36 NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2011


Enough, minister


‘WHERE has this year gone?’, asks Kim Richardson of the


Naval Families Federation. It has been particularly busy for the Naval Service as they have risen to the challenge of delivering all that has been asked of them worldwide.


When I read the headlines about what we have been doing, it makes me feel proud, although I am sure that what we read is only the tip of the iceberg because as we all know – good news doesn’t sell newspapers! These past few weeks have also


been busy for the NFF. The autumn is when we have


several high-level meetings on behalf of families to prepare for, ensuring that we maximize the opportunities during this high- level access is key. I promised to let families know


what I said to the Minister for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan. The Minister was very receptive and listened to what was said. He didn’t fob us off. It was a good meeting.


So here goes, this is a flavour


of what you asked me to say to him…


I began with a positive! I do have to admit that I was


struggling to find one but I did! A few weeks ago I spent the


day with a group of people from the Directorate for Children and Young People determining how to allocate the £3 million Fund for State Schools with Service Children. I acknowledged the Fund


itself, which is great news for our families.


I also acknowledged the gusto with which the Directorate has approached dealing with administering it. Ensuring this Fund is allocated properly is essential.


It is about checking that all


parts of the country get a bite of the cherry and that all Service children see some tangible benefit. The process has been good. The amount of work involved cannot be underestimated. I asked the Minister and the


powers that be in MOD to take a pause when these great decisions are made and give some thought in advance as to how we are going to administer and staff the process as I suspect that there have been a few


sleepless


nights along the way and we can’t afford to get it wrong. That opener


neatly led me on to where the Naval Service family is sitting today.


The Minister came to our offices a few weeks ago and met some family members who told him in their own words what their concerns were. The visit went very well and the Minister commented afterwards that he gained a lot from it. At our meeting I expanded


on what the families had said. I explained that there is a sense amongst families that this Government is committing to too much too quickly. The Naval Service is proud, it does not sit easily to say ‘sorry no can do’, so they don’t. I am fully aware that in terms of tasking, the Royal Navy very much determines who goes where and for how long. But I would counter that


that have been selected for


redundancy? I registered concern that reducing the number of housing officers will make moving in and


out of Service Families


Accommodation a more difficult process,


families who want to make a move over the summer months. In short is the system going to


be robust enough to cope? The DIO keep


us well


informed. The Minister keeps us informed. We appreciate that, but I believe we need to do more, so I asked if we could reinvigorate our Ministerial meetings with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. We will keep you posted on


l Kim Richardson


by saying they are a can-do organisation. Who picks up the fallout from that approach? Serving men and women? Yes! The family? Absolutely! I commented on operational tempo and the future manpower and structure of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines making the point that if we get the size and structure wrong we will not be able to buy things back once they are lost. Maximum effort needs to go into getting it right in order to ensure our families don’t pick up the fallout. I have mentioned separated


developments in this key area. Other topics for discussion were uncertainty, of redundancy,


Education Allowance


Continuity of and


the impact the


New Employment Model and what the future holds for all. Christmas is fast approaching and I sense there are going to be a few families, alongside those in the public and private sector, who will feel they have little to celebrate.


More than ever before our


serving personnel need to deploy knowing their families are well looked after. All three Services have a part to


service to the Minister before but brought it up again. I explained that the inability to take leave has become a bigger issue for families over the past year. Down time and leave are important to harmony in the home. We are building up to the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee next year. There will be a requirement to provide serving personnel to help. I used this opportunity to ask the Minister to remember that we do not have a bottomless pit of personnel to draw on and these events take place over the summer months when children are on school holidays and families try and spend some time together. We must get the balance right.


update on where we


Joint Personnel Administration (JPA). There were reasons


good


Compensation Scheme. We will have an update on this area in the next Navy News and also Homeport. I then moved on to our


favourite topic, housing, where I registered the NFF team’s worries for the future.


I asked the Minister for some serious reassurance


our families are managing all of the above they are not now building up to being let down on the housing front. What do we mean by that? Well in a nutshell, question whether


Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) will be sufficiently manned to provide an effective service following the departure of staff


the Defence we that whilst


and the work we are doing in support of


Pathway based in Plymouth, the Armed Forces


Navy’s


of our link with Hasler Company, part of the Royal Recovery


that


for doing this falls


out are with I asked for an


play here. For example, we can’t lay the blame for not securing school places at the door of local authorities when we are not doing all we could be doing on the assigning side. The Services should be doing their bit and looking at how, and most importantly when,


they


move their people. We actually need some good


news. I asked the Minister to look at what he could do in the short term. The launch of the Armed


Forces Home Ownership Scheme pilot went well. The Long Service Advance of Pay is too little. What our families want to do is to buy a house. How can we help them do it?


Actions fell out of this meeting. In the next edition of Navy News we will tell you what they are. If this resonates with you, good!


If you don’t agree with what is said, then it is probably because you haven’t contacted us to talk about what you do think. If you would like another


perspective given please get in touch. Your views inform our debate.


The previous First Sea Lord, Admiral Band used to call the NFF the Navy’s conscience. Have we pricked yours?


THE latest NFF November e-update has been released. It provides a round-up of NFF activities, as well as news affecting RN and RM families and personnel.


The November edition also includes: n insurance liability


for


those living in Service Family Accommodation – are you covered? n details on the upcoming


review of Defence Medical Services n the Money Advice Service healthcheck n information on the Service Pupil Premium n the Annington Challenge – 14 to 18-year-olds


Forces families, living in Service communities, could


the chance for an eight-day adventure course.


Join the mailing list by emailing info@nff.org.uk


particularly for those


Nelsonian talent dines on board Victory


THE Navy Board hosted a


Trafalgar Night Dinner at the end of October on board HMS Victory for 70 serving personnel, from able rates and marines to lieutenants and Royal Marine captains (pictured right). The dinner was held to recognise the achievements of all those in the Service and the ethos that makes the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary serve this nation as they do – with skill, commitment and courage. Personnel from right across


the Service and from all corners of the country were nominated by their COs or line managers to attend the dinner which was held on the starboard side of the lower gun deck, where the men of Nelson’s Navy bravely and loyally lived and worked. Amongst the diners were those recently returned from service in Afghanistan and off Libya; those recognised for, through their fine example of leadership, making a real difference in their unit; and those who have consistently demonstrated, throughout their long and distinguished careers, immense loyalty.


Luff, the Minister for Defence Equipment,


Technology and Olympic hopefuls Lt Cdr Penny Clark and Lt Peter Reed. Before toasting The Immortal Admiral


Memory, Sir


Other guests included Peter Support and


and Chief of Naval Staff spoke of today’s Navy containing, “a rich and deep pool of Nelsonian talent that is our battle-winning


edge both now and in the future as the Royal Navy delivers the Future Navy Vision out to 2025.”


Mark Stanhope the First Sea Lord


Special nurses, special pay


THIS month’s Drafty is dedicated to the subject of Specialist Pay for Nurses. Armed Forces personnel are


allocated to a pay range on the basis of their rank and profession, branch or trade. JSP 754 titled Tri-Service


publication for all Service pay and


charges is the authoritive


publication for all Service personnel, their line managers and specialist administration staffs, to determine entitlement to pay and the criteria for the payment of appropriate charges. Military salary is determined


by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB). The AFPRB is drawn from eminent civilians of widely differing backgrounds, one of whom is always a retired senior member of the Armed Forces. It is their role to advise the


Prime Minister and the Secretary of State (SoS) for Defence on the levels of pay and charges, and some allowances which they consider appropriate for members of the Armed Forces up to and including the rank of OF6. Another essential element of


the work AFPRB is to ensure the pay of the Armed Forces is broadly comparable with pay levels in civilian life. This involves recommendations for specialist pay to specific groups in the Armed Forces to assist with recruitment and retention requirements. A separate pay spine and specialist pay for all Armed Forces Nurses was introduced on the 1st of August 2009.


from have


These specialist pay rates and the associated regulations apply to both Regular and Reserve Forces personnel. This article aims to explain the


regulations currently applied to specialist nurses pay. n Regulations for Payment Specialist pay for nursing personnel is payable at two levels


Drafty’s corner


as a daily rate to all qualified individuals. Level 2: Level 2 is payable to all Qualified Nursing Officers and Nursing Other Ranks filling competent Specialist Pay annotated


fulfilling the following criteria: Achievement


Nursing Operational Competency Framework (DNOCF) Level 2 in an endorsed speciality with at least six months experience in the speciality.


appointments of


and Defence


recognised programme of study and practice in a specialist care pathway.


This must be in a MOD-


endorsed speciality that leads to the acquisition of 60 or more Academic credits at Level 3 (this relates to Taxonomy Level 3 of the DNOCF).


The qualified specialist nurse remains deployable as a qualified specialist with the full skill set and currency expected of a qualified specialist as determined by the Surgeon General’s policy. n Commencement of payment Payments to individuals will commence as detailed below: Level


2: Individuals must


complete their Level 2 DNOCF to qualify for Level 2 payment. Annex A from the DNOCF must be completed and sent to the Career Manager to initiate competency pay. This will be initiated from the


date on the signed document. Level 3: Individuals must send a copy of their Level 3 certificate to their Career Manager and SP Qualified will be initiated. Career Managers are aware of the delay in certificates post- qualification awarding


being issued by authorities and will


Individuals must also be assigned to post requiring specialist DNOCF Level 2 competence. Level 3: Level 3 is payable to all Qualified Nursing Officers and Nursing Other Ranks filling competent Specialist annotated appointments and fulfil the following criteria:


endorsed MOD nursing speciality. An individual will be deemed a specialist nurse and qualified for specialist pay purposes providing they hold a ENB ‘long’ Course qualification or completion of a


A qualified specialist nurse in an


commence SP Q with ratification of results from an external source such as letter/e-mail through their line managers. Normal rules of Specialist Pay will then apply iaw JSP 754 Chap 6 Section 1. n Summary There is recent evidence of an individual not being paid specialist pay to which they were entitled for almost two years, therefore the importance of ensuring that the Career Manager is kept up to date with changes which are likely to affect the award of Specialist Pay should not be underestimated. Individuals or their line managers can seek advice from DNPERS Career Managers.


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