Royal Air Force Families Federation visit to RAF Marham - 6-7 July 2010

Programme for 2010
The workshop programme as it stands at the moment are listed below. Posters will appear on units nearer the time so please look out for them. At the workshops your views are collected anonymously using an electronic keypad voting system. If you would like to say more, then you may do so either in open forum or privately with a member of the Federation team.

Each subject area is a separate workshop and not all units have opted to carry all of them. Details of the workshops chosen will be given as soon as they are confirmed. But it does mean that you can pick and chose the workshops relevant to you and/or those you wish to contribute to. All audiences are mixed serving and non-serving and the workshops last for about 45 minutes. Please aim to arrive 15 mins before the start of the workshop.

If you are unable to attend a workshop but would like to air your views, or indeed if you have a view now, then please send your thoughts by email.

It is also our intention to run bespoke workshops for the teenages of serving parents and Reserves. More on this will be posted later.

Details on the workshop themes:

Future housing aspirations (F)

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!

For childcare requirements during the workshops please contact:
Fg Off Matt Copson Ext 6712

http://www.raf-ff.org.uk/meettheteam-worshopsandunitvisits.asp