• a school project to help Service children make the transition from nursery to school more smoothly.
One of the key concerns I have come across on several occasions is that the Local Authority representative feels they have little informed idea about what the needs of the local military population are and cannot always get the specific information they feel they need from the local Armed Forces representatives. They have a willingness to act but little idea of what actually needs to be done. As a result there is a focus on recognition of Service such as plaques, memorials, Armed Forces parades but little focus on practical issues which impact on the day-to-day lives of serving personnel and their families.
More concerning, this then also appears to sometimes lead to the assumption that RAF families do not have any specific needs and everything is okay as it is. It could be that this is an area where my role can start to make a difference.
Being responsible for the south and south- west, I have a diverse region and my first meetings with local authorities have been an eye opener into the ways different areas work. Some counties are much more joined-up than others, but all have some interesting action plans and are working with their respective partners with vigour.
Natalie Haynes A couple of months in and we are now settling into our new roles well. We have been made to feel so welcome into the Families Federation and we are lucky to have the support from the rest of the team. It is also nice to have colleagues that are doing the same work in other areas, as we are often in touch with one another and can share experiences and best- practice as our roles develop.
The reception I’ve had from the local authorities has been very positive. All have welcomed me and been pleased to share with me the work they have done and the many achievements they have made. I have now introduced myself to all local authorities within my region and have already met up with many of them.
My next course of action is to meet up with the RAF Stations and I already have some meetings set up to discuss the issues affecting them, their personnel and families. It’s been a thoroughly interesting couple of months, and no two days are the same. I look forward to the coming months as the Covenant work develops.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Envoy Autumn 2013
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