biggie this it means that it’ll be like a dry camp for staff as being in duty equals no alcohol
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All camps should be
No need for alcohol at all on any cadet event.
Staff only course. Crack on.
Any cadet event…nope
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I disagree, why can’t staff not on duty go to the pub in their own time? After a hard days work the chance to have a pint in a beer garden is a well earned reward.
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And a chance to decompress, and chat through the day.
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Cue arguments of “if you need alcohol to relax then you have a problem” arguments.
No, you don’t need it, but it’s a bonus that helps. And it comes down to good volunteer management - treat adults like adults.
Provided enough are not drinking to maintain suitable ratios, are known, and are contactable, then there’s no problem.
I can see an argument being made though for max staff availability on the basis of "increased complexity of the event and volume of cadets.
But if we’re so concerned about cadet welfare and legislation where they’re concerned, there’s issues that need to be adequately monitored regarding staff welfare and duty hours. If no one can technically bow out with a “I’m not on duty” (which is the risk of such “for the duration” statements if enough people try to enforce it" - and there will be those who do, I’m sure, without any contrary instructions), you risk problems during event hours.
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And this is why I will never attend RIAT again with the RAFAC. Too many egotistical Walts that thrive on making their own little empires and upsetting the experience for cadets and CFAVs. I’d rather volunteer directly with RAFCT or better still, organise our own trip in civvis with our cadets
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Say it louder for the people at the back!
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Completely disagree with this. RAFAC is our hobby too - as long as there is a duty staff team, why should the others not kick back, in moderation, when they are not on duty. Depends obviously on the type of camp/course, but in general I see no issue with it.
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This is the key bit. The problem is those groups of staff who fail at this bit, and then there’s an incident. Seen it happen…
(But I do agree with you in general!)
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The thing is - you tell X, Y and Z they are a duty team and they are aware. You say “no alcohol” so assume everyone is duty, but then at 3am find that Officer X and SNCO Y arn’t able to drive as they had a couple of cans in their room - and suddenly no one is available. Much better to allow and manage, than make underground.
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That just tells me they would have drank in their room even if others were drinking in a bar.
A lack of integrity has nothing to do with whether booze is managed or not.
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For driving specifically I got it clarified from the DVSA legal tema.
Concession for members of a volunteer force and instructors in the Cadet Corps
There is also a concession in place from the daily and weekly rest requirements specified in the EU drivers’ hours’ regulations for professional drivers who are also members of a volunteer reserve force e.g. the Army Reserve or are an instructor in the Cadet Corps.
The conditions of the concession are:
A suspension of the requirement to take a daily rest period within a period of 24 hours when the driver commenced the weekly training as a reservist or as an instructor in the cadet corps
A suspension of the requirement to take a weekly rest period at the end of the six 24 hour periods from the previous weekly rest period when the driver commences their driving as a reservist or as an instructor in the cadet corps
A regular daily rest must still be taken before they start work for their primary employer and a regular weekly rest must be taken no later than at the end of the sixth day following training
The exception is limited to a maximum of:
10-weekend training sessions and
Fifteen days’ annual camp training in any year
Drivers must not attend weekend training sessions on any two consecutive weekends
Drivers must not attend an annual camp training that takes place over the weekend that immediately follows a weekend training session that the driver has attended
Drivers must not attend a weekend training session on the weekend that immediately follows any annual camp training that the driver has attended
Drivers must not attend an annual camp training that takes place over the weekend that immediately follows the end of an earlier period of annual camp training that the driver has attended
A regular daily rest period of at least 11 hours must be taken immediately following the end of each weekend training session and at the end of each period of annual camp training
A regular weekly rest period of a least 45 hours must be taken no later than the end of the sixth day following the end of the day on which a weekend training session or, as the case may be, a period of annual camp training ends
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Thankyou for posting this. I wonder if the RAFAC MT WO is aware of the exemptions - From what I’ve heard they are over thinking things a little.
You mean someone in the RAF applying service level thinking and policy to a volunteer cadet organisation without considering the impact and how it might differ based on regular service?
Pull the other one!
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I was told long ago and pass this on now.
There is no such thing as a stupid question. It is stupid not asking the question and not knowing the answer. If you don’t know and it has not been explained properly, that is not your fault.
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Only stupid people 
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And another little helpfull nugget is the fact a split daily rest us classed as a regular daily rest period (one rest period of 3 hours, then work/driving and then a further rest of 9 hours)
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What PPE ?
Sun cream, disposable ear plugs, baseball caps ???
Not a lot for the hours of work expected from cadets & staff…
Yes there is - I often ask them !
Does anyone remember the minibus crash that killed cadets (including from my old cadet squadron) ?
A direct result of driving whilst tired !
Just saying !!
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