THE SUMMER edition of Homeport is hot off the press, with
this issue featuring
the NFF annual review of business and trends, writes
Jane Williams of NFF. ‘A Year in the Life’ is our eight- page pull-out summary of what Royal Navy and Royal Marines families have been talking to us about.
It is the NFF’s opportunity to
provide a snapshot summary of the last year’s activity; who we have been talking to and about what on behalf of the whole Naval Service family. If you don’t have a copy posted directly to you free of charge, please get in touch and we will add you to the list: editor@nff.
org.uk
Service Families Accommodation – Update The new enhanced application process for Service Families Accommodation (SFA) has launched – after testing and re-testing the systems, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) launched the enhanced e-1132 on May 29 2012.
e-mail:
admin@NFF.org.uk, we will pass these comments directly onto the system managers. DIO set out its plan in 2011
TWO-SIX
Fab volunteers sought for FAB
FAMILIES’
(FAB) is looking for volunteers to support their efforts in providing bereaved military families with children with one-week activity holidays in Coverack and Whitby. The aim is to give families the
Activity Breaks
opportunity to spend quality time together and with others who understand what they are going through. FAB volunteers are at the heart of this – getting involved, giving encouragement, or simply sitting and talking. Volunteers are carefully chosen from across the military and MOD, past and present. Volunteering can be emotionally and physically demanding, but always rewarding.
of challenges
Daily activities include a range from horse-riding
A REMINDER to the men and women of the Royal Navy that Civil Service Learning (CSL) is not just for civil servants but is available to all Service personnel who have a requirement for business and management training. CSL delivers a variety of
to climbing, kayaking to abseiling. The environment is carefully managed to be adventurous, yet safe, and encourage the children to interact and develop self- confidence, while having fun. Although these breaks are not intended to be bereavement holidays,
interviewed, CRB checked and, if they are suitable, will then attend a two-day training seminar which covers basic bereavement techniques and other necessary skills.
place over July and August. If you would like to volunteer for one of the camps, you can find out more by contacting WO2 Lou O’Connell at FABVolunteerCoordinator@
gmail.com or going online to
www.fabcamps.org.uk.
Defence training for all
courses at all levels to meet generic business and management training needs across government. It also includes courses on problem-solving, leadership and commercial awareness. The CSL portal is at civilservicelearning.
civilservice.gov.uk.
Watch out for TwoSix
THE latest edition of
TwoSix.tv features the First Sea Lord’s annual message, redundancy and resettlement information, and a Paralympics hopeful.
The DVD has been aligned with the Personnel Support Brief
to provide an enhanced package for sharing information.
If you want to get your message out through these pages or the
TwoSix.tv DVD, please contact: ■ Pauline Aquilina: 9621 85984 ■ WO1 Russ Billings: 93832 5081 Pauline Aquilina is also the first point of contact for the RN Facebook site.
32 JUNE 2012 : This year’s FAB camps will take each volunteer is
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group is
THE NATION’S ONLY HIGH READINESS MILITARY INTERVENTION FORCE.
It is capable of deploying and sustaining the UK’s military forces where they are needed around the globe.
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group is
THE NATION’S ONLY HIGH READINESS MILITARY INTERVENTION FORCE.
fl eetgraphicscentre 12/162 R R Royal Navy - protecting our nation’s interests
CONTINUING to demonstrate that the Naval Service (NS) is an all-inclusive employer of choice, Cdre Rupert Wallace, the NS Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Advocate, along with members of the NCHQ Diversity & Inclusion Policy Staff and the NS LGBT Forum attended the annual Stonewall Annual Workplace Conference in London in April.
Stonewall is a professional lobbying group and through partnerships with organisations outside Parliament, it continues to ensure the rights and needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are addressed in the wider community. The
conference E gave 530
delegates from every sector of Britain’s economy a chance to hear from speakers including the Home Secretary and Sport Wales chair Laura McAllister.
It is capable of deploying and sustaining the UK’s military forces where they are needed around the globe.
fl eetgraphicscentre 12/162
Cards to carry
E
INFORMATION cards are available to promote the Navy’s message of ‘Protecting our nation’s interest’. These are given out by members of the Royal Navy Presentation Team at events to members of the public.
If someone within your unit might need this material to allow for
greater understanding about why the Royal Navy is vitally important to the UK’s security and prosperity in the 21st century, visit the RN Message House on the RN intranet to find out more.
As a keynote speaker, the Home Secretary Theresa May said businesses could not afford to ignore the £70 billion-strong lesbian, gay and bisexual market, as she set out the ‘business case for equality’. The NS
has continued to
develop its strong relationship with Stonewall, from being the first of the military to join the Diversity Champions programme in 2005. Diversity and Inclusion is one of the areas which has been improved greatly over recent years, and the NS now has a growing and active LGBT Forum and support network (nslgbt@
tiscali.co.uk).
Attending the event with colleagues from the Army and RAF,
Cdre Wallace and the team were able to take part in
Navy features at Stonewall conference
role models
groups. allows
share
As with all new systems all the foreseeable glitches have been ironed-out, but this is a very ambitious project and DIO request that anyone picking up issues or problems please provide feedback so that the service can be amended and improved. Feedback is welcome via NFF,
Run up to summer with the NFF
to give all entitled personnel an enhanced SFA system, the key aims of which included giving families accurate and timely information,
the opportunity
to express a preference for particular properties and give users the opportunity to use a more automated system to book appointments: The Department is seeking to improve the SFA allocation process by: ■ Introducing an automated, self-preference system; ■ Centralising allocation
services at a single Housing Allocations Service Centre based at two locations, Aldershot and Thetford.
system will
The automated, self preference provide
greater
transparency in the allocation process, and will allow Service Personnel and their families to: ■ View online ‘estate agent’ details of available properties (description of property, together with floor plans, with images of front and rear elevations, garden, kitchen, bathroom,
lounge and
primary bedroom) that match their entitlement linked to their new duty station; ■ Express their preferences from the available properties which match their entitlement; ■ Receive all documentation electronically reducing the time taken to receive an SFA offer; and ■ Self book all appointments
relating to their move, once an allocation has been made. Not every property has a ‘photo
portfolio’ as yet, but as the system beds in more information will be
gathered and uploaded, this will take time and DIO anticipate that the system will be updated over the next few years. The allocation of SFA will remain with the DIO staff at the Housing Allocation Service Centre (HASC). The recommendation is that all applications, wherever possible, are made via the automated e-1132 system, enabling applicants to track the application on-line. The JSP 464 guidelines remain the same, some key points to highlight: ■ Completed applications
should receive an offer of SFA within 15 working days of application. ■ If no SFA is available by ‘required by date’ then a Certificate of Non-Availability will be issued and the process for Substitute Service Families Accommodation (SSFA) will commence. ■ Please check with the Unit
Personnel Office (UPO) and JSP752 for Allowances. JSP 464 is available via the Intranet and via MOD Website. The DIO website has been
updated to include area maps, e-mail address and a host of data to assist families living in SFA:
www.mod.co.uk/DIO Please note that if you are calling the HASC using a mobile then the local number of 01904 418000 may be a better option as
‘inclusive minutes’ or local number charges may apply. The
Headquarters’ Command accommodation
policy staff, who will continue closely monitoring the SFA
allocations receiving
service provided by
DIO Ops Accommodation as it transitions from the Housing Information Centres (HICs) to the Housing Allocations Service Centre (HASC), have asked us for feedback from Naval Service families of their recent experiences of the HASC – both good and bad.
Whilst HASC telephone
answering times have generally improved in recent weeks, we are still
reduced levels of reports of
long waiting times and, more worryingly,
service when compared to those delivered previously by the staff at the HICs. We would like to hear of your
experiences of the HASC by email to:
admin@nff.org.uk.We will ensure that your concerns and comments are passed on. The Welsh Government published its Package of Support for the Armed Forces Community in Wales in May. The document is available in
full via
www.cymru.gov.uk. It is estimated that at least a
quarter of a million members of the Armed Forces Community including Serving Personnel, Reservists and Cadets as well as their families and ex-Service personnel live in Wales. The document sets out
the
Royal Navy - protecting our nation’s interests Navy
specific policies that the Welsh Government plans to implement in the coming year and beyond in areas that are devolved. The Welsh Government Package of Support for the Armed Forces Community in Wales should be read in conjunction with the UK
Armed Forces Covenant: Today and Tomorrow, which sets the UK Government’s overall intent for supporting the Armed Forces Community.
Group panel on the Needs of the Armed Forces Community in Wales. Do you have any comments or experiences? If so please get in touch:
admin@nff.org.uk Tranche 2 redundancy announcements are due on June 12. The NFF website has a
The NFF sits on the Expert
dedicated section for Redundancy, for all the latest information please go to:
www.nff.org.uk Your feedback and experiences
form the basis of our discussions, to get in touch with the NFF: Telephone 02392 654374. E-mail:
admin@nff.org.uk. Write: Castaway House, 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 8RN.
training sessions which covered subjects such as: for LGBT personnel,
mentoring creating
transformational change through senior leadership, the importance of
and network
Attendance at such events the NS to
and
discuss best practice; it gives the organisation one-to-one
advice
from Stonewall’s Workplace team and the chance to network with hundreds of high profile employers. This in turn will allow the NS
to develop non-discriminatory personnel polices and to support the needs of LGBT personnel. Cdr Chris New, SO1 Diversity & Inclusion in NCHQ, said: “Some of the best performing businesses in the country were testifying that a diverse workforce, if managed well, will
improve
operational effectiveness. “The NS seeks to follow this example by recruiting the best people from across the widest talent pool, retaining them through good leadership, including them fully
into
the workforce, and
building cohesive teams which can deliver the required operational effect.”
Stonewall Director of Workplace Colleen Humphrey said: “Diversity is vital for businesses to succeed, particularly when the economic climate is tough. “Britain’s 1.7 million lesbian,
gay and bisexual staff look for employers who do more than just ‘tolerate’ them. “Organisations attending
today’s Workplace Conference send a clear message to gay staff and potential recruits that they respect their contribution and talent.”
www.navynews.co.uk
S C
E
S C
E
I H
I H
R
R
A I
R
A I
R
N
N
A E
A
E
E
E
P A
R
P A
R
I
E
R
M
I
E
R
M
R P
R P
U
A
U
A
R
R
O
O
F
F
R A
A
R
I
I
A
A
C
C
T
T
A
M
A
M
T
A
T
A
B
E
B
E
L
L
P
P
G
G
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