Yes, we had a new starter recently. Once BPSS & DBS are back, the new volunteer submits their application on VP (they also have to fill in some personal details) and have their Board Report added. This then creates a workflow for the OC to approve and then it was the same day that they were good to go.
You can track an application through VP as well on the Applicants Tracker.
There is one thing that could be holding it up at HQ, though - if an applicant has previously been a Cadet or CFAV, their old record needs to be ‘restored’ - perhaps this request has been made and not completed yet??
Ive given up on it all. I cant be bothered anymore. Why should I volunteer to an organisation that makes me feel undervalued and frustrated with it all. I can predict that if things dont change and soon there will be understaffed squadrons and even closed down squadrons.
Dont give up. Its been happening for years. Once you have the DBS you can get into working with the cadets.
Maybe @Cab or the Air commandant could have a look at the DBS problem.
We really dont to be losing staff. As you say there are Squadrons and wings who are crying out for the right staff. They system is not working correctly. We have staff who been through Dbs and bpss and cant get on Bader. Its like beening in no mans land. You would think we would be wanting free staff!
But this is my point, I don’t think the organisation (or at least those running it) do want free staff. Lower headcount = smaller VA budget (irrespective of how much is claimed) if sqns close then the estates costs are cut. Fewer cadets mean higher percentages get flying and camp opportunities without increasing capacity. Call me cynical.
And I know this is going to sound bad to some but I genuinely think there are far too many ‘officers’ in all the cadet forces as well as the air cadets who love collecting more and more rings on their sleeves and who think they are iactually in the real RAF. Thsse people are totally detached from reality. The recruitment process needs a radical overhaul where adults are processed quicker, got into uniform sooner and those who are a waste of space got rid of.
We need more uniformed staff across the board. You are right we need an over haul. There are Squadrons with one uniformed staff member who is trying to keep it together. With 50 odd cadets, they cant seem to get uniformed staff and are struggling. They have CIs but they do some uniformed roles. There needs to be more training for staff, possibly nearer in their wing.
A gave up on the whole thing and I cancelled the application. I have never come accross such an organisation that is not only disjointed but that treats applicants so poorly. I was never kept informed and when I tried to chase up any information I was told off. This may be a contentious thing to say but from what I experienced personally the whole recruitment process is not fit for purpose. They need to provide a more proactive recruitment process especially for those who want to go into uniform. You just cant expect applicants to be left sitting for months with no contact…
As has been alluded to across this thread, this is very much a postcode lottery with there not even being a consistent experience within wings. Although this is exactly the kind of thing the ‘Join’ process was supposed to ameliorate (total guess at that spelling) we have too many points of failure across the process. Whether HQ misplace your application, your wing don’t run regular BPSS clinics (or equivalent) or in at least two cases I know of, OCs are unsure/unaware of how the process works and forget to send out links/emails (luddites) having just assumed HQ takes care of it all now “on that app thing”.
That sounds like common sense. So many people whom I have come accross go for the initial chat with the squadron and put their application in and they get left hanging for months at a time with no updates or any other contact so basically they say and they join the ACF or the CCF instead. From experience every cadet force is in dire need of new adult recruits, so there needs to be weekly or fortnightly updates, even if there is nothing new. The air cadets need to take a leaf out of the ACF’s recruitment policy and conduct potential adult instructors weekends even if their clearance hasnt come through yet. Their also needs to be a SNCO fastrack program so that those who want to be in uniform are not sat around frustrated for three or more months being a civillian when that’s not what they jooined for.
I don’t think I agree that there should be a fast-track option for going into uniform, unless you have significant, recent experience. There’s a lot to learn when you join the organisation and it’s only 6 months as a CI before you can apply for uniform anyway. In practice there is very little difference between being a CI or in uniform, so while I appreciate we want more uniformed staff, I would question an individual’s motivations if they can’t see value in being a CI and just wait until they can apply.
