EDITOR/CHAIRMAN
EDITOR’S words W
ith the Jubilee celebrations in full swing and the Olympics just over the next rise, the national mood
seems buoyant. But just below the surface is the unsettling news of the Armed Forces redundancy notifications. And as RAF personnel and their families work through the implications for them personally, we are mindful that there will be a lot of upheaval for many over the next six to twelve months.
In this issue we celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, hear from RAF personnel who have been
Good reading.
T From the Chairman
o all our regular readers, and hopefully some newcomers to this publication (welcome!), I’d like to offer
a few thoughts on the role of the Federation and perhaps provide some guidance as to where we believe we can offer support to Service personnel and their families and, perhaps just as importantly, where we can’t.
It is now five years since the RAF awarded the contract to the RAF Association to manage the new RAF Families Federation. Our remit, to provide an independent voice for RAF personnel and their families on family- related issues, remains the same, and our contribution to two-way communication between the RAF and its families is one of the main reasons for this magazine.
In order to understand the issues impacting on families, we seek evidence in two key ways: The first is to take what we call ‘reactive’ evidence from individual family members who have a specific problem that they need help in resolving. I need to make it clear that we are not here to resolve those problems. But we can often offer sound advice, signpost to experts, both within the chain of command and beyond, and ensure that communications are re-established between the key agencies and the individual seeking support.
In any given week, we will have approximately eighty live cases on our desks,
4 Envoy Summer 2012
all of which are entered into our confidential database and monitored by a team member until we and the family agree that the case can be closed, hopefully having reached a satisfactory outcome via the agencies concerned. From this database, essential evidence is drawn as to key areas of concern so we can inform the policy staffs, Ministers and others who can help influence change for the better.
In dealing with this reactive casework, we do not have a magic wand, nor are we qualified in counselling or welfare provision. What we do have is many years of RAF experience to call upon, a determination to do our very best for those who contact us, and a hard- earned reputation for providing a professional service.
As a team of eight, two of whom work part- time, we are simply not resourced to be an additional RAF casework team and, in line with our contract from the RAF, we cannot extend our remit to support veterans, or those in service who are struggling with issues that have no identifiable family link. In those cases, we will signpost as effectively as we can to those better placed to help.
Our second method of evidence-gathering is the ‘proactive’ work, when we visit units, run workshops, and launch on-line surveys to inform the debate on a range of family- related matters. We have just launched the second of our main surveys for 2012 and the results of the first, on the SDSR and the
selected as officials for the Olympics, feature a thought-provoking article on the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, and hear from one redundee.
On redundancy, and on any other issue, do remember the Federation if there is anything you would wish to raise with the hierarchy. As Air Cdre Harry Atkinson says in his foreword, the RAF senior leadership is always interested in the impact of decisions and outcomes, so let us tell them on your behalf.
AF Covenant, are featured in this edition. If you have views on ‘Pay, Pensions and Other Stuff’, do go online and complete the survey before it closes at the end of Jun 12. Even better, come to one of our workshops, where we would be delighted to meet you and hear your views.
In sum, if you are serving in the RAF (Regular or Reservist), and have a family-related issue, or you are a family member of someone in the RAF (spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling) we are absolutely here for you and we would be delighted to take evidence from you on any aspect of RAF life which impacts on you and your family. We will endeavour to provide appropriate support, but please don’t expect miracles – we’re only human, our budget is tight and the team is small. But our heart is big!
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56