Employee Allowances Policy Team and the
Each two weeks there are clinics
Preferences’ from the JPA Self Royal Navy Charities Staff for
offering debt, benefit and financial
Service Employee role, then some advice on what assistance is
advice at the two bases.
select ‘Add’ if you have not currently available.
The service takes place each
already set any preferences, or The Families Assistance for
fortnight at HMS Nelson in
‘Update’ to amend the current Visits Abroad (FAVA) Scheme
Swiftsure Block and HMS Sultan
● Pompey Type 23 HMS Richmond arrives home from the Gulf this summer Picture: LA(Phot) Chris Mumby
details. is designed to provide some
in Raven Building.
A useful reminder is to read financial assistance to immediate
Appointments can be made at
the tips at the bottom of the family (spouse/civil partner and/or
the CAB RBL administration line
screen before updating your dependant child(ren)) of eligible
on 023 9285 5868 or for the
employee preferences. Service personnel whilst visiting
Outreach service through NPFS
At each preference field you a Service person during a period
via Bridget Main or Jo Woods on
can use the torch symbol to Pompey T23s of deployment overseas of over
023 9272 2712.
search for ‘County’ or ‘Areas’. six months in an effort to alleviate
At the ‘Search By’ area, some of the stresses of long-term
Bye bye to
select ‘description’ in the separation.
drop down menu, then type The FAVA Scheme consists of
in ‘County’ or ‘Area’ as two elements. NATO BFPOs
appropriate in the value text First, it provides a limited
field. Select ‘Go’. payment towards food and
BRITISH Forces Post Offi ce
This will produce a list
test new
accommodation costs for
(BFPO) postal provision support-
of data, ‘Quick Select’ the the duration of the visit of the
ing 11 NATO headquarters in
required data line (Click on immediate family and, where
Europe and the US will be
‘Next 10’ to see more options). requested by the Service person,
reduced over the next year.
Use the drop down menus to it also provides for an Advance of
This means the closure of
select options in other fields. Pay to assist with the cost of the
BFPOs at SHAPE, Brussels,
Use the free text fields single or return flights.
Brunssum, Ramstein, Stavanger,
at ‘Comments’ and ‘Career This Advance of Pay is a short-
Karup, Rome, Milan, Lisbon,
Aspirations’ to provide term loan which will be recovered
Valencia and Norfolk, Virginia.
additional data.
squad system
from the Service person’s salary
The BFPO numbers, which are
To aid your career manager, over a period not exceeding 12
useful for administrative purposes
use one of the comments months.
such as proving status, banking
lines to indicate when the
THE Portsmouth Flotilla Type 23 Individual outstanding leave bills are continuously
The FAVA Scheme is not
and internet shopping, will be
preferences were updated (for Geographical squad pooling trial commenced
being driven down actively whilst also encouraging
open to Service personnel who
retained.
example, ‘Last updated March on January 1 2009, with the objectives of
and facilitating the personal and professional
are in receipt of Get You Home
A limited postal receipt and
2 2009’).
maintaining the manning of the Portsmouth
aspirations of individuals during their time with us.
(Overseas) allowance, UK-based
despatch facility will be maintained
Once complete, click ‘Apply’
Type 23 units, whilst providing better support
The ability for our people to be able to plan their
Rest and Recuperation or
– there will no longer be the
then ‘Next’ to bring up the
life during their time ashore has been a positive gain
Northern Ireland Journeys, or to
option to send parcels back to the
review screen, changes will
to the individual and their aspirations, goals
of the trial so far.
those on Loan Service.
UK, but it will still be possible to
appear with a blue dot beside
and desires for personal and professional
Another key element is that we have been able to
For more information about
receive parcels.
them, if correct, click ‘Submit’.
development both at sea and ashore, writes engender a sense of belonging for those coming ashore
eligibility, Service personnel
Over-the-counter post office
WO1 Vic Parsons, manager of the trial team. and provide real identity through the reinvigoration
should speak to their Unit HR
services will cease, and for services
■ AND if you’re feeling a little
out on your own when it comes
At the beginning of the trial the transfer of the of the core service values and naval ethos led by the
Administration Staff.
outside basic mail provision,
to getting on to JPA, the Navy
Junior Rate squad element of each of the Portsmouth management team.
The Naval Service Assisted
people will use the relevant
has a number of licences that
Type 23 frigates’ to the Shore Element was staggered We have our own cap tally and the use of weekly
Passage Scheme (NSAPS) was
international mail system.
will allow people to access their
over the first three months of the year. musters and the opening of lines of communication
introduced to allow unmarried
JPA accounts over the internet.
During this time, in excess of 100 individuals were has generated a high level of morale and engagement
couples and families to take
These licences are not
assigned to the Shore Element, whilst also retaining within the pool.
advantage of loans similar to those
intended for people working
Junior Rate manning levels onboard individual units However, one area that has yet to be fully
available to Service personnel
in MOD units who just want to
at over 95 per cent. incorporated is the AB and LH electronic reporting
eligible for FAVA.
check out their details from the
process and this will not be fully appreciated until
to l
whe
oo
re
k

From the outset the management team took the
The scheme is funded by the
decision to retain individuals’ current assignment later in the year.
Naval Service Amenities Fund
Galaxy Briefs
comfort of their own homes,
dates across all units to maintain stability. At the beginning of the trial there was some
which is itself a subsidiary of the
Galaxy 12/09: Message
but ‘orphaned’ personnel such
This is what allowed the ships to maintain concern about gainful employment of our personnel
Royal Navy and Royal Marines
from Chief of Staff (Personnel)
as those on long-term posting
continuity during this initial phase of the trial and ashore. Charity.
Naval Command Headquarters.
overseas, working with civilian
also the maintenance of sustainable levels of trained However, the dedicated Divisional Senior Rates Only serving personnel who
Galaxy 13/09: Naval Manning
companies or medics in NHS
manpower onboard. have found little difficulty in identifying gainful do not qualify for FAVA may
Balance
hospitals.
The JPA package on offer
It was hoped also that this initial stance would employment opportunities for our people. apply for loans, but, unlike Royal Navy Temporary
does not provide full access
enable us to develop the manpower management Engineering ratings have been fully integrated into FAVA, there is no minimum Memoranda
to the system, but will allow
plan of 18 to 24 months onboard and three to six the Superintendent Fleet Maintenance business unit, length of deployment for NSAPS RNTM 182/09: Revised
the individual to carry out JPA
months ashore for a period of four years. whilst Warfare Specialists have been found in branch or provision of an additional arrangements for appraisal
Self Service user functions and
However, although we are now issuing assignment employment within the Maritime Warfare School allowance to support living costs reporting on RN and RM
expenses claims.
orders to reflect this, this drafting cycle is taking and Logisticians have been found employment within throughout the duration of the candidates for promotion to
If you want to find out more,
longer to implement than was originally envisaged the waterfront organisation in the Naval Base. visit. commissioned rank.
contact:
and we continue to work towards this goal. The generated employment opportunities have Loans are normally only given RNTM 183/09: Access to JPA
Our numbers ashore remain between 100 and also been instrumental in encouraging the pool ethos for the air fare and not to support over the internet
● LLogs(Pers) M Etherington
– personnel administered by
120 with personnel constantly cycling through the whilst being able to generate varying levels of job living costs throughout the visit RNTM 181/09: Armed Forces
HMS Nelson UPO – 023 9272
system. Although, during the last nine months the satisfaction and variety of employment. (although hotel costs may be Act 2006 – Naval Service Higher
4298;
management team have had to provide reactive So what have we achieved to date? included if they are part of a Authorities.
responses to unit pinch point areas whilst also meeting Financial gains have been made by changes in properly constituted package
DINS● Elaine Wood – doctors
seconded to INM – 023 9262
an unexpected requirement to regenerate 50 per cent assignments taking place predominately within base holiday).
DIN 2009DIN01-193: Lesbian
8817;
of the trial units for short-notice redeployment in port or the UK. There is no limit to the amount
Gay Bisexual and Transgender
support of the Fleet operational schedule. In addition recent increases in individuals wishing of the loan that can be requested,
Joint Service Conference ● WO N D Richards RAF –
personnel assigned to NATO
This has required careful management so as to to remove their notice of service have arisen. nor to the number of people an
December 3-4 09
posts in Europe – +49 2161 472
reduce the impact of short-notice moves both on the Further we have also been able to identify those individual may request a loan for,
DIN 2009DIN01-194:
2561;
individual and the unit. individuals who have an above average of sea service but they must have a significant
Remembrance Day 2009 and the
To date we have managed to achieve a minimum and assigned them ashore for some ‘down time’ and link to the Service person.
RBL Poppy Appeal● Universities Office at
BRNC – medical, dental
of three months ashore for all people coming to us finally individuals are better able to plan their lives For example, a loan would not
DIN 2009DIN01-201: Naval
university cadets and UCEs
from ships and in addition all other manning requests when ashore. be given for a friend, but would
Personnel Management – Issue
have been filled by those ashore with no impact on In conclusion, nine months on and although we be given for a long-term partner
of September 2009 edition of ● Reservists – CO of their
Reserve Unit
the ships. have had to make some small changes to the trial we and children, parents, brothers/
BR3
What is very pleasing to note is that considering are definitely improving the way in which we do our sisters etc.
DIN 2009DIN02-014: ● WO1 S Campbell – for
all other applications and
the intense levels of operations being undertaken by business. The NSAPS loan is not made to
Volunteers for Specialist
enquiries – 023 9262 5957
the sea element, the pool has not breached any of the The duty of care and Divisional support of those the individual and is administered
Debriefi ng Duties
See RNTM 183/09 for full
Second Sea Lord’s Personal Functional Standards ashore is proving successful in all aspects thus far and through the Ship’s Central/
DIN 2009DIN10-037: Exercise
details.
with regard to drafting personnel to and from ships. throughout the trial there has been no detrimental Welfare Fund. Repayment is by
Snow Warrior 2010 – Novice
A big part of the trial is to look at the Divisional effect to the ships. way of monthly repayments to
skiing Adventurous Training in
care of our people whilst ashore and early indications Anecdotal evidence is suggesting that the trial is the Welfare Fund for a period not
southern Germany for UK-based
are providing evidence that this ‘front of house’ positively affecting both the operational units and the exceeding 12 months.
units
element is meeting its objectives. individual, in fact, quoting one ship’s departmental For more information about
The majority of the initial divisional issues our coordinator: “The T23 pool has done a great job this Scheme, Service personnel
DIBS
people had have been actioned and the Divisional and things are much better now than under squad- should read RNTM 21/09 – The
37/09: British Forces Post
Senior Rates have been able to instigate a settled manning. Naval Service Assisted Passage
Offi ce (BFPO): Reduction in
routine of day-to-day divisional care for our people. “Long may it continue.” Scheme.
service at NATO HQs
News and information for serving personnel
034-035_NN_nov09 2-6.indd 1 20/10/09 16:47:57
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52