Image: ©MOD Crown Copyright 2018.
Non-Serving Family Responses Day-to-Day Community Support
It is clear from our own findings that the support provision is very much subjective and personal to a particular RAF family - in short we have families who need none and others that would like to be fully engaged. However, it appears that despite the plethora of community support activities on a typical RAF station being currently available to families – for some little is known of its existence. There also appears on many occasions to be a failure by local commanders to recognise, engage and include family members whether the serving partner is at home, dispersed or most importantly during deployment periods.
Dispersed Family Support
38% of RAF families now live in their own home which can often mean substantial periods of separation. Add to this the ever increasing number of RAF families being allocated SFA away from the parent unit and this again can often lead to a sense of dislocation from the RAF community. It is important to note that separation often leads also to an increase in role-loading on the remaining partner, which in turn can contribute to poor mental health and impact on family relationships. For many the only current information flow is through the serving person, limiting the ability of stations and families to make meaningful contact. It would appear also rather unfairly that for some of our families living in SFA away from the serving person’s duty unit that access to facilities is being denied on the station they are living at because they (or rather their serving partner) are not assigned there. We have also had issues raised to us that some units are also denying access to young dependents living on the base because they have reached the age of 18 years old.
“I don’t live on camp but live in a military house on a civilian estate and find it very lonely with no support or help.”
“I am a dispersed family, I don’t have access to my local base. I used to attend the gym at my local base when partner was posted there and families’ days/happy hours but I cannot do this now my dependents pass has been rescinded due to partner being posted away. I feel I have lost my support network and connection to the RAF.”
Deployed Support
Also of concern to the Families Federation is the reported lack of support provided to some families when the serving person is deployed. This obviously has the potential to cause the most concern and distress and increases any feeling of isolation or wellbeing. Whether the family is living on an SFA patch or away from the duty unit in their own homes, they report that they have gone months without any form of contact. Some have gone entire deployments without any enquiry regarding their welfare. In some reported cases more worrying is the lack of support to families who have a known health issue.
“When suffering severe mental health issues whilst my husband was deployed, I had very little support and was told I knew what I was marrying into.”
“Because we are not married (cohabiting and engaged) I got no support when by partner was deployed for 6.5 months.”
“More community support/events, improve/fix camp facilities that keep being taken away due to repairs needed.”
“Secure employment for my partner and that I know he is doing something worthwhile and making a difference.” “The security of the patch is appreciated and having things in common with neighbours also helps.”
raf-ff.org.uk
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