My understanding is that the cadet expansion program has been ended & no new CCFs in state schools are being funded.
Existing ones that are beyond their five years & unsustainable are being closed.
The SSI grant (a bonus top up to the SSI wage) is also being discontinued.
So it’s the SSI grant - introduced during covid to support the SSI (but not meant to be used for base wage - more for overtime & extra activities)
Some schools have probable been using it inappropriately hence the panic now.
As far as I know that was CEP only - I don’t believe we were offered it. (Understandably.)
Was that the funding provided to help SSIs who were not able to claim activity based VA during the lockdowns?
I believe so yes. Most legacy CCFs will employ their SSI on other duties anyway, but quite a few CEP SSIs are shared between schools but need the VA to make it viable.
Resource constraints have impacted across all areas of Education and Defence including support to Cadet activity. Cadet funding is kept under review and must be balanced against other priorities.
MOD Funding of Cadets: The general level of MOD funding for cadet activity has remained largely unchanged over the past 5 years and comes from numerous sources within Defence, including single Services (Royal Navy, Army and RAF).
Cadet Force Adult Volunteer allowance: Adult Volunteer remuneration comes from single Service budgets and whilst only a portion of activity delivered by adult volunteers attracts remuneration through the volunteer allowance, this nevertheless represents a significant component of the running costs for the delivery of their cadet activity. Defence seeks to preserve the quality of the cadet experience but there are financial and other constraints that have impacted across all areas and this includes the delivery of the cadet experience, not just for school based cadet activity (Combined Cadet Forces) but for community cadets too (Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps, Sea Cadet Corps). We recognise that Adult Volunteers are the cornerstone of the MOD Cadet movement, and we are alive to the challenges that they face in delivering their vital role, so we are seeking to ensure that they are properly supported.
Supporting Cadets in schools - the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP): Recognising the benefits of cadet activity to Young People and Society and in schools, the joint MOD/DfE CEP was launched in 2012. The programme has increased the number of cadet units in UK schools to over 500. Through the CEP more than 250 new units have opened in state schools with priority given to less affluent areas. Prior to CEP, 75% of school cadet units were in independent schools; now around 60% are in the state sector. In September 2018, the then Secretary of State announced an ambition to grow the number of cadets in schools to from 46,000 to 60,000. We are currently at approximately 90% of aspiration. Since FY 21/22 the level of investment by the MOD into the CEP has grown year on year (currently £3.6 million per year) so that more young people can enjoy the benefits of the cadet experience in schools. This commitment remains unchanged.
School Staff Instructors (SSI): The School Staff Instructors are considered a vital component for the successful delivery of school-based cadets and the MOD remunerates School Staff Instructors through the mechanism of volunteer allowance and this level of support has remained unchanged. As part of the initial CEP Phase 3 plan, the Department for Education agreed to match the funding for this SSI volunteer allowance through the mechanism of SSI grant funding, in state schools in England until the end of August 2023 but agreed to extend this for a further year until August 2024. However, they were unable to extend the SSI grant funding beyond this point into this academic year. The MOD and DfE work closely to seek ways to improve the support to school-based cadets. This includes the provision of School Cadet Engagement Officers (SCEOs) and Contingent Support Officers (CSOs).
Very interesting indeed. Revised response requested by the Petitions Committee.
You recently signed the petition “Reverse Cadet Forces Funding Cuts by Min of Defence and the Dept of Education.”:
The Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee the petitions system) has considered the Government’s response to this petition. They felt the response did not respond directly to the request of the petition. They have therefore asked the Government to provide a revised response.
When the Committee receives a revised response from the Government, we will publish this and share it with you.
Thanks,
The Petitions Team
House of Commons