Bullying and insurance

Adult Staff Execs
1

This is a post not only about bullying but about F492 forms not being correctly filled in

  1. I had a serious injury in February where my knee dislocated on aco activity. After most of year chasing due to no insurance I found that not only had F492 be filled in with non factual info but false info. It was put down as ligament damage not dislocated knee and fractured knee cap also no record of hospital despite officers collecting me from hospital or the fact I was airlifted either. We don’t see these forms but I suggest if you have an injury request to see 492 before it goes

  2. Bullying I have suffered due to a bully for 2 years it has always been but as oh it not bullying I have even had to move squadrons but go to riat and the Sgt is there and does it again yet this is still not Bullying.

I have now given my notice to leave the ACO but feel people should not go through this.

Needless to say the injury item is now being passed to lawyers which will highlight the aco publically it was also discovered that there was a failure to report a RIDDOR if this helps others to spot these in future then some good comes out of this.

2

I’m not actually sure what this post is for, other than a general whinge.

3

by definition non-facts are false…???

4

pEp if you see point 1 it is alerting people to make sure they check when a F492 is filled in on there behalf that its is a true reflective statement of the event as you do not need to sign it.

This is More as a point that the person filling it in on your behalf may not have filled one in before or may not be correctly documenting the event.

Also highlighting the fact of the importance of filing RIDDOR events which is a legal requirement.

Point 2 Highlighting that bullying is still a subject that is not dealt with correctly within the ACO

Not a whinge

5

Sounds like a whinge

6

Bullying can be defined as persistent offensive, intimidating, humiliating behaviour, which attempts to undermine an individual and the perception of bullying lies with the victim, not the aggressor. If something has gone so far as to leave a member of staff with no alternative but to resign, then to me, that needs investigating.

The F492 is another issue. The question is WHY was the form incorrectly completed? Was it due to lack of knowledge or training on the part of the person completing it or could it have been an attempt to reduce or negate a possible act of negligence which occurred during an activity?

On the face of it, I don’t perceive either of the OP’s comments to be ‘a whinge’ and if I was his OC Wg, I’d be wanting to conduct a full investigation.

7

Thank you gunner someone who sees the actual point of the comment.

8

As someone who has knowledge of the ACO to be unable to correctly follow the JSP complaints procedure I would suggest that you do as my mate did and insist that your Assisting Officer (AO) is a ‘regular’ RAF officer. VRT a staff are not up to speed on these matters and a ‘regular’ can be assigned the job of AO from a nearby station. In my mates experience the ‘regular’ officer assigned to him was fantastic and up to speed in all areas, a VRT would be lost! It is also apparent that the ACO does not like to, or is unable to process complaints efficiently… it looks like it prefers that complaints just ‘go away’ by dragging out the process in the hope the complainant gives up and leaves the organisation! BTW, this is not a ‘whinge’ either but first hand knowledge :frowning:

9

Thanks for advice, I have made my complaints formal with evidence, now at regiona com level who is regular raf my Oc wants me to sign leaving papers which I have no intention of doing until this sorted and I won’t be giving up if i give up then someone else will suffer. Also still have claims for fuel etc.

10

Umm regional commandants aren’t regular RAF…

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Group Captain BEd MA FCMI RAFR

Name removed.

12

Yes - RAFR is a reserve appointment not a regular one. That’s what the second R stands for :slight_smile:

1 Like
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Spacejammed, pEp is correct. The individual is a retired regular officer but one who has been appointed as Regional Commandant in the rank of Group Captain, Royal Air Force [I]Reserve[/I].

14

Ok, had formal acknowledgement of complaint now wait.

15

Agree with the point about getting a Regular as AO; WExo should be able to sort that. However ACP20 clearly prescribes the procedures, and gives certain assurances, well they would if the ACO could actually follow its own rules. Any complaint should go up the line, but note, that where a part of the chain is perceived to lack impartiality, it is permissible to jump to the next level.

So if you look at things in a negative way, it is possible for a complaint to fall at any level, and by a process of attrition the complainant loses interest and just resigns.

I saw my old OC subjected to the most appalling treatment and fabrications, and removed from post. His case was taken up by Service AO and he had his suspension lifted immediately, but he was placed at a unit outside of the Region. He then submitted a formal complaint about bullying and harassment, citing 5 officers. That was investigated by HQAC and no evidence ‘found’ to support his claim. (The AO had been posted by then)

It is all rather strange that he has spent the major part of 2015 suspended again, to help him get over the trauma of events…

From my own experience it is hard going trying to fight the ACO, especially where you have a VRT team which are suitably indoctrinated and who do not like anyone rocking the boat.

I got involved with the ACO because I wanted to help provide the Cadet Experience, That was sufficient reward but for an entirely volunteer organisation, it is an eye opener to see the cover ups going on. The The effect at my Squadron saw the training programme become moribund, staff numbers dropped from 12+ to ONE in 12 months and according to the Administration who have wrecked what we had, the Squadron is doing fine, even better than before our troubles started.

So read ACP20 and understand how it should work, ensure you haved experienced support, abdbe prepared for the long haul. I have not yet established if ACO Personnel can access the Service Complaints Ombudsmann, but logically I should say yes, because ACO procedures are adapted from RAF Regulations.

16

As effectively civilians could we separate from the RAF/MOD procedures and processes as these seem to create more problems than they solve and are excessively convoluted?
We have the anomaly of VR(T) (who are RAF or civilians depending on the wind direction), but introduce processes exclusively for CFAV as I imagine many instances of ‘bullying’ are directly linked to the actions of CFAV, as we have working practices for adults too closely aligned to the regular forces, which are told we are not.

Given the definition of bullying I think many older staff go that’s life, but as younger staff who have been used to the modern definitions of bullying and work their way through the system, instances of bullying actions will increase.

It is interesting when you do a BASIC bullying is covered wrt cadets but not staff.

17

UPDATE:

As a party is not impartial the region group Captain is appointing an investigating officer to investigate after I forwarded a formal complaint with evidence.

From this point I will limit what I put on the post but will update it, and thanks for everyone’s help and advice.

18

Just to clarify for anyone not up to speed… The complaints procedure (redress) as detailed in ACP 20B (as it was) is no longer correct if the complainant is an RAFVR(T) officer as JSP’s now take precedent!

My mate found this out the hard way and it took him 6 years to get an Air Command Oral Hearing where he was totally exonerated and one of the officers that bullied him was ‘supposed’ to have administrative action taken against him (the ACO has a zero tolerance policy… doesn’t it)?

Guess what… he is challenging the system now as NOTHING was done about the bully!!! Even though Air Command directed the ACO that it should be dealt with…

“All that it takes for evil to prosper, is that good men do nothing”