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Announcements, NFF News, RN/RM Announcements

The Naval Families Federation has joined 11 other military charities in calling for the strengthening of the Armed Forces Bill which is currently going through Parliament.

 

The 12 organisations have signed an open letter urging the government and MPs to widen the scope of the Bill, delivering on the full promise of the Armed Forces Covenant.

 

A new Bill is introduced every five years to renew the Armed Forces Act, allowing additions and amendments to be made before each Bill become law.

 

One of the key elements of the latest Bill is the proposal to make it a legal duty for public bodies to consider the Armed Forces Covenant when creating policy or making decisions.

 

The Covenant, which was enshrined in law in 2011, is the promise by the nation that Service personnel, veterans, and their families will not be at a disadvantage as a result of military service.

 

While senior figures in the military charity sector broadly welcomed provisions in the new Bill they believe that it does not go far enough in covering the full range of day-to-day issues that affect the Armed Forces community and which are regularly raised by families contacting the NFF.

 

In particular, the new legal obligations introduced by the Bill would only apply to local councils and some limited public bodies delivering housing, health and education – the national government and devolved administrations would be exempt from this duty, which the charities identify as a “major gap” in the Bill.

 

The letter states that this is “compounded by the omission of important topics including employment, pensions, compensation, social care, criminal justice, and immigration from the Bill’s scope.”

 

The open letter to MPs has been signed by NFF Chief Executive Anna Wright, along with leading figures in the Royal British Legion, Poppyscotland, Cobseo (the Confederation of Service Charities), Veterans Scotland, SSAFA the Armed Forces charity, Help for Heroes, Combat Stress, the Forces in Mind Trust, the Army Families Federation, the RAF Families Federation and the RAF Association.

 

Read the full text of the letter here.

 

Published on: 14th July, 2021
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Accommodation, Announcements, NFF News, RN/RM Announcements, Service Family Accommodation (SFA)

Introduction

On 14th June 2021 it was announced that five new contracts worth £650-million will deliver crucial building and maintenance services for more than 39,000 Service families.

 

Forming the next phase of the Future Defence Infrastructure (FDIS) programme, the four new regional accommodation contracts will cover the maintenance of properties across the UK, including plumbing, electrical works, repair services and the maintenance support helpline.

 

The contracts will create and sustain thousands of jobs across the UK supply chain and SFA sites including Portsmouth, Marham, Aldershot, Edinburgh and Cumbria which are all set to benefit from it.

 

The NFF carried out a housing survey in 2018 and which directly informed the Ministry of Defence’s tendering process.

The contracts
Infographic of a family home - the families journey in SFA

Click to enlarge.

The seven-year contracts have been awarded to:

  • CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE – Pinnacle Group Ltd
  • MAINTENANCE (NORTHERN) – Amey Community Ltd
  • MAINTENANCE (CENTRAL) – Amey Community Ltd
  • MAINTENANCE (SOUTH EAST) – VIVO Defence Services Ltd
  • MAINTENANCE (SOUTH WEST) – VIVO Defence Services Ltd

 

You will have a single point of contact, run by Pinnacle. The other contractors will maintain homes and community spaces around them.

 

The new contracts will require suppliers to work differently, such as fixing faults on an initial visit to a property and undertaking simple preventative maintenance while attending properties to reduce disruption to families.

 

The contracts ensure industry suppliers adopt and adhere to recognised industry standards for the allocation, management and maintenance of military homes, implementing robust mechanisms to address poor performance alongside incentives to exceed contracted standards.

Important announcements/updates
April 22 - Missed appointments

Update: 28th April, 2022

 

Message from DIO – Update on the issue affecting appointments in the South East and South West Regions

 

Last week an issue arose where appointments were not transferred between Pinnacle and VIVO systems. This impacted families in the South East and South West Regions, and led to missed appointments.

 

VIVO have completed system fixes and are now receiving appointments through the National Service Centre (NSC). They are contacting affected families who raised jobs with the NSC whilst the interface was down (14-26 April) to arrange appointment slots. If the family cannot be reached via a telephone call, VIVO will email with an appointment and will advise the family to contact the NSC to re-arrange the appointment if the one proposed is not suitable.

 

All families should have been contacted with a proposed appointment by 6th May.

 

In addition, Pinnacle are contacting families who had missed appointments to confirm they will receive missed appointment compensation in the form of an e-voucher. The first batch of vouchers has already been emailed to families and Pinnacle will endeavour to get all the vouchers emailed out over the next two weeks. Families do not need to contact the NSC to claim their compensation and will receive the e-vouchers automatically.

 

We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused families. These new contracts are designed with families firmly in mind to transform housing services for our Armed Forces. We are working closely with Pinnacle, VIVO, Amey and service family accommodation stakeholders to address issues when they arise, to minimise impact to your lived experience

 

We thank you in the meantime for your continued patience. For further information about the new FDIS Accommodation contracts that replaced the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract on 1 April 2022, please continue to check the SFA Gov.UK website, Pinnacle website and Families Federations and HIVE social media and web pages.

April 22 - Key changes

Update: 13th April, 2022

 

New arrangements to support Service Family Accommodation – Future Defence Infrastructure Services Programme

 

From April 11th 2022, the National Service Centre (NSC) started to receive and log routine maintenance calls. As expected, Pinnacle received a huge volume of calls (2270) and had extra teams in place to receive these. However, there was a technical issue yesterday morning that affected a number of call centres throughout the UK beyond Pinnacle and Defence and this, along with the large volumes of calls, contributed to some families experiencing long wait times. We understand how frustrating this must have been and apologise for this. By the end of the day the call wait times did reduce considerably and we hope that they will continue to reduce throughout this week as we monitor this closely with Pinnacle. As well as phoning to make a request, families may wish to log a request by emailing hello@pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk.

 

With regards to requests raised under the old contracts, many families have now been contacted and appointments have been raised to work through these requests. We are aware however that some families have not heard back from Amey or VIVO to book appointments for routine requests they raised through 11-25 March. This is understandably causing some families to contact the NSC to re-raise these requests. Again, we understand this is a source of frustration especially as in our cutover comms we said that the new Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS) contract teams would endeavour to contact families between 28 March and 8 April 2022 to arrange appointments to complete these works. Having reassessed the situation with our suppliers and looking at the amount of routine maintenance tasks passed from NHP to FDIS, a new date of 29 April 2022 has been set for VIVO and Amey to contact families to make the appointments to meet this back log of works. We do apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience caused to Service personnel and their families.

 

We understand that some families who raised complaints under the NHP contracts have not yet been contacted regarding their complaint being taken forward. We would like to reassure families that Pinnacle started to call families last week to progress their complaints and by 29th April, will have contacted all families.

 

Finally, we would like to provide some clarity about HomeHub and why this did not go live at the start of the new contracts. It was always the intention for HomeHub to go live after this transition period, as Air Commodore Savage, DIO’s Head of Accommodation, explained in the FDIS Facebook Live session on 11 January (at around 7.14 minutes). This is standard practice for a change of this nature as it is important that we ensure the new service and traditional ways for families contacting the NSC are fully working and that any issues are resolved before we roll out the self help options through the HomeHub. Once we are satisfied the service is fully stable, the HomeHub will be introduced to complement existing phone and online means of contacting the NSC by enabling families to raise requests from phone, tablet or PC. Any contract transition is challenging, and our focus is on getting the basics right especially around response maintenance and anything to do with safety before we progressively roll out the new capabilities.

 

These contracts offer the opportunity to make a big difference to the lived experience for Service families but not everything will change overnight and some of the innovations FDIS will bring may take time for some to embed and deliver results. We absolutely understand the frustrations felt by some families as these new contracts settle and please do keep feeding back to Pinnacle, your welfare teams and the Families Federations about concerns you have. These are crucial for us to understand as together with Pinnacle, VIVO and Amey we are working hard to transform housing services for you and are working hard through these early days of the new contract to minimise disruption to families as new systems and ways of working are embedded. We thank you for your patience.

Mar 22- Key Changes

Update: 28th March, 2022

 

A message from DIO:

One week to go until the new contracts start

As we approach 1 April 2022, and in the first week after it, some housing services will be temporarily affected as the new systems are embedded. We would like to reassure families that all emergency and urgent enquiries will continue to be responded to as normal and within the timeframes during this cutover period. For more information about this transition period please see the section below.

The new contracts will be very different from the current one. They have been designed with Service families firmly in mind and DIO collaborated closely with the Housing Colonels from all three Services and the Service Families Federations to ensure that families’ needs are fully considered. They offer the opportunity to break decisively from the past and to build on the commitments made by all suppliers to innovate and deliver more responsive and flexible services to Service families.

 

Some of the key changes are:

 

  • Greater flexibility with how families can contact the National Service Centre. A few weeks after the new contract starts a new Home Hub will be introduced to complement existing phone and online means of contacting the Centre. This will allow families to raise service requests from their smart phone, tablet or personal computer. We will alert families when Home Hub goes live through social media channels and please do keep checking the Pinnacle website.
  • Shorter appointment windows, plus evening and weekend appointments. For all appointments made from Day One onwards, appointments will initially cover a four-hour window but on the day before the appointment this will be narrowed down to one hour. On the day of the appointment families will be given the engineer’s contact number by text.
  • A new target will be introduced to fix at least 85% of repairs on the first visit. This encourages suppliers to improve fault diagnosis, keep more spares in their vehicles and ensure the right engineer is allocated to complete the repair.
  • More robust targets and incentives. These will include specific targets for both delivery performance and – for the first time – customer satisfaction, which will drive the payments the suppliers receive. If the suppliers fall below minimum standards there will be financial consequences, but there will also be financial incentives for them to exceed the minimum contracted standard.

There has been excellent collaboration between DIO, Pinnacle, Amey and VIVO during the transition phase – supported by the Families Federations – to ensure the new contracts are successfully delivered and we very much forward to the new contracts going live next week.

Mar 22 - What to expect during the transition

Update: 11th March, 2022

 

A message from DIO:

The new Accommodation contracts – what to expect during the transition

The new Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts that replace the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract will come into service on 1 April 2022. As we approach that date, and in the week following, some housing services will be temporarily affected as new systems are embedded. We refer to this period of transition between the NHP and new FDIS accommodation contracts as the “cutover” period. We would like to reassure families that all emergency and urgent enquiries will continue to be responded to as normal and within the timeframes during this cutover period.

 

1. Cutover arrangements for reactive maintenance to homes

a. Emergency and Urgent repairs and maintenance requests

The arrangements for raising Emergency and Urgent repair requests will not be impacted. Families should contact Amey using existing channels until midnight on 31 March 2022. From Friday 1 April 2022, when the new Accommodation contracts formally start, emergency and urgent calls for repairs and maintenance should be made through Pinnacle’s National Service Centre (NSC) or telephone 0800 031 8628.

 

From 25 March 2022 inclusive, Amey will not always be able to allocate appointments for Urgent repairs before their current contract expires on 31 March 2022. If they cannot allocate families an Urgent appointment, they will pass the requirement to the new Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS) Contract teams – VIVO for the South East and South West Regions and Amey for the North and Central Regions – who will contact you to arrange appointments to complete these works as soon as possible, on or after 1 April 2022. The FDIS suppliers will increase the size of their teams to support with clearing works that transition over from NHP to the new FDIS contracts.

 

b. Routine repairs and maintenance requests

From 11 – 25 March 2022 inclusive, Amey will continue to take calls for all categories of repairs and maintenance but will not always be able to allocate appointments for routine works before their current contract expires on 31 March 2022. If they cannot allocate you a routine appointment, they will pass your requirement to the new RAMS contract teams as above, who will endeavour to contact you between 28 March and 8 April 2022 to arrange appointments to complete these works. The FDIS suppliers will increase the size of their teams to support with clearing the works that transition over from NHP to the new FDIS contracts.

 

From 26 March – 10 April 2022 inclusive, no calls will be taken by Amey or Pinnacle for routine repairs or maintenance calls under the NHP contract – only calls for Emergency and Urgent repair and maintenance issues will be taken. This is to allow time for key transition activities including staff induction, the issue of new kit/clothing/vehicles, training and embedding new systems while ensuring that Emergency and Urgent repairs are attended to promptly. Over this period, messages will be posted by Amey (until 31 March) and Pinnacle (from 1 April) asking families to wait until at least 11 April 2022 to report new Routine maintenance requests.

 

From 11 April 2022, families should contact the National Service Centre or telephone 0800 031 8628 to raise routine repairs and maintenance issues. The Pinnacle National Service Centre will be staffed appropriately to anticipate a surge in calls, emails and live chat at this time.

 

We do understand that this may be frustrating for some families and apologise that there will be a gap for these routine enquiries. However, we would be grateful for your support during this time so that we can ensure that families with Emergency and Urgent needs are prioritised while our suppliers complete activities essential to the success of FDIS. DIO and our suppliers are committed to putting the interests of Service families first and improving the lived experience for families is at the heart of the new contracts. Taking this approach will ensure the new systems are fully ready and that Pinnacle, Vivo and Amey are able to transition smoothly from the NHP to the new FDIS contracts.

 

2. Move-in and move-out appointments

To allow for essential work as part of the change-over to new FDIS accommodation contracts, the e1132 site will be temporarily offline from 12:00hrs on Thursday 31st March until 08:00hrs on Friday 1st April 2022. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Move-in and move-out appointments and any other occupancy appointments agreed with families with Amey prior to 1 April 2022 will be attended by a Pinnacle Housing Officer on an agreed date from 1 April. All supporting information will be passed from Amey to Pinnacle as required such as Statutory and Mandatory Inspection certificates.

 

3. Complaints/CAAS Challenges

Amey will endeavour to resolve as many as Stage 1 complaints/CAAS challenges as possible before 31 March 2022.  If they are unable to complete the work required to close a complaint or respond to a CAAS challenge prior to this date, the complaint/CAAS challenge will be paused and Amey will inform the complainant that their complaint/CAAS challenge will be passed over to Pinnacle. From 1 April 2022 Pinnacle will be in touch with families with a new reference number and to discuss and take forward these cases.

 

4. Additional Needs and Disability Adaptation (ANDA) Works

Amey will endeavour to continue to undertake ANDA work, where possible, up to 31 March 2022. If they are unable to complete the work required prior to this date, the work will be paused.  Families with outstanding ANDA work will be contacted directly by Amey to inform them that the work will be passed over to Pinnacle, who will make contact soon after 1 April 2022 to provide a dedicated point of contact and to progress the request.

 

Further information on the new FDIS accommodation contracts

More details will be made available to Service personnel and their families over the coming weeks through the SFA Gov.UK website, on social media and via the Families Federations and HIVEs. In addition, comprehensive guides are available for families on the Pinnacle website, which is now live. It is important to note that until 1 April 2022 families must still visit the Amey Defence Services website and continue to use these services regarding their homes.

The introduction of FDIS is intended to represent a step change in the way services will be delivered to families in SFA and we look forward to continuing to work with Pinnacle, Amey and VIVO during the transition phase – supported by the Families Federations – to ensure the new contracts are successfully delivered.

Mar 22 - Four weeks to go

Update: 4th March, 2022

 

A message from DIO:

Four weeks until the new Accommodation contracts start

The new Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts that replace the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract, will come into service 4 weeks from today, on 1 April 2022.

 

More details will be made available to Service personnel and their families over the next four weeks through the SFA Gov.UK website, on social media and via  the Families Federations and HIVEs. In addition, comprehensive guides will be available for families on the Pinnacle website, which has gone live today. However it is important to note that until 1 April 2022 families must still visit the Amey Defence Services website and continue to use these services to log any repairs and requests and access information regarding their homes.

In January, DIO’s Head of Accommodation, Air Commodore James Savage joined the Army Families Federation to answer questions from families about the new Accommodation contracts and you can watch a recording of the Facebook Live from the section above (Jan 22 update). Responses to all the questions raised at the event can be viewed here.

 

Families First Approach

In developing the new contracts, DIO collaborated closely with the Housing Colonels from the RN, Army, RAF and UK STRATCOM and the Families Federations to ensure that families’ needs were fully considered. The new contracts have been developed with Service families firmly in mind and will be very different from the current one. They offer the opportunity to break decisively from the past and to build on the commitments made by all suppliers to innovate and deliver more responsive and flexible services to Service families. Importantly, contracted performance standards have been informed by industry best practice and include targets for customer satisfaction, with financial incentives for contractors to exceed the minimum contracted standards.

 

Another key focus of the new contracts is to change the culture. A ‘Family First’ approach has been agreed with our industry partners, which places the needs of our families at the heart of what we do. This approach will be backed by enhanced customer service training that brings to life what it means to be a Service family.

 

The introduction of FDIS is intended to represent a step change in the way services will be delivered to families in SFA. There has been excellent collaboration between DIO, Pinnacle, Amey and VIVO during the transition phase – supported by the Families Federations – to ensure the new contracts are successfully delivered.

Feb 22 - Change of in-service date

Update: 10th February, 2022

 

A message from DIO’s Head of Accommodation, Air Commodore James Savage:

Further to my last message to families dated 13 January 2022, regarding the introduction of the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts that will replace the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract, I am pleased to confirm that the new contracts will come into service on 1 April 2022.
This change to the in-service date of FDIS has allowed time to ensure all the key systems are fully tested and operational prior to going live.
We have collaborated closely with key stakeholders, including the Families Federations, to ensure that Service families’ needs are fully considered and an improved ‘lived experience’ is provided. The new contracts will require suppliers to work differently, such as fixing faults on an initial visit to a property and undertaking simple preventative maintenance while attending properties to reduce disruption to families.
More details will be made available about the new contracts as we approach the in-service date, and comprehensive guides will be available for families on the Pinnacle website.
Further updates will be provided via social media. Information on the new contracts and the benefits they will deliver for families is also available on the SFA Gov.UK website.
Jan 22 - Change of in-service date

Update: 14th January, 2022

 

A message from DIO’s Head of Accommodation, Air Commodore James Savage:

 

We are currently preparing for the introduction of the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) Accommodation contracts that will replace the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract and will fulfil the Defence requirement for the delivery of effective and responsive accommodation services for Service personnel and their families. More information about FDIS and the new suppliers can be found here.

 

The new contracts are due to come into service on 1 March 2022 and DIO and its partners have been working towards this date. However, a risk has emerged that some of the key IT systems on which FDIS would depend might not be ready to deploy on 1 March 2022.

 

Although this risk is not high, DIO and our suppliers are committed to putting the interests of Service families first and it is crucial that we get this right, because improving the lived experience for families is at the heart of the new contracts. Therefore, we are seeking formal approval to change the in-service date by a month to 1 April 2022, in order to ensure the new systems are fully ready.

 

Although the approval process will take a little time, we have agreed with Amey and MOD Head Office that we should extend the current National Housing Prime Contract to 31 March 2022 to ensure that we can continue to deliver services in the meantime. An early decision was necessary to ensure Amey could give its supply chain adequate notice. The proposed change to the in-service date of FDIS should then allow time to ensure all of the key systems are fully tested and proved prior to going live. We will provide a further update once the approvals process has completed.

 

Accommodation is such an important part of family life for Service personnel, which is why we collaborated closely with representatives of our people and their families to develop these contracts and ensure that their needs are fully considered. These new contracts offer the opportunity to break decisively from the past and to build on the commitments made by all suppliers to innovate and deliver more responsive and flexible services to the Armed Forces and their families.

 

The new contracts will require suppliers to work differently, such as fixing faults on an initial visit to a property and undertaking simple preventative maintenance while attending properties to reduce disruption to families.

 

I look forward to continuing working with Pinnacle, Vivo and Amey to transition smoothly from the NHP to the new FDIS contracts, and to ensure delivery performance is maintained. More details will become available as we approach the in-service date, with comprehensive guides to the new contracts to be issued to all families in SFA in good time before the contracts go live in April. Please do keep checking Gov.uk as all the latest SFA FDIS guidance is there, and we will be updating those pages as appropriate.

Jan 22 - Facebook live with Head of DIO

Update: 12th January, 2022

 

James Savage, the Head of Accommodation at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Army Families Federation (AFF) jointly hosted a live session on Facebook on behalf of the Naval and RAF Families Federations.

 

The session provided information to the new FDIS contracts as well as answered some questions that you may have.

 

You can watch the recording here.  

Resources
Screenshot of the FDIS article from Homeport magazine (Spring 22)
Click the image to read the article (Homeport Spring 22, p.32-33)
Posted on: 24th June 2021
Updated on: 28th April 2022
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Announcements, NFF News

Jane Williams has been championing the cause of Naval families for more than a decade – and now she has won official recognition for her efforts.

 

Jane, the Naval Families Federation (NFF) Director of Operations and Families Engagement, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, a fitting finale as she leaves the NFF to accompany her husband, a Royal Navy officer, on an overseas assignment.

Jane and her husband taking a selfie when HMS QE first entered Portsmouth in 2017.

 

During her 12 years at the Federation Jane has played her part in establishing the charity as a vital component in the research and policymaking process, improving the lives of Naval families in terms of accommodation, health, education, finance and employment, amongst other things.

 

And while NFF research and resources provide support and improvements across the board, Jane, who lives in Stubbington, near Fareham in Hampshire, has also rolled up her sleeves and helped individual cases when they get bogged down by bureaucracy or a unique situation needs to be resolved.

 

Whether strategic or tactical, at the heart of the NFF approach is the fact that its staff talk to families and listen to what they say, passing that on to those who need to hear it – and it’s something Jane has always enjoyed, and at which she excelled.

 

“Getting out and talking to Royal Navy and Royal Marines families? What a privilege!” she said. “They are just awesome!”

 

Jane said she has always been amazed at the range and breadth of subjects raised by families, and the fact that they might not have an issue with something, but they will often have a thoughtful and intelligent opinion from their own experiences which will help policymakers.

 

“People making policies and decisions have an appetite to understand what it means to our families – their ears are pinned back and they are listening,” said Jane.

 

“They have to prioritise operational output but they are very keen to take families into account.

 

“Over the time I have been with the NFF I have seen a significant change in the right direction, for the good, and I think that’s because of what the NFF can bring to the table.

 

“It is well researched and carefully thought through – we have never sold anybody a pup!”

 

Jane with NFF’s new resources trailer.
Jane and the NFF team in Scotland at one of our events (2019)
Homeport front cover – Jane with then PM Theresa May (2017)

 

NFF Chief Executive Anna Wright said: “Jane is a powerhouse of energy who has devoted 12 years on the staff of the NFF, striving to improve the lot for families of serving Royal Navy personnel.

 

“She is absolutely at her best when dealing with families directly.

 

“She has the ability to take the most intractable problems, roll up her sleeves and get to work for the family.”

 

Anna added that by using “her contacts, knowledge of regulations, guile and charm” she gets the best result possible – “not always what the family were seeking, but always a solution that can be managed.”

 

Anna concluded: “Jane puts others first and has helped to drive the agenda for families a long way forward in her time.

 

“Her superpower is being a people-focused dynamo, putting a human face on the intractable problems of SFA and immigration; by helping those responsible for the regulations to do their best.”

 

Posted on: 12th June, 2021
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NFF News

Behind every great sporting star is a coach who inspired them or honed their natural talent into jaw-dropping magic. 

 

And every coach has to start somewhere – could this be the start of your path to the top? 

 

As part of Strengthening Families – By Your Side, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) is partnering with Kings Active Foundation to run a sports leadership programme called Rookie Academy, helping young people get more out of their school holidays.  

 

From the age of 15 you can opt to join this programme, where you will learn how to coach and be a young leader through practical, hands-on activities. It has three levels, with each level taking around two weeks to complete; you can only take one level per season. 

 

As part of the Rookie Academy, you will receive a T-shirt, a wristband, a workbook, certificates of achievement and online resources to support and reiterate the learning principles.  

What does a Rookie do on camp?

What does a Rookie do on camp?

Using your workbook as a guide, Rookies are supported by ‘Red Tops’ (Kings Camps staff) to complete tasks and learn about the role. When ready, you can get involved in supporting and leading your own sessions. All of this practical experience will be recorded in your log book. 

 

When you have completed your training, Rookies are celebrated on their camp with a graduation, which is a fantastic way to inspire the younger children. This qualification can be added to your CV and included in any college or university applications, as Level 3 is accredited by 1stForSport. 

 

Lots of Rookies return in subsequent seasons as Red Tops. Whether you return to work with Kings Camps or not, it’s an opportunity to kick start your coaching career and develop your leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. 

 

As part of your learning, you will also complete some modules via Kings Camps’ Online Learning Platform. 

 

To complete the final assessment for each level, you must log a minimum number of hours as a group leader; for Level One, for example, this is five hours. 

 

The aim of Rookie Academy is to guide your understanding of what it takes to be a great coach, along with sports specific health and safety practice from a coach’s perspective and help you learn how to help others develop in sport activities through a variety of challenges and tasks.

Level 1

When completing level 1, you will learn:

  • What qualities make a great coach
  • How to identify risks and hazards
  • How to reduce risks and hazards
  • How to create an appropriate warm up and cooldown
  • How to deliver a warm up and cool down to children 
  • Observation of coaching techniques
  • How to assist the Red Tops
Level 2

When completing level 2, you will learn:

  • What activities are best suited to certain sports and why
  • How to progress through an activity and why we use progression as a coaching tool
  • How to plan and deliver more detailed activities
  • Different ways to manage health and safety on camp
  • An understanding of what competition is and why we use it
Level 3

When completing level 3, you will learn:

  • How to plan an effective sport session
  • How to assess and analyse performance
  • The importance of competition
  • Session planning to meet the needs of your participants
  • Reflecting on your own performance as a junior coach
  • How to set targets
  • What transferable skills in sport are
  • How to adapt activities
Summer activity camps

The RNRMC have also announced the return of Activity Camps this summer. The RNRMC are once again working in partnership with The Kings Active Foundation and the Royal Navy to provide leading sports and activity camps to Naval families with children between 5 – 17 years old at a heavily subsidised cost. Find out more about the camps here.

 

Register your interest

 

Posted on: 21st April, 2021
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NFF News

Get your children active, having fun and learning together!

 

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) have announced the return of Activity Camps this summer.  The RNRMC are once again working in partnership with The Kings Active Foundation and the Royal Navy to provide leading sports and activity camps to Naval families with children between 5 – 17 years old at a heavily subsidised cost.

 

Camps provide fantastic opportunities for children and young people to get active, have fun and make new friends. They will be coming to a host of Royal Navy Establishments this summer, operating full week Activity Camps on selected dates. RNRMC are again subsidising places so that Camps on Royal Navy bases will cost just £75 per child, per week and are exclusively for Naval families. Access to the RN bases makes a big difference to the cost, so thank you to the Royal Navy for opening up facilities. Royal Navy establishment locations and dates are still being finalised and not confirmed. Information about the provisional locations and dates are available on the survey (link below) to support planning.

 

An ever-popular offer, very high demand is expected for Royal Navy Establishment based camps this summer. To plan and prepare for this demand; an Expression of Interest form has been created to allow all Naval families to register their interest in their preferred location and dates. This will enable demand to be met as much as possible.

 

Other locations

Kings Camps also operate civilian camps nationwide in England, Scotland and Wales, so if you don’t live near to a Royal Navy Establishment you may be able to access a civilian Kings Camps. All serving RN families can benefit from the same subsidised cost as a camp hosted at a Royal Navy Establishment of £75 per child, per week. You can view a full list of locations here. To book places at any Kings Camps around the UK, which are open to the general public, please call the Kings Camps membership team on 0114 263 2160 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm) to discuss dates and locations and ensure you receive the subsidised rate.

 

Rookie Academy

From the age of 15 children can also attend an RN Activity Camp and participate in the Rookie Academy which is a Level 3 is accredited by 1stForSport leadership programme that helps young people to get more out of their school holidays. This qualification can be added to their CV and included in any future application where part of the assessment is on practical leadership skills. Rookies are celebrated on their camp with a graduation which is a fantastic way to inspire the younger children. Find out more about the Rookie Programme here.

 

Parent feedback from last year

“Amazing, safe venue for kids! Great staff who engaged kids from the outset. This is the only camp my kids actually enjoy! They are kept on the go from drop off to pick up and love every minute of it. It’s well organised, the activities are structured, and the atmosphere is always fun. The chants on the way home in the car are probably the only downside but after a while, even I joined in!!”

“My daughter absolutely loved it. I picked her up every night and she is so excited to tell me all about the new sports she has played, what she has done and the new friends she had made. I was a bit worried that with the ongoing Covid19 situation it wouldn’t be as good as previous years, but as mentioned, it was fantastic.”

 

Register your interest
  • Register Your Interest for Kings Camps – Summer 2021 here. Please complete the Expression of Interest Form by 30th April 2021.
  • Kings Camps will be in touch with you from 14th May to confirm if you have been successful in securing a place on a Royal Navy Establishment camp. 
  • Please note, completing this online form does not guarantee you a place on camp.

 

UPDATE (02.06.2021)
  • Today Kings Active Foundation will send an email to every family who expressed an interest;
  • Families who have not yet completed their booking will have until 5pm on Monday 7th June to confirm and pay for their booking with Kings.  Thereafter their places will no longer be held for them;
  • From 9am on the Wednesday 9th June, on a first come first served basis and subject to availability families can call to request weeks and/or book second weeks.

 

Posted on: 16th April, 2021
Updated on: 2nd June, 2021
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Announcements, NFF News, Communications, RN/RM Announcements

Households across England and Wales are being asked to take part in Census 2021. The census in Scotland will take place next year due to the impact of the pandemic. 

 

This year, the census will include a new question which will ask people if they have served in the Armed Forces. This data will help to support commitments made by central and local government under the Armed Forces Covenant. Anyone who has served in the Armed Forces for at least one day is classed as a veteran. Click here to watch an explainer video. The NFF welcomes this change as this will help to collate valuable information which will ensure that the Armed Forces community gets the right support in the future. 

 

Service personnel are encouraged to access the guidance issued in DIN: 2021DIN01-032 which provides key information, including instructions regarding employer address information, for those who work at particular MOD locations. For general queries or help, contact information is set out in paragraph 54 of the DIN. 

 

Useful information

We recognise that the family dynamics of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines community may be different than those of civilian households. 

  1. There is specific advice available for Armed Forces families, which can be found here.
  2. The team at Royal Navy Family & People Support (RN FPS) have shared guidance for MOD families when completing the census, which can be accessed here.
  3. The NFF put some additional questions to the Census team for a FAQ to clarify some areas that have caused confusion :
SFA - Who should fill this in?

Q: When Service families live in SFA, the serving person is named as the licence holder in accordance with MOD Policy, and they are also the named person responsible for the household bills – they would therefore be deemed to be the ‘householder’. If the SP is away from home on 21st March, due to an operational deployment or because they are working in a different part of the country, can their spouse/partner complete the Census on their behalf, in their absence?  

 

A: Yes, they can complete it, the Census arrives addressed to the household address not a specific individual. If a person is on active deployment, they will be able to note this as there is a section that says that they normally reside there but on the 21st March they are elsewhere. Click here to read the guidance on completing the census for someone else. 

Own homes - Who should fill this in?

Q: The same question applies for those Service families living in their own homes, if the serving person is considered to be the ‘householder’ but will be absent from the home on 21 March due to the needs of the Service. Can the spouse/partner complete the form? 

 

A: Yes, again, as above. The Census can be completed from receipt up until the end of April, but must record the household on the 21st March. Click here to read the guidance on completing the census for someone else. 

SLA - What if I live on base?

Q: What are the arrangements for those living in SLA? 

 

A: Advice for those living on base can be found here. If you live on a US military base, your CO will give you advice. 

SFA - Landlord

Q: We live in SFA. Who is my landlord? 

 

A: The RN FPS team have put together guidance on answering this question. Please click here to access the PDF.

Serving person away from home

Q: My SP is currently working away from home, should I include them? 

 

A: Remember to include anyone who usually lives here but is temporarily away from home. This applies to your SP, if this is their permanent or home address. You can read the full guidance on people currently away here. The advice for Armed Forces families can be found here. 

Serving person - Job title/employer

Q: Question 41-44 asks about my job. How should I answer those questions?

 

A: You are strongly encouraged to read this guidance produced by the Royal Navy – please click here to access the PDF.

Non-UK serving personnel

Q: Is there any guidance for non-UK military personnel? 

 

A: You can visit this page for more information. 

For further information or to get help, please visit census.gov.uk 

Posted on: 10th March, 2021
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Announcements, NFF News, RN/RM Announcements

In December 2020 the Defence Committee launched an inquiry on Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life.

 

The aim of the inquiry is to look at the experience of female Service personnel from recruitment to transition and consider whether there are unique challenges that are not adequately addressed by the current policies and services. Other areas of interest that the Committee are keen to cover within the scope of the inquiry include issues around pensions, terms and conditions of employment, housing, and general wellbeing.

 

As part of the inquiry, female Service personnel were invited to complete an online survey. Based on feedback and issues raised by Service personnel and their loved ones, the Naval Families Federation submitted our observations on behalf of our community. Key themes include:

  • Harmony and separation;
  • Culture and expectations;
  • Childcare;

 

You can find our paper and other written evidence here.

 

NFF CEO Anna Wright attended an oral evidence session on 4th March. Watch the recording here (11:09:19 onwards).

 

EDIT (DECEMBER 2021): The MOD have now published their response to the government’s report on this enquiry.  

 

Posted on: 3rd March, 2021
Updated on: 6th December, 2021
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Announcements, NFF News, RN/RM Announcements, UK Visas & Citizenship, Updates and FAQs - UK Visas & Citizenship

We are delighted with the outcome of the immigration fee public consultation announced today.  The aim of the consultation was to invite interested parties to answer several questions concerning the policy on waiving fees for Non-UK Service Personnel who meet certain criteria when applying for settlement in the UK at the end of their service in the UK Armed Forces.

 

The has now been closed and the Government has issued their response.

 

Due to the significant and noticeable interest of the consultation – receiving over 6000 responses, the Government has decided to implement a fee waiver for the following personnel, providing they meet all other suitable requirements:

  • Non-UK Service Personnel who have served for at least six years at their point of discharge from service.
  • Non-UK Service Personnel who have been discharged due to an injury or illness attributable to service irrespective of how long they have served.
  • Non-UK veterans who are currently living in the UK and have not yet regularised their immigration status but meet either of the above criteria.

 

The waiver is dependent on legislation expected to take effect this spring.

 

Pete Hawley, the NFF immigration advisor, who contributed to the consultation said “It is fantastic to hear the news that the public consultation into the waiving of settlement fees for our non-UK personnel has concluded in favour of waiving the fees for those that have served six years, been medically discharged or veterans who have not yet regularised their stay. Many thanks to all the RN, RM personnel, and families that took part in the consultation process. This is a great example of how you can make your voice count. I now look forward to seeing this implemented later this spring and assisting our personnel with the application process.”

 

To read more about the consultation, please click  here.

 

 

Posted on: 23rd March 2021
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Finance, Overseas, NFF News

From 1 July 2021, the way in which the Armed Forces’ Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) is calculated will be changing. LOA is intended to contribute towards the additional local cost of day-to-day living when Service personnel are assigned overseas.

 

The changes

Eligibility for LOA remains the same. It will still be paid automatically alongside the monthly salary.

 

The new model will mean that all Service Personnel claimants of LOA, and their families, will receive a fair and sustainable contribution towards necessary additional living costs when serving overseas. Service personnel around the world will find that the amount of LOA they receive may either increase, decrease or remain broadly the same. The changes are not a saving measure but designed to be cost neutral.

 

The new package is made up of the LOA daily rate and two needs-based provisions that contribute towards your overseas private vehicle and respite (travel and accommodation) costs.

 

One of the most significant changes will be the introduction of a single band for all Service personnel regardless of rank, removing the previous rank-based banding system.

 

Split Net Pay (update)

When the new LOA package was first announced on 1 February 2021, the policy included the cessation of Split Net Pay as a routine mechanism to transfer a portion of Service personnel pay and allowances into an overseas bank account. Noting various factors such as the impact of Brexit on bank charges and transfers as well as the current international economic climate, the policy regarding Split Net Pay has been reversed. The new LOA package will have no impact on access to the Split Net Pay facility which will continue to be made available to service personnel in receipt of LOA.

 

Overseas Private Vehicle Provision (OPVP)

From 1 April 2021 Service personnel who are permanently assigned overseas and receive Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) will have access to a new Overseas Private Vehicle Provision (OPVP).

 

OPVP assists Service personnel with access to a private motor vehicle in a LOA area. The provision will be an additional but separate contribution to the new LOA; due to be implemented from 1 July 2021.

 

The OPVP will be paid up to a (capped) lump sum on proof of expenditure of a vehicle. This will replace the old Car buy/Sell contribution that was paid in most Main Station locations where contributions were spread across the course of an assignment. The change has been introduced to better support Service personnel with significant one-off costs when they need it most.

 

The rate of OPVP is capped at £975. Depending on the circumstances of the Service person, OPVP can be claimed on assignment into and, with effect from 1 July 2021, out of the overseas location. This means that in some cases Service personnel will be able to claim up to a total of circa £1950 (e.g. £975 into the overseas location and £975 out of the overseas location). Service personnel returning from an overseas assignment cannot claim OPVP until 1 July 2021.

 

Please click here to read a directed letter from the MOD which gives more detail into the provision and transitionary arrangements.

 

Transition to the new package

All Service personnel receiving LOA on 30 June 2021 will automatically transfer on to the new package on 1 July 2021. However, any locations that see a significant reduction in the daily rate of LOA, will have their rates reduced over a period of up to three years (1 July 2021 to 1 July 2024). All increases in rates will immediately take full effect on 1 July 2021.

 

Further information

The revised LOA rates were published under a Directed Letter to single Service Pay Colonels on 11 June 2021. The changes will be fully implemented over a three-year transition period. Please click here to read a guidance from the government’s website or visit your local unit admin office for more information.

 

You can watch a short explanatory video below:

 

 

Enquiries
  • The Armed Forces Remuneration team have been working hard to get the word out about the forthcoming LOA policy change, and have been delivering roadshows to serving people at overseas locations. They are listening to your feedback and where possible have made amendments. They have also put together some FAQs to help you, which will be further developed as more roadshows take place. We will keep you updated. 

 

  • As a result of the changes to the LOA, we received some feedback on a few areas, including Split Pay and Private Vehicle Provision, which we put to the MOD Team.  They have provided the below information in response: 
MOD's response

The LOA review of 2015 was an extremely thorough process in which the single Services were consulted at every step. The implementation programme has similarly involved the single Services and the proposals have been agreed by the Defence Secretary, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, Chief of Defence People and the Military People Leadership Team.

The feedback that we are receiving is helping us to address the LOA issues that Service personnel are most concerned about. In listening to such feedback, we recently re-examined the proposed removal of Split Net Pay and I can inform you that it will now remain available on its current basis. I can also clarify another of the points concerning Overseas Private Vehicle Provision (OPVP). In the new LOA, the vehicle element will no longer be paid as part of the core LOA contribution. In the new model, the OPVP becomes better targeted and will be claimed at the point of vehicle related expenditure which is when the individual will realise the most practical benefit from it. Further detail on the OPVP will be released in March and April ahead of the new LOA being implemented in July. (See this Directed Letter for update)

The supporting communications plan for LOA is phased and has been signed off by the Secretary of State. The first phase was focused on raising awareness for the change so that Service personnel and their families had time to ask questions and understand what the change means for them. We also ensured that Senior Chains of Command received the information, ahead of a programme of virtual roadshows that the Armed Forces Remuneration team are currently presenting through February and March to talk through the new LOA in more detail and take on board feedback. Two presentations are planned in the USA, on 4th March and 9th March. This will be accompanied by further material being made available ahead of the implementation on 01 July 21. A major step was the recent release, by the single Services, of our more detailed briefing packs for the benefit of local Commanders and Unit Administration staff around the world. We are also arranging a similar presentation for senior UK based Commands in order to raise awareness among those who are likely to serve abroad in the future.

We are very well aware that the key issue for many is ‘how much will my new LOA rate be?’ We are being very open with Commands and with Service personnel that we cannot answer that until late May/early June. This is because the data upon which the initial set of rates will be calculated will not be available to us until April ‘21. By adhering to this timetable, we will be able to ensure that the new LOA rates will be based on the most up to date economic information available. I can also confirm that the 2015 LOA Review had no remit to achieve cost savings and that the ‘new LOA’ will be broadly cost neutral in comparison with the existing model.

Posted on: 12th February, 2021
Updated on: 22nd June, 2021
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Announcements, NFF News, RN/RM Announcements

On 8th February 2021, the Armed Forces Bill 2019-21 received Second Reading and was committed to the Armed Forces Bill Select Committee for consideration.

 

The Armed Forces Bill will enshrine the Armed Forces Covenant in law and help prevent past and currently serving personnel and their families being disadvantaged when accessing services like education and improve the Service Justice System for our personnel wherever they are operating.

 

Focusing on healthcare, housing and education, it will increase awareness among public bodies of the unique nature of military service, improving the level of service for members of the Armed Forces community, no matter where in the UK they live.

 

Quick overview

Since the launch of the Armed Forces Covenant in 2011, many businesses have committed to offering part-time or flexible working patterns to Reservists and military spouses/partners. Enshrining the Covenant in law also builds on a number of initiatives implemented over the past year to support Service leavers and veterans. These include the Defence Transition Services organisation, which was established to assist those facing the greatest difficulties successfully transition to civilian life after leaving Service.

 

The NFF are proud to be part of Forces Families Jobs, a collaborative project between the three Families Federations in conjunction with the MOD Relationship Management Team to support current serving military families and Service Leavers with employment and training opportunities.

 

The Bill will also make the complaints system more efficient by bringing the time given to personnel to lodge an appeal in line with timings offered in the private sector.

 

The Bill will also renew the Armed Forces Act 2006, following the Armed Forces Acts of 2011 and 2016.

 

Select Committee and their work

On 3rd March 2021, the House of Commons launched the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill, chaired by James Sunderland MP. 

  • NFF CEO Anna Wright attended an oral evidence session at 2.30pm on 4th March 2021. You can watch the session on Parliament TV here.
  • The Committee published a special report in April 2021. You can read the report here.
  • Based on feedback and issues raised by Service personnel and their loved ones, the Naval Families Federation submitted our observations on behalf of our community. You can find other written evidence here.

 

Further details
  • Please click here to read the news story.
  • Click here to find out more about the Bill and its other measures.
  • July 2021 – The NFF has joined 11 other military charities in signing an open letter which has appeared in several newspapers calling for the Covenant into Law part of the Armed Forces Act to be strengthened and to go further. Read the news story here.

 

Posted on: 11th February, 2021
Posted on: 14th July, 2021
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