I suppose we’ll end up with oddities where you’ll have a relationship where one party could be a 19 year old cadet and the other a 19 year old CFAV… But relationship started when both cadets? So on theory, it’s fine?
Same as a 20 yr old CI and 19 yr old CWO 
Fewer younger people now drive, especially in urban areas. Fewer still have cars.
So I can see this having a negative impact. More so than at age 20, when they are more likely to have had time to get a licence, and insurance will be a (tiny bit) cheaper.
Even in towns, some of our Squadrons are not the easiest places to reach by public transport.
It should be encouraged but making it the default and the expectation is just so backwards. It’s the same mindset as before of “We will tell you where you can volunteer”. I did spend time at another unit as well as my own as an over 18 cadet and it was great, but if I was forced to I would have just said no.
When will people realise that we choose to give our time, we’re not pawns to be pushed around where someone feels like it on a whim?
Overall I’m left feeling confused and with more questions than answers, but I haven’t seen the townhall yet just read the release notes. Seems we’ve gone from an imperfect but workable system to a completely confused mess of a solution to a problem that whilst existing wasn’t that big a deal.
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The direct opposite of the town hall purpose (on the basis it is in part to counter FOIs by being more transparent)
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I felt that it was delivered as such (akin to a deer in headlights moment) and without an a pre-released slide-deck (or similar)on purpose so as to shock and stun participants so they wouldnt have time/capacity to come up with thought provoking, hard to answer questions.
obviously hopefully im wrong
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Thereby encouraging further FOI submissions.
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ACP 20 has now been updated. Looks mostly like a copy and paste of what was already shared by the media team. Because of this, its now self referencing, in a bad way.
The bit on sharepoint, which is now in ACP 20 says:
- SC will continue to take on limited additional and appropriate responsibilities commensurate with their rank if held (iaw ACP 20, PI 501, para 5).
Except in the latest version of ACP 20, that para 5 is now not about what they can and can’t do, it’s about DBS checks.
Is anyone actually proof reading these things before publication?
No requirement to hold MoI either despite that being stated on the Town Hall and follow up.
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Pers Inst 503 has not been updated to reflect CWO mini age of 17.
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and what on earth does “on reaching the age of either 20” mean?
PI501 - 25. Circumstances in which individuals cease to be cadet members of the ATC. An individual will cease to be a cadet member of the ATC in any of the following circumstances:
a. At their own request.
b. On reaching the age of either 20.,
I’m also really confused now regarding the age you can become staff. Loads of it still says you need to be 20 to join as CFAV. So as an outsider, do you still need to wait until 20? If you’re 18/19 can you become a CFAV only if you are already a cadet?
I bet it’s where something was copy paste from old policy then not checked. I think it used to say ‘on reaching the age of either 20 in the ATC or 18 in the CCF’.
Except cadets never had to leave the CCF on reaching the age of 18. They stay until they leave school.
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Which is why they could become staff before age 20 already 
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The more I read this the stupider it gets.
So if you’re 18 and want to become a CI, NCO or Officer you have to move squadrons until you’re 20. If you want to return at some point, you still have to move and the potential new squadron has to do all the paperwork for you “to insure independent assessment”.
You can only stay at your current squadron if the cadet, the OC and the Wing OC agree and only then with an “air gap” of somewhere between 6 months and 2 years.
WTF is an air gap?
Why such arbitrary timescales?
Why would you willingly turn away staff for a minimum of 6 months
This policy was beset with problems before it was released and now it’s out it’s clear no one with any experience of volunteering has been involved in it.
How many 18 year olds are going to come back after a year once they discover life without the crap we get?
Why would you incentivise them to stay as an adult but treat them as a child?
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And the age limits for joining haven’t changed, only if you’re a cadet. So you can’t walk in off the street at 18 unless you’re an ex cadet.
Technically, reading it as written, you could be a cadet at 12, leave for 6 years then apply to be an officer at your former squadron.
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I think this policy has made things incredibly complicated for no reason at all. Imo there are multiple options here, and what we have is a silly amalgamation of all of them.
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Bin off being a cadet at all when you turn 18. Under 18 = cadet, Over 18 = CFAV. Simple.
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Go back to how it was a few years ago. Hit 18, stay as a cadet until 20, but other than your DBS, you are no different to an under 18 cadet. Now this works in collages, where everyone is a peer.
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As above, but allow the over 18s to do anything a CI can do, whilst also allowing them to still be a cadet and attend events as a cadet. Basically what we already had.
Also, given ACP 20 is one of our fundamental policies, it really is a complete mess.
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If they hadn’t put this in the policy would have been fine.
The question I have is
Why the concern for independent assessment.
Why are we forcing people to move if they don’t want to?
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Not just a move - a move or forcing them to leave for a minimum of 6 months.
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