As a uniformed staff member, I usually pay for the CIs, as I claim it back through VA.
Or, I charge staff slightly more to allow CIs to attend an annual camp for free. So things like messing (ration packs, camp t-shirts, etc)
I don’t want anyone to be out of pocket.
What a faff! Another example of under appreciation of civilian volunteers or the mess department making a unilateral change without understanding the consequences!
What is a 1771? Is that the mileage expense claim you can only do twice a year?
No, it’s the form for claiming mileage and expenses for events.
You’re thinking of the home to duty forms.
You can’t. ACP300 specifically says you can’t claim for any of the PAYD charges or food charges. ACP300 Instruction 302 Para 6.
On a completely and entirely separate note, does anyone know why RAFAC are struggling to retain & recruit CFAVs?
Not me!
For anyone with Sharepoint Access, SNI have done a better update than anything national:
Instructors-on-approved-activity–Civilian-Instructors-(CI)-&-Civilian-Gliding-Instructors-(CGI).aspx
It’s apparently because of an update to JSP 456, Defence Catering Manual, so not a decision HQAC have made themselves.
Paging @Ben_Wakefield - I’m sure this is on your radar.
It’s often cheaper for me to spend the day doing cadet activity and acquire a meal from the mess than it is to attempt to feed myself at home if I had no hobby.
No such thing as a free lunch.
Not really the point though…
When you’re away with work, you expect expenses to be covered. Same with volunteering. If I’m in an environment like a camp where I have no choice in what I’m eating, or it’s cost, I shouldn’t be paying for it. You could argue the case for day courses where one could bring a packed lunch that it shouldn’t be paid for. That’s fair enough. And often day course do ask that you bring a packed lunch.
At home, people have the choice of what, when and where they eat. You don’t get that on a camp when you’re looking after someone else’s children.
I have no problem with this when claiming VA. It’s part of the deal. For all the CIs that can’t do that, or any staff not claiming VA, this is a real kick and another degradation of the relationship between volunteers and the people that use volunteers.
When organising a camp I will ensure that anyone not claiming VA won’t pay for their food. This will be passed on to cadets, largely, unless we get some sponsorship for the activity, but it’s passing the costs on to the end user again. Same as tightening on claiming mileage and the like via the CACE form. The money still has to come from somewhere, it’s just not the HQ that will pay it but you can bet will claim the successes of the activity.
I didn’t have to pay for food at Windermere last year because I cannot claim VA as a student on a course in the SCC.
Well, I reckon you will now.
Fantastic.
Let me see. The organisation is desperate for people to go on summer camps to enable the little beasts to have a nice time. For this, now as a CI, they want me to take leave from work, and then pay for the privelige of eating the slop which some of the messes turn out? Uh, that’ll be a nope from me then.
This, coupled with the potential of the introduction of the Supervisory Care Directive, is going to push the incentive of going away and enjoying a week on camp away from the hard working CI cadre.
I haven’t seen much about this. What are your concerns?
Not seen anything on this myself; what does it do for/to us?
Potential increase in CFAVs required on activities, depending on size of activities.
Potential requirement for overnight duty team, not sleeping duty.
All a potential increase in CFAV requirement, adding this to CIs paying for food, could see less staff putting their names forward.
Wasn’t that long ago they were stripping ratios to minimum to cut down on VA.