E d u c a t i o n M a t t e r s
Registering a Dependant with Additional Educational Needs Reprinted with the kind permission of Phyllis Gibson the Army Families Federation Health and Special Needs Specialist.
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or the past six months I have been researching the positive and negative aspects of registering special needs dependants and have heard many positive comments from families,
some with disabled children and some with disabled adult dependants, both in the UK and overseas. All were in agreement that the support they received from individual units, once they were aware of the family’s needs was more than adequate and in some cases outstanding.
One major concern though was finding out how and why there is a need for registering dependants. Unless units had dealt with a family with a special need dependant in the past, they were often unaware of the processes involved with registration. Hopefully after reading this article, it will become more apparent to Service personnel and for professionals that they need to encourage families to register and to highlight the problems that a family could encounter if they don’t.
What is a dependant? A dependant is any adult who is a spouse/civil partner in a
legal relationship with a serving person and any children which includes stepchildren and adopted children of either of the spouses. The age limits do not apply to a child who is physically or mentally incapable of contributing to their own support.
What is a special need or disability? The definition of having a special need or disability with regard to the RAF is someone who requires any form of additional support, be it educational, physical, mental health or emotional either in the long or short term.
Will registration affect the serviceman’s career? The career of the person in Service should not be adversely affected by having a dependant with a special need. However Queen’s Regulations state that an airman still needs to be able to meet the needs of the RAF, which means they have to be available for worldwide deployment or posting at any time. Service personnel with a special needs dependant should still be considered for promotion, career courses and advancement in the same ways as other Service personnel.
Overseas If a member of the RAF with a special needs dependant is considering an overseas posting (including Northern Ireland) the overseas command need to be consulted first so that they can assess if the family’s needs can be meet. If the serviceman does not inform them of any family circumstances that are of an unusual nature, this could result in the family being returned to the UK (almost as soon as they arrive and at their own expense) because adequate support is not available.
The best advice I can give is that if you have a dependant with an additional need the make sure that they are registered so that their needs can be met on future postings. If your child has a special educational need, it is also a good idea to register them with the Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) who can liaise with the posting staff to ensure that the child’s educational needs will be met in future postings.
The subject of Service Personnel and their dependants with special needs and disabilities is covered by AP 3392 Vol 2 Leaflet 2411
Winter 2007
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