You are here : The Federation / Evidence Gathering 2011

Evidence Gathering 2011

The RAF Families Federation is in ever-increasing demand to provide independent evidence on a range of family-related issues.  Recent engagement has been with the House of Commons Select Committee, the Armed Forces Bill Committee and a bespoke group of Shadow Defence Ministers seeking to review Defence policy from their perspective.

During 2011 evidence was required to inform the published Armed Forces Covenant and we were also required to represent the families’ perspective at evidence sessions with the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) and the Future Accommodation Project Team (FAP).

In order to feed this requirement for independent evidence, the team went out on the road around the RAF stns and units, seeking evidence from family members, both serving and non-serving. The surveys were also placed on line for easy access for those unable to attend sessions.

Programme 2011

Visits during 2011 included Ramstein, High Wycombe, Honington, Lossiemouth, Waddington and Brize Norton. The team also attended a number of Families Days.

Themes for this year’s evidence-gathering activities were: Impact of the SDSR; RAF Way of Life and Future Accommodation.  Sessions with the teenagers of RAF parents and with Reservists will also continue this year. 

For 2011 we launched our surveys on-line and, as well as those listed above we also ask for your views onChildcare; Employment Opportunities for Non-Serving Family Members and Definition of Family.

The surveys are now closed and results will be available in Jan 12.

 

Programme 2010

Feedback - To read the 2010 Annual Report Click here

In 2010 we again visited units and honed in on subjects which were becoming important issues in the corridors of power.

The views of those attending were collected anonymously using an electronic keypad voting system. And for those who wished to say more there was the opportunity to do so, either in open forum or privately with a member of the Federation team.

Each subject area was covered by a separate workshop but not all units  opted to carry all of  them. Details of the workshops chosen by each unit are given below. This meant that participants could pick and chose the workshops relevant to them and/or those you wished to contribute to. All audiences were mixed serving and non-serving and the workshops lasted for about 45 minutes.

We also ran bespoke workshops for the teenages of serving parents and Reserves. 

Example of a poster for the workshop ran at Coningsby:

The venues and dates for the 2010 workshop programme were:

(7 Jun - 8 Jun      Kinloss)

(9 Jun                  Lossiemouth)

(15 Jun - 16 Jun  Valley - P,C,E,F)

(16 Jun                Shawbury - E)

 (6 Jul  -   7 Jul    Marham - H,P,C,E,F0)
(12 Jul  -  14 Jul   Wittering - H,C,E,P)
(17 Jul                  Brampton/Wyton - C)

(18 Jul                  Henlow - C)
(20 Jul                  Northwood - H,P)

(25 Jul  -  27 Jul   Brize Norton - H,P,C,F)  

 (7 Sep  -   8 Sep      St Mawgan - H,P,C,E,F)

(9 Sep  -  10 Sep      Boscombe Down - H,P,C)

(11 Sep                    Benson Reserves)

(13 Sep  -  14 Sep    Abbey Wood - H,P,C)

(20 Sep  -  21 Sep    Odiham - H,P,C,E,F)

(22 Sep  -  24 Sep    Benson - H,P,C,E,F)
(27 Sep  -  28 Sep    Halton - H,P,C,E,F)

(29 Sep  -  30 Sep    Northolt - H,P,C,E,F)

 (4 Oct  -   5 Oct     Digby- H,P,C)

 (6 Oct  -   7 Oct     Scampton - H,P,C,E,F)

(12 Oct  -  13 Oct    Leeming - P,E)

(14 Oct  -  15 Oct    Fylingdales -H,P,C,E,F)

(19 Oct  -  20 Oct    Coningsby - H,E,F)
(20 Oct  -  21 Oct    Boulmer - H,P,C)

 

Details of 2010 workshop themes

Future housing aspirations (H)

Future requirements/aspirations rather than assessment of current performance of Defence Estates. The aim of this workshop is to look at other aspects of home ownership and accommodation issues.  Questions cover whether or not MOD should continue to provide Service Families Accommodation (SFA); whether SFA allocations policies change; what motivates personnel to buy a house; what aspects of living in SFA/SLA personnel enjoy most/least etc; etc.  

Pay & Allowances plus Deployment(P)

To inform the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.  Questions cover satisfaction with pay award and the allowances package; causes and extent of debt; separation owing to ops; work/life balance; quality of life in the RAF. 

Childcare (C)

Questions cover preferences for childcare; cost; distance; choice; how much childcare is required, when and for how many children. This workshop is designed for all who have children, those who may be planning to have children and those who manage those with children and childcare issues. 

Employment & Training Opportunities for Family Members(E)

This workshop will build on work by the Service Families Employment & Skills Task Force.  Questions cover impact of RAF mobility on employment and training; transfer of Civil Service employment; CRB clearances; transfer of training; barriers to employment.  This workshop should appeal to all non-serving partners whose careers may have been impacted by the mobile military lifestyle.  

Definition of the Family (F)

To feed into the Strategic Defence & Security Review.  Questions will cover motivation towards marriage/civil partnership; management of lone parents; access to children of divorced parents; care of elderly parents; young adults still living with serving personnel; recognition of partners.  This workshop should appeal across the board and we predict it will reveal interesting differences between gender groups and age groups!

Programme 2009

Feedback - To read the 2009 Evidence Report Click here

To view the separate 2009 Annual Report Click here

The venues and dates for the 2009 workshop programme were:

RAF Marham                  19-20 May 09

RAF Cottesmore                    4-Jun 09

RAF Kinloss                      8-12 Jun 09

RAF Lossiemouth             8-12 Jun 09

RAF Brize Norton            22-23 Jun 09

RAF Honington                29-30 Jun 09

RAF Odiham                     21-22 Jul 09

RAF Halton                         4-5 Aug 09

RAF Leuchars                20-21 Aug 09

RAF Leeming                 10-12 Sep 09

RAF St Mawgan              15-16 Sep 09

MOD Abbey Wood                17 Sep 09 (non workshop visit)

RAF Valley                      22-24 Sep 09

RAF Lyneham                     29 Sep 09

RAF Waddington                14 Oct 09

RAF Benson                    19-20 Oct 09

 

Families Days

We also attended a number of Families Day in 2009 as follows:

RAF Northolt/Uxbridge           6 Jun 09

RAF Digby                              27 Jun 09

RAF Wittering                           3 Jul 09

RAF Odiham                            22 Jul 09

RAF Cottesmore                      24 Jul 09

RAF Shawbury                         24 Jul 09

RAF Honington                        29 Jul 09

RAF Lyneham                           8 Aug 09

RAF Linton on Ouse                  8 Aug 09

RAF Scampton                        10 Aug 09

RAF Leuchars                         21 Aug 09

RAF Benson                            27 Aug 09

RAF Leeming                          12 Sep 09

 
 

Programme 2008

Feedback - To read the 2008 Annual Report Click here

Units visited during 2008 were:
 

RAF Leeming - Liaison Visit - 26 Nov 08

RAF Aldergrove - Liaison Visit - 5 Nov 08

RAF Cranwell - Liaison Visit - 4 Nov 08

RAF Cottesmore - Liaison Visit - 29 Oct 08

RAF Akrotiri - Liaison Visit - 21 Oct 08

Agios Nikolaos - Liaison Visit - 20 Oct 08

Episkopi - Liaison Visit - 19 Oct 08

DCAE Cosford - Liaison Visit - 18 Sep 08

RAF Odiham - Liaison Visit - 17 Sep 08

RAF Leeming - Families Day - 13 Sep 08

RAF Scampton - Families Day - 11 Aug 08

RAF Lyneham - Families Day - 14 Aug 08

RAF Fylingdales - Families Day - 8 Aug 08

RAF Honington - Families Day - 30 Jul 08

RAF Cottesmore - Families Day - 25 Jul 08

RAF Odiham - Families Day - 23 Jul 08

MOD Boscombe Down - Liaison Visit - Aug 08

RAF Boulmer - Liaison Visit - 9 Jul 08

RAF Shawbury - Liaison Visit - 24 June 08

RAF Brize Norton Families Day - 21 June 08

RAF Coningsby - Families Day - 14 Jun 08

RAF Halton - Families Day - 14 Jun 08

RAF Waddington - Liaison Visit - 13 Jun 08

MOD Stafford - Families Day - 7 Jun 08

RAF Northolt and RAF Uxbridge - Families Day - 7 Jun 08

RAF Marham - Liaison Visit - 21 May 08

RAF Honington - Liaison Visit - 8 May 08

RAF Lossiemouth - Liaison Visit - 22 Apr 08

RAF Kinloss - Liaison Visit - Apr 08

MOD Stafford - Liaison Visit - 9 Apr 08

RAF Brize Norton - Liaison Visit - 3 Apr 08

RAF Scampton - Liaison Visit - 12 Mar 08

RAF St Athan - Liaison Visit - 6 Mar 08

RAF Coningsby - Liaison Visit - 26 Feb 08

RAF Valley - Liaison Visit - 21 Feb 08

RAF High Wycombe - Liaison Visit - 31 Jan 08

RAF Brampton/Henlow/Wyton - Liaison Visit - 17-20 Jan 08

RAF Wittering - Liaison Visit - 10-28 Jan 08

 
 

 

Programme 2007

The only unit visit we made in 2007 was to:

RAF Lyneham - Liaison Visit - 13 Dec 07

   -The RAF FF only formed in Nov 07!

Top of Page