This sort of thing would be invaluable to inform us about the things cadets face day to day in their lives and affect them more than anything they might be exposed to in the Air Cadets.
I’ve seen a rise in knife crime and gangs reported in the local press and you can’t help but think it could be related to county lines.
I have to say my recent refresher was both: the RAFAC course but delivered by a professional.
It was probably a lot more interesting and engaging than if it had just been delivered by “some bloke/blokette” but I’m not convinced that the basic point wouldn’t still have gotten across even if it wasn’t.
Did it cover the things mentioned by @Batfink?
These are important and very relevant for us to be aware of today and in our local area, which will be different in different parts of a town let alone Wing or country, as these as I say affect the youngsters in the Air Cadets when they aren’t being cadets. We can’t if we are going to even attempt to get things right not have a real and proper awareness.
TBH I think the cadets could do a better job on informing us.
In terms of safeguarding I was told that one of the biggest factors in terms of radicalisation is right wing factions in pro and semi-pro football teams and gangs are a real problem when it comes to sexual abuse. Were these covered?
Blimey … isn’t this an uncomfortable description?
Not trying to have a pop … but seriously …!!!
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Better that than A.N Other off the Civ Comm who is about 1000 years old and only turns up once a year which sums up most Civ Comm members I’ve met in the past 20+ years, despite the rose tinted spectacles the 1 or 2 exceptions seem to have.
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You need to get out more …
Or you need to start looking at the way things really are…
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They do this for lots of other subjects, which is annoying. But in this area, it’s more than annoying, it’s possibly very dangerous!
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There was reference to the involvement of external agencies, and so far that only happens when the matter escapes the ACO clutches because the situation has been missed for so long and it is serious enough to the Police and CPS.
Recently one of the major bus companies has signed up with an external agency for the reporting of Health and Safety breaches - this no doubt protects the identity of the informant. The ACO may have systems in place, but these are controlled by the very individuals to whom the CFAVs actually report and that can lead to all sorts of issues. Maybe an investigation by another Wing/Region, but ultimately everything reports to the CAC. What is not guaranteed is anonymity except for the subject of the report and the victim(s).
I dont think any of this discussion is about Civcom involvement in dealing with abuse victims, it is about identifying, reporting and ensuring action is taken and above all avoiding repetitions.
But as Rumpole said none of the cases revealed up to now, have involved a Civic member - only those who seem to have benefited from the ACO training.
An independent mechanism is required, which it totally tamper proof.
You do have a chip on your shoulder, don’t you? Just because no member of Civil Com has been reported for abuse, doesn’t mean they are all saints.
I would imagine that if someone was to become a member of the RAFAC with the specific aim of attempting to groom a cadet/cadets, then surely they would choose the role which would give them the most access? So CFAV, rather than civil com.
In the same way that if I was dishonest, and wanted to target Sqn funds, I would have to join the committee and become a signatory to the accounts.
Of if I wanted to run an eBay business selling new uniform, I might become a SNCO, because that gives me the highest chance of having unrestricted access to stores.
Edited to add:
If you believe abuse has taken place, there is nothing to stop anyone from going to the police/local council safeguarding team for advice.
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Or the MoD safeguarding team, for which the RMP are the lead police force.
How much jurisdiction would they have given we aren’t really military and would they just pass over to the authorities.
On front page of my paper today is a story about kids apparently competing on how badly they can self-harm, of course all driven by the marvels 
of social media.
I personally feel these are things we should be concentrating on and not just getting excited about sexual abuse, which seems to be our focus. There are many, many things where safeguarding comes into play that the age group which includes the cadets are exposed to.
As a thought what happens if an adult member of a squadron is being “abused” in someway, do we have a responsibility to safeguard them.
MoD safeguarding covers cadets, it doesn’t state which ones.
"The MOD SCB primarily focuses on those groups of service children and young people (aged 0-18 years old) living in service communities overseas and for whom it has mandated responsibility.
The board also undertakes a ‘champion of the advocate role’ in respect of the following groups:
children and young people, aged 0 to 18 years old, who belong to the service community but reside within the UK where the local authority (LA) has the statutory responsibility children and young people, aged 0 to 18 years old, who engage in youth and cadet activities provided by the MOD within the UK and who are not members of the service community!
" MOD Safeguarding Children’s Board (SCB) membership
Membership is based on the policy guidance set out in the Working together to safeguard children 2015 (WTSC 15) Department for Education (DfE) document, and interpreted to reflect the MOD context.
Membership includes:
- Director of Directorate of Children and Young People
- Assistant Head Safeguarding Directorate of Children and Young People
- Surgeon Generals representative
- Paediatric/Safeguarding
- MOD Schools
- Royal Military Police (RMP)
- overseas commands (BFG, Fd Army, RC, JFC)
- Army Legal Service (ALS)
- Single Service Welfare representative
- Cadets representative (able to represent all Cadet Forces)
- Army Recruiting Initial Training Command (ARITC) representative
- British Forces Social Work Service
- Soldier Sailors Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) social work service
- Core Assets social work service "
Note the term “Cadets representative (able to represent all Cadet Forces)”
And the RMP involvement.
Has MoD SCB ever been mentioned or is the ACO wilfully blind.
And if you read the court martial data amazing how many sexual offences against minors are tried by CM.
IIRC “service children” refers to children with parents in the armed forces. It’s a specific policy defined group.
The bit the MSCB covers is for is…
“children and young people, aged 0 to 18 years old, who engage in youth and cadet activities provided by the MOD within the UK and who are not members of the service community”
So there is clearly a role for them in our context. It does look like an interesting group, with defined remit, none of which is investigative, and looks very much aligned with promotion of good practice.
I’d imagine they already set and inform our policies. It doesn’t look like they actually investigate though. That’s handled by LSCBs.
I think that our primary focus should be safeguarding cadets against abuse by members of our organisation - a sort of ‘first do no harm’ thing. Anything else we pick up on is a bonus.
I’m not sure we have any specific legal duty of care, but there is certainly a moral imperative and if you suspect a crime is occurring then you should take appropriate action.
The Royal Military Police are the police agency involved and they investigate rape sexual abuse, downloading of imagaes etc as shown by courts martials documents.
I count 86 cases from last year, who do you think investigated these cases.
Sorry - I wasnt clear there. I wasnt referring to the RMP (that is clearly their defined role), I was referring to the broader MSCB and the roles outlined as a Board - rather specific duties of its members.
If I’m in the UK and I suspect an issue, I’m phoning who my LSCB define (local plod, children’s services, childline) - just because they are a cadet (or even a service child (which we do have on sqn, but only through local knowledge - not because we actually record it anywhere or are told!)), I won’t be calling RMP first!!!
Infact, I’m pretty sure if RAFAC wanted RMPs involved as our first port of call, then they would be printed their numbers on our laminated white sheets of doom - rather than giving us space to write in our own LSCB defined numbers!
Maybe RAFAC don’t want MoD safeguarding involved. If a child has reported or is suspected of abeing abused etc outside the ambit of the RAFAC ie within the family etc, then it’s local authority, but within it looks to fall to the MoD, such as CFAV or cadet on cadet involvement.