I was under the impression that the lock downs don’t apply to any youth groups.
Only in England and only if the NYA guidance stays amber
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The guidance remains vague here and the government have been briefing that our new lockdown ‘will be a return to the situation we had in March’ so I am not optimistic.
Confirmed as such for all 3 levels which matches the gov details in relation to organised youth activity.
To be honest, if we become Very High I think I’d look at stopping
Same.
I wouldn’t even look. I’d stop straight away
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I think the stance for Wales is based on alignment with the other cadet forces (possibly just the ACF) who are suspending all activities in Welsh lockdown areas.
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We’re all going to be tier 3 soon!
Might as well knock it on the head now if that’s what you’re thinking.
Unless you rekon you can get your Sqns through another 4 to 6 months of VPN and teams only?!
I couldnt.
We have 3 close’ish Sqn’s near us who have dates starting next week that they are having cadets back. I messaged our OC who hasn’t bothered updating us on Thursday to ask what is holding us going in to get things sorted in prep for Cadets coming back but not heard anything back 
I couldn’t tell you the last time we had a VPN night, the interest from the Cadets just isn’t there 
Might be worth a welfare* call, particularly if you haven’t done any virtual nights for a bit?
I had about 6 weeks with no activities back in September, and I really needed a chat to get going again - I found it really hard to find the motivation myself.
* for clarity, I do mean an actual welfare call, not just a “kick into action” call. They might just need a kick (and it’s a good excuse for the call), but almost every staff member I’ve spoken to (from a few squadrons) has been through at least one mental rough patch in the last 6 months.
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Given the new guidance on tiers which looks like it could be a region, county, UA or smaller area restriction and exceptionally moveable, with the potential for a short lockdown regardless of guidance from elsewhere, if the CAC was on the ball he would be suspending any ATC activity until Easter. The next few months being the traditional flu season will have all levels of govt jittery and you can just see places going up and down the tiers. Sqns could go through all the rigmarole to open, only to find they can’t due to imposition of restrictions. I don’t think it’s helpful the NYA has it’s own guidance and is very poor on their part, which I only see as a means to cherry pick the one you want to use to best justify your actions. Stopping until Easter will also give cadets especially yr11 on to have no distractions so they can concentrate on their studies after the disruption this year.
Given he’s new to the job this will give him 6 months, to find his feet and get to grips with all the things that have gone wrong, put some good things in place for cadets to do and given HQAC spend as been negligible this FY and look at the minefield of bureaucracy that we have to go through, which agree or not has resulted in things not being done and staff leave. We don’t need camps or parades (the latter is something we should abandon, excl “Remembrance” type ones), but “doing/making” activities that are deliverable at sqn level, funded by HQAC.
This period should be a time where air cadets are reinvented and not just into an online learning organisation. We need a USP. Without our USP, over the last few years we have morphed into a failed hybrid of Scouts and Army Cadets. The Air Cadets was a relatively easy sell a few years ago, but now not so. Space and cyber both nice words, but you need something that just doesn’t look or sound like like an extension of school lessons. We also need wider opportunities and be fully inclusive, not just in a a way to appease the PC brigade. The one good thing about the old annual camps was anyone could go, get involved and just enjoy it. We now have annual camps restricted to 30-35 cadets with no more than 7/8 from a sqn and other camps which are number restricted and or require cadets (and in some instances staff as well) to go through hoops. For me as a cadet going on camps with 12-20 others from your sqn and meeting similar numbers from 4/5 other sqns was great, then as an adult doing the same with a dozen other staff members meant a chance to meet and work with different people. The last one I went on was a very dour experience with 5 staff all of us working our bits off for the whole week, which meant we got ratty with the cadets when they weren’t doing what was needed, and the words fun and enjoy were missing from the experience. I was glad to go back to work on the Monday for a rest.
There is currently no situation where restrictions will prevent cadet activity in England. I’m not up to date with Scotland/Wales as has no impact on me.
I’m suggesting at a personal level I’d want to reduce output at Very High, although I suspect it’s unlikely to get to that level in my area.
What you suggesting will kill squadrons with cadets not having F2F for in excess of 12 Months, but more importantly the staffing levels that were already borderline being further reduced.
If we are to survive we have to return sooner rather than later.
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Couldn’t agree with this more. You’ve got to start from the top. When we get back, getting the staff team motivated and affective will be key. Without doing that you may as well not bother recruiting and retaining cadets.
Me to. Looks like Wales will close for a while.
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Staff are the biggest issue for me
Have the cadets willing to return
Buildings and admin almost finished
But I am the only staff member current re ACTO99 and my staff are not exactly rushing to get compliant
Will have trouble to get the minimum 3 staff for 1 bubble
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1:5 ratio? I didn’t think that was necessary. We’re using minimum 1 x CFAV and 1 x Staff Cadet
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Ask your Wing TO and perm staff about your sqn hosting a “Staff Training Day” to get everyone up to speed as a group.
The latest guidance just specifies 15 cadets + CFAV. Note no minimum number of CFAV.
RAFAC Return to Sqn Parades How To Guide - Version 7.0
2.3 RAFAC face-to-face activities in England are limited to a maximum bubble size of 15 cadets and staff cadets, plus CFAV. This is a change from the original NYA guidance of 15 incl CFAV. This cap is subject to change and may be different for devolved governments for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and also overseas units.
Thanks, confirms what we’re doing. Basically the usual 1:10 ratio and minimum of 2 CFAV/staff cadets.
