Sqn Building Closures

When this first came to light we immediately checked and found out the date of the last test which 12/02/26. The OC immediately reported the need for an imminent test. We were shut down a week early and lost 2 parade nights unnecessarily as a result. We are now at least 2 weeks on and have not yet been given a date for the re-test! This is ridiculous. How many layers of bureaucracy does a request for a test have to pass through before it can be diarised?

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I do not think that it is the layers of bureaucracy of booking is the problem. When I was a CO, I never got told that so in so would be coming on such a date, I found out when the contractor wanted access. This issue is that in most of the cases the bureaucracy didn’t work.

I think the frustration is that this should never have gotten to a position where it was necessary in the first place.

The whole saga just reeks of incompetence.

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Have you seen the list of requirements for using temporary premises? Might as well give up and wait for the re-test!

I still can’t see why we can’t be given a date for a re-test having asked for one unless the contractor is not doing it in strict order but picking and choosing how to do it to suit themselves rather than the customer.

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Based upon my experience from 3 years ago, nobody should be holding their breath. After an initial burst, it seemed that I pretty much had to sort it all out myself.

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I love the FAQ they’ve put out.

ā€œHow many units are effected?ā€ Several, and then proceed to not give a number.

ā€œHow many ATC cadets attend these Sqns?ā€ A significant number, and again, proceed to not give a number.

This us why people end up FOIing stuff.

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It’s almost as though the organisation learnt nothing from the Vigilant debacle.

I believe it is so far 50 Squadrons across the South West.

My old wing had an email yesterday, apparently its closing a further 19 sqns, meaning all but 1 in my old sector is stood down,

Also saying that ~80% of the org has been affected, including Wg HQ, CC Inskip

Whoops

Isnt Inskip meant to be hosting an IOSH health & safety course?

The irony behind that cancellation if it is no longer going ahead.

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Sounds about right :laughing:

The thing with Inskip is that it’s 3 buildings with seperate electonics, plus a variety of Shipping containers that are used for teaching, maybe only 1 of the buildings is out?

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Mine is (still) one of these - OC’s hoping we may be able to parade later in the month because we’re due to have a parent’s evening following our planned half-term stand-down, but looking at the state of things currently in my circumstance I truly don’t think this is likely. Very tempted to try and ask locally if there’s anything available, but being in a small location we’re incredibly limited and would either be looking at church halls or the primary school…neither of which would be particularly ideal and don’t allow for many parents parking :grimacing:

Someone’s beat you to it! They’ve asked for number if units closed but not number of cadets.

Can be a good tactic not to include everything all at once in FOIs, as it gives more credence to the idea that it would cost too much to answer the question.

By drip-feeding the questions instead, you get the confirmation that the organisation holds the information, then they can’t deny any future questions because it’s all related.

The ICO will tell you to do this on some occasions; they did with me when I had to escalate an issue previously.

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What’s the betting this backlog of tests will mean scheduled tests for currently operating units get postponed until they’re also out of currency and consequently get stood down?

Or am I being too cynical?

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Or, you get like-minded individuals to send in separate FoIs, covering the different elements, a couple of weeks apart…. :smiling_face_with_horns:

I did that for the Home Office Firearms dept when they were playing silly b’s over the Offensive Wpns Bill. I still had to file against them with the ICO & they got their knuckles rapped sharply! The Head of Firearms even asked me to withdraw my complaint!!

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The irony is of course that answering FOI’s is massively burdensome on the limited staff in the HQ and makes solving the problem actually more difficult and it takes longer.

There’s an easy fix to that….

Good comms in the first place!!

EDIT but yes, this is a great improvement from a few years ago (with a lot of thanks to @Ben_Wakefield !!) but there’s still a way to go.

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I think the comms have been good.

2 general updates from Comdt to all showing this has 1* attention.

Updates from Infra now including a sample letter of parental engagement.

Why does it matter how many units or cadets are affected?

Does it change the priority to resolve? I don’t think so, we want to have a compliment estate, and Comdt will be pushing for RFCAs to deliver the service they are supposed to be.