RAF COMMUNITY SUPPORT Stephen Hamilton Community Support Team HQ Air Command

Scope  What do we do  How do we work  What are the issues we are uncovering and work with.

The RAF Community ‘Ecomap’ The Complex RAF Community = The Complex RAF Community = Community Needs Analysis (CNA) Local Job Market Local Economy/ Transport System HospitalsPolice Childcare Station Welfare Facilities e.g. Crèche, Clubs, NAAFI, SSAFA-FH Further Education Facilities Local Shops/ Supermarkets Local Schools Local Amenities HousingHousing Medical & Dental Facilities Service Accom Veterans Associations

HQ AIR Team  8 Uniformed staff  Command Community Development Advisor  Head SSAFA Social Work Service  RAF HIVE Manager

 Command Welfare Interface POC for MOD, external bodies & charities, Service Personnel & Veteran’s Agency etc)  Unit Welfare Interface (e.g. policy advice & assistance) Specialist Welfare Support Communication & Information Accommodation & Families The HQ Role

 Develop & Implement RAF Welfare Strategy  Address FAMCAS ‘top 6’ issues:  Lifestyle & relationships  Information & Communication  Spouse’s Employment  Healthcare Support  Accommodation  Children’s Education The HQ Role

The Critical Connection RAF Community Op Effectiveness Resilience A strong sense of community and a feeling of personal and family well-being translates into military readiness, effectiveness and retention

Who Can Help You?

SUPPORT TO MILITARY CHILDREN  Airplay Youth Support Programme– Major initiative by the RAFBF providing Youth Work staff through a contract with 4Children,Multi Use Games Areas and Play parks  Airplay Childcare – RAFBF funding for the development of Childcare Centres

Storybook Wings  Funded by the RAF Association (RAFA)  Initiative by the prison service  30+ Recorders Issued  700+ recordings so far

Support to Children  Seeking funding for material aimed at 8+  Mp3 players  Deployment Diary  Victoria Wall Charts  Developing online Deployment Video for families & improved Deployment ‘Toolkit’  Improved support to casualties & bereaved families (including Casualty Notifying Officer and Visiting Officer training)

RAF COMMUNITY WEBSITE  Information for wider RAF Community on:  Deployment  Accommodation  Wellbeing  Education  Up-to-date news  Financial

or Google ‘RAF Community’

WEBSITE FORUM FACILITY  Secure two-way communication and information sharing facility for our personnel and their families.  Accessible through Airspace and linked to an instant chat facility.  Service person registers prior to approving up to 3 guest users.  More secure than certain Social Network sites…  Consider how you interact With your community

Christmas Videos 500 Recorded in 2010

Service Community Support Officers (SCSO)  Focus on Housing Support & Community issues  Contact with families of deployed personnel  Sits within PMS - close links with CDO, Chf Clk, Padre, SSAFA, HIVE etc  SLA, SSSA, SFA & SSFA  28 SCSOs

Community Development Officers (CDO)  Professionally Qualified  Community Action Plan  Schools Admissions Appeals  Childcare Facilities  Youth Work & Holiday Activities  Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs)  Represent RAF communities in Crime Reduction Partnerships, Parish Councils etc  ‘Outside wire’ remit  Report to CCDA through RCDA

SSAFA Forces Help  Independent professional & volunteer social work support  Offers confidential welfare service  Family/Relationship/Personal difficulties  Stress/Anxiety/Depression  Debt/Financial problems/Benefit advice  Illness/Disability/Special Needs  Housing/Resettlement/Medical Discharges  Bereavement/Loss/Grief  Equal Opportunities  Separation/Childcare issues

HIVE

The RAF Families Federation is here to represent RAF family members, be they serving, spouses, partners, parents, children or siblings. The Federation is independent of the Chain of Command and offers a confidential, professional service. Evidence provided to RAF policy staffs, Armed Forces Pay Review Body, Air Member for Personnel, Ministers, etc. or

RAFBF now pay for 6 sessions with a trained counsellor at. In 2010 RELATE carried out 1601 confidential session at a cost £91k. Also an on-line facility EXTERNAL AGENCIES No charge for service however stations can make annual donations and RAFBF also pay CAB to provide financial advice services to the RAF!

RAF Benevolent Fund/RBL Joint Provision. The following Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs) are participating in the Benefits and Money Advice Service, run in partnership by The Royal British Legion and the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Previously the FSA

STRATEGIC MATTERS OF THE MOMENT  AFC/Community Covenant  Defence Recovery Pathway

Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) Eradicate disadvantages of Service Life Ensure ‘special treatment’ (e.g. injured)

Armed Forces Covenant (AFC)  Rebuilding the AFC  Annual AFC Report to Parliament  Healthcare, Housing & Education  Recognised in Statute  Coalition Government Commitments  Doubled Op Allowance, Rest and and Recuperation reductions, Pupil Premium, bereaved Service Children’s scholarships etc

DEFENCE RECOVERY CAPABILITY Trials with NHS multi disciplinary teams on transition from the RAF Tri service approach – 30% of our personnel do not serve on RAF stations! Liaise with the third sector imperative: Most recent decision spending £210 million over the next 10 years: £90 million MoD £70 million H4H £50 million The Royal British Legion

REACTIVE MATTERS OF THE MOMENT With the recent announcement that IVF would be offered for service personnel suffering genital injury, would sperm freezing be available prior to deployment on operations as a matter of course? Fertility Preservation is already available for those injured SP requiring it on return from operations. This process will continue to be funded by the MOD. The MOD does not provide a funded, elective fertility preservation service for service personnel prior to operational deployment.