So long and thanks for all the fish!

Adult Staff The Staff Mess
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This ought to be my last post on here - only reason for posting is to vent / air caution to others…

I was a volunteer - a parent of a cadet. I started as Reg Civ Com, before moving to CI.

I became heavily involved with our Wing Road Marching team; participating in training walks, qualifying events and participating at Nijmegen.

All at a time while dealing with a young family plus elderly parents - and working self employed.

We had established routes and proven means of conducting activities… plus enthusiastic staff prepared to support the activities.

In the last year or so - in addition Covid, we’ve had to rewrite Risk Assessments (repeatedly!), rewrite routes & narratives and re-present documents to fit “standardised” templates…

The only thing is - this is all coming as orders to be conducted by the last person in the chain…

The latest insistence of updating emergency safety plans to include AEDs, Emergency Rescue Points, provision of stretchers and even an aerial photo of the nearest hospital was the final straw for me…

I know that much of the changes have come about because of reported near miss incidents - but as I’m discovering, it’s coming as a knee jerk reaction, to be seen as “doing something”, rather than a well thought out response.

What’s more - the insistence of implementing what I consider to be dangerous practices - without consideration or the chance to question…

Road Marching by its nature is NON adventurous - we’re NOT crossing wild open spaces - we should always be in accessible places.

I tried a lengthy argument with our WRMO and WTrgO about the inappropriate requirement to bring a stretcher…

Nowhere in any first aid training that cadets or staff receive, is there ANYTHING about how to safely move a casualty ONTO a stretcher - let alone how to safely carry a casualty…

My attitude was that if a casualty is injured and can walk unaided - they do, with whatever support is necessary.

If they can hobble, safely - two appropriately sized adults / staff cadets / big cadets can offer support under each shoulder - to assist for a short distance…

If they can’t move - why the bloody hell should we be moving them - call 999, give location, keep the casualty warm! Let the professionals move them!

AEDs - as per current media - these devices should be provided in sufficient numbers to enable their provision at all appropriate events.

This is obviously subject to funding - but that is NOT my responsibility as a CI. That is HQAC.

Instead of being told to mark on our maps, where the nearest devices might be (which could be 10 miles away!) and require sending a CFAV to retrieve - the actual advice from EVERY NHS professional I’ve spoken to has been universally the same - unless an AED is less than 250 metres away - they will not send someone to retrieve… what’s more… even the NHS do NOT have a single point of reference for locating AEDs in the community. There are at least 3 databases, each with varying info.

I asked what thinking had been done and by who, as to the safety of sending a CFAV…?

No response, other than “we should explore all reasonable avenues”.

We’ve been trained that for each 1 minute that administration of a shock by AED the chance of a “favourable” outcome is reduced by 10%…

So frankly - a 5 minute trip in each direction is enough to really ruin your day!

I asked about the likely dangers of sending a member of staff to retrieve a device - in the middle of a life / death situation… potentially feeling it necessary to drive as fast as possible… “NO! All drivers must stick within the speed limits…” was the reply!

“What about the driver receiving info from the emergency operator, whilst driving… for instance directions / code numbers for the box etc…? Should we send someone else in the vehicle? Someone to be on the phone, extra pairs of eyes etc…?”

-“yes, but it can’t be a cadet, in a one on one situation…”. Seriously? Ok so multiple cadets…? Either way - we’re putting multiple people at risk - so where’s the thinking?

And my personal favourite - YOU MUST INCLUDE AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THE NEAREST HOSPITAL…!

Not a map….! That has already been stipulated… so a MAP AND AERIAL PHOTO!!!

I asked “under what circumstances would ANYONE EVER need an aerial photo… as we are yet to be able to procure helicopters as part of White Fleet - and I’m pretty certain that every Air Ambulance pilot will have a jolly good idea of where the nearest hospital is - AND what it looks like from the air!!!

Oh - and to finish off, the due to geographical location and lack of funding for transport - the new WRMO has no intention to participate in training with the rest of the Wing; won’t be attending any of the BMC qualifying events and wouldn’t be participating at Nijmegen - but WAS considered a suitable appointment to the post!

Above all - I pointed out that no matter how you try to present RAFAC - it IS a voluntary youth organisation… reliant on its volunteers (at all levels). But taking advantage of volunteers’ goodwill is the fastest way to ruin the organisation…

If this was a professional organisation - policy would be created at HQ - then support and funding would be provided to local level to implement…

Instead, I find myself being told YOU have to do it this way - YOU have to write the new policies, to reflect what YOU feel is appropriate - because YOU will be the person held RESPONSIBLE - oh and there’s no financial support… and, if we disagree with your work, we’ll just say “no”.

And finally - when trying to explain all this to my Wg Cdr and my concerns - rather than being invited to discuss my concerns or even listen to them - I was told “well - that’s the way it is…”

So - off I go, and that will be the end of an activity - as while there staff prepared to support Road Marching - everyone, like me, is already too busy to plan and lead the activities…

As a CI I’m an unpaid volunteer, I can’t even claim VA - I can’t be promoted, or offered more favourable working conditions; nicer office; nicer posting etc… all RAFAC can offer me, is a sense of being valued…. And as I’ve discovered - it doesn’t.

Xx

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Sounds like you’re on the end of a chain of people who aren’t quite sure what they are doing or why. Your Wing Commanders response is poor and should challenge the unnecessary admin. The aerial photo of the hospital is a new one on me!

With regards to moving someone on a stretcher, completely agree. Even SASC acknowledge we are not trained to move people, and in most cases we would treat the casualty in situ until a medical professional arrives.

AEDs are a buzzword at the moment for people, realistically the 999 operator will point you at one if there is one nearby or WHQ can provide you with one to carry if they are that worried.

Shame you feel there is nothing else in the organisation you could get in to and avoid that chain of people. Even just staying on unit to instruct and ignore the Wing level activities.

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Your post should stand as a warning to the whole organisation. For every disillusioned member of staff who resigns and states in such an eloquent manner why they have done so, there are probably another 10 who just quietly stop coming.

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Not heard of anything along these lines. Been organising ‘blue road marching badge walks, all passed Regional muster.

AEDs :man_facepalming:t2: If we go down that road, every event will require at least one being made available. Is this so as well ?

Sorry to hear your story; got to be a Wing/Region thing :man_shrugging:t2::man_facepalming:t2:

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Top notch leadership there.

The organisation is full of these people - it’s no wonder HQAC is blind and deaf when the CoC is too chicken or otherwise subservient to do its job and represent its people.

There is a huge void of leadership up the ranks, but plenty of egos and “idea creators”.

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If you’re leaving, please tell us your wing.

Its only by naming and shaming this sort of horrendous practice that we can hope to get rid of it. No need for names, but with a location those in the know can work it out.

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I’m conflicted in naming names / identifying my Wing.

I agree of the need to raise awareness, but I draw a line at naming and shaming - bit least because in doing so, it would needlessly hurt many other staff, who HAVE been as supportive as they could be.

Our RRMO agreed with every single point I raised - not least in identifying the large tracts of information that were copied and pasted from the Adventure Training rule book!

Road Marching is fairly unique in that although it is indeed a heavy going, arduous activity, ultimately aimed at completing Endurance events intended to test active service personnel… by cadets!

As an activity, Road Marching was rightly supported and encouraged by the former CAC, bit least because it is a relatively cheap and accessible activity that can be conducted in most weathers, with limited specialist equipment.

But I for one could see at first hand, the ENORMOUS benefits the activity provided to cadets - AND STAFF!

It’s phenomenal for mindfulness - no devices, no screen time, no artificial stimuli; encouraging interaction with others, singing, talking, laughing! engaging with others across the Wing & Region! It’s relatively low impact, but moderate to high cardio…

EVERY cadet that we brought back from Cosford and Nijmegen walked taller, with more purpose according to their parents - and even simply by personal observation - you can see it in them!!! I was rung by a mother in tears, because I’d posted a photo of their son SMILING during a march… such was the rare occasion that he would allow himself to be pictured, let alone be caught smiling! The same individual’s father then hugged me as he got off the coach, as he couldn’t believe the difference in his son!

What appears to be happening is possibly the result of chronic underfunding / financial mis-prioritisation - but I suspect there’s an element of “let’s concentrate on CORE activities”… and which ones will support progression in to the RAF… eg STEM, Cyber, Comms…

“When I was a cadet…” used to be an anachronism for harping back to simpler (possibly non-pc) times… but now I think it should be used to remember a time when we looked to do all we could to enable activities - rather than the current “NO! You can’t do that - even IF you follow the rule book!”

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I do worry that we are turning into the computer cadets at times.

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And yet Comms (as in radio) is unfunded despite being part of First Class and the PTS. Aside from the MOD funded CyberFirst courses Cyber is also unfunded. It relies on PCs and connectivity provided and funded through CivComs.

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Reports abound that AED’s need to be identified for use at all Risk to Life activities including shooting, sports and adventure training…

I don’t dismiss how vital these pieces of equipment are - just want to know how we would have been supported.

My WRMO & WgTrgO suggested that I should go and collect the one working device from WHQ… (Apparently we have two, but don’t have working pads for one of the devices - and no budget to replace them in this financial year… so who knows what implications there would be, if the working pads went missing - or had to be used!)

Device can only be signed out and back during working hours - but pragmatism might suggest a concession to collect from the guard room…. Even so, it’s the best part of a 3 hour round trip to pick up - and another 3 hours to return it…

Again - the onus being placed on the activity staff to solve the problem - not the leadership…

In an ideal world, we would have such devices within each sector for shared use and then within each White Fleet vehicle / SOV… but frankly, there needs to be greater coverage - one per unit - at least!

If we can’t provide them in this volume, then I suggested that we find a provided that can rent them to us, on a National account basis…

But no interest!

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Another example of sending out orders of what’s to be done - without the financial support…

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Just like to say WRT to AED - there is a misconception above that 10minutes is the limit for AED use due to it’s effectiveness reducing by 10% per minute. So after the first minute, its 90% effective. After the second minute it’s still 81% effective (10% of 90) so in reality you have a lot longer than 10 minutes within which is is effective.

However, I will say that in 17 years of Road Marching, including attending Nijmegen, Death March and lots of other activities I have never seen a cadet suffer from sudden cardiac arrest. It’s not, as stated, an arduous event physically - it’s just walking, carrying very little (for most), generally on the flat on standard roads and pavements. AT in the hills is much more likely to cause Sudden Cardiac Arrest, but I don’t think we make each DofE group carry an AED.

As with everything, there is soo much where individual wings, regions add their own requirements and HQAC staff should be stamping down on it. The biggest mistake in recent times was removing CAC as the DDH and appointing the Gp Capts DDH as it removed the authority of HQAC to enforce their regulations.

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Not in my region or wing. You’ve been lied to! All the more reason to name and shame and provoke change! Can’t let nonsense like this carry on - the CoC must be notified and, if necessary, go ask the way to the top. CRAP behaviour will only be stopped if it’s made known.

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Problem is, if it’s a region decision that is the top.

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Doesn’t have to be. Regions can be told they’re wrong.

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Not when the Regional Commandant is the DDH.

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They can still be told by their boss that they’re being an over zealous, overbearing twonk who needs to get back in their box.

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I had the support of the Regional Road Marching Officer and our previous two Wing Road Marching Officers… who ALL agreed that there has been an onerous up lift in paperwork.

I tried making the point to all involved that due to various circumstances, I am (or rather - WAS) the only qualified RMTL, planning and conducting training within our Wing… all at a time when I am trying to balance complex family circumstances… not to mention, being self employed…

Being self employed, I wasn’t furloughed, I don’t receive paid leave, I don’t receive Volunteer Allowance, my employers don’t “give me” extra leave for voluntary projects…

My downtime is minimal - but I used to LOVE Road Marching - so my wife was happy for me to keep it up, because of the effect it had on my mindfulness…!

Rather than find ways to help - they’d rather quote the book (incorrectly from time to time as well!)

Trouble is, when you realise that no one is interested in listening - then what do you do…?

My disgust rests with the WgCdr who could not be bothered to discuss it!

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Can I assume that your OC Wg wouldn’t entertain you as the WRMO, as a CI, despite being from what I can see the most qualified individual?

Sounds like empire building to me. You’re clearly passionate and I’d suggest raising directly with the DDH (RC) if the current CoC aren’t listening/prepared to discuss.

I’d also suggested copying the Comdt & RC in your resignation so that they aware of why they lost someone who clearly delivered the cadet experience.

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I’ve asked the question at HQ desk level as to whether there is any truth in this.