So much for reducing the admin burden on Adult Staff!
After being a DofE assessor for 30 years, assessing at all levels and recently been reapproved for another 5 years, I have been told I have to attend an ESTC course to continue supporting the cadets in this area!
That is not my gripe!
The Air Cadets demand that all Air Cadet Staff have to complete a 2nd half day, not required or recognised by DofE so I can undertake a practical lesson in where to site your assessment and where to meet the young people on expedition! This means instead of losing 1 day to this training, I will lose a whole weekend!! As I work shifts, I asked if I could attend a DofE non ATC run ESTC as they take place on weekdays, allowing me to keep my rare weekends off to either assess and support cadets or halt Air Cadet related divorce proceedings by spending some time with Mrs Leatherworker. I was told I have to attend an Air Cadet course, if not I will not be able to use my nationally recognised Assessor qualification to allow cadets to gain the expedition section of an award that is more recognisable on CVâs than RAFAC Service.
Why?!?!?!?!?
Post it on the questions page of valuing our volunteersâŚ
ESTC - Expedition Supervisor Training Course
My Bold.
This is only required of you the supervisor of a group, due to the BEL / LLA not covering remote supervision, but walking with a group.
As an Assessor all that is required is the EAAS and a 5 yearly renewal proving experience, this is a single day with the support assessment running over a normal expedition.
The ESTC is exactly that, an Expedition Supervisor Training Course. You do not need to do this course to continue assessing expeditions as per your EAAS accreditation, its only required if you want to act as an expedition safety supervisor.
Appreciate that ESTC is teaching many experienced leaders how to suck eggs but most local education authorities now require it to be completed in addition to BEL/LLA so itâs not just a RAFAC issue.
MB
But I have been told I can do neither without the ESTC!
I understand with this requirement to ensure that standards are the same across the whole of the DofE network. I will reluctantly do the day course, but my issue is the unnecessarily added 1/2 day by HQAC!
I will!
Who ever is telling you that is Wrong/Mis-Informed if this is your Wing DofE Officer, query with the the Region DofE Officer.
we were told ESTC is not a corps requirement but a DofE scheme requirement.
it is being ran by them to ensure supervisors can look after those in their charge properly.
Yes but itâs the half day RAFAC unique bolt on that LeatherWorker has a problem with.
I think there are many who do both, given the ATCs desire to do it all in-house.
As a result some maybe thinking that everyone needs both. Not a bad thing as it gives flexibility, but not compulsory. I know people who are assessors and not supervisors.
My understanding was
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to be a supervisor you needed a âwalkingâ qualification and if that was a BELA then you had to do an extra bit to cover off remote supervision. When I did mine, I thought I already supervise remotely, ho hum.
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to be an assessor you donât need a qualification as all you do is observe, tick some boxes and write reports, say well done at the end. The fact that you need to do a ârequalâ is more to do with blatant profiteering and or give someone/justify a job, than anything else, like all requals. As long as youâve been doing things I canât see why you need to sit in a room and be told what you already know.
Under RAFAC policy all DofE Supervisors and Assessors must be suitably qualified and experienced. Lowland leader with exped module Bolt on would be a minimum
This is above the requirements of the DofE which is to complete ESTC for all supervisors regardless of qulifications and EAAS for Assessors. Both in top of the NGB qualifications at any level. Which means in some LO you can have unqualified Assessors and or Supervisors as long as they have completed the DofE course
As a LO RAFAC has to manage the award within their own insurance and policy and they must follow the most stringent, in this case RAFAC policy requires more that DofE.
As an LO we can slightly modify the course content of the DofE Modular framework but however their is a minimum set syllabus from Windsor which must be delivered, so that all DofE courses are the same no matter the provider. In regards to the ESTC the RAFAC course takes the opportunity to complete a practical aspect of remote supervison in a controlled environment which is the extra 1/2 a day to most courses.
In theory you should be able to complete ESTC with an AAP and use it with the RAFAC as the courses should cover the set minimum set by Windsor
Hi,
What is âWindsorâ? (Apart from a big castle where the Queen sometimes lives)
My bad, Windsor is also DofE HQ where the award is managed at the top level, it is located in the town of Windsor, it is therefore regularly referred to as âWindsorâ. Below this you have DofE Regional offices who mange local Assessor networks and Approved Activity providers (AAP) amoung other things.
Can you please Quote / Link to this policy.
Iâm an Assessor but have no AT qualification so this would directly affect my ability to assess on RAFAC expeditions.
Which would then impact on the DofE ⌠the only thing of worth we actually do.
I fulfill the more stringent requirements. I hold an ML ticket and have worldwide experience. I can understand these requirements.
My question is why do we have to have a extra day unnecessary training? If all supervisors and assessors have to hold outdoor quals, surely there is no need to be told where to go to supervise?
I have sat on a Welsh hillside watching a Gold group walk past, with them unaware of my presence, many times, so I can effectively supervise or assess. Why do I need to spend an extra half day in a middle England town being told how to do this?
Thatâs not correct, you do not have to hold an NGB qualification to be a DofE Assessor even within the ACO.
I went to that page on sharepoint, but couldnât find anywhere to post questions. Could you post me a link?
I would say that is incorrect. I have always been told that to asses in the âcountryâ of the expedition then you have to hold qualifications in that country. That is why I can only asses bronze and silver and not gold.
The question you have to as ask is why the RAFAC cannot authorise people with âcompetence through experienceâ but insists on NGB qualifications?
You can assess in any country for which you are accredited as an Assessor, there is no link between this and holding an NGB qualification. (within the DofE or our own organisation)
There is lip service within our documents to wanting people to hold qualifications to assess at Gold Level but even this isnât actually a requirement. (You can be signed off by experience).