Maybe so, but if we can’t trust adults to have a responsible drink why are we trusting them with the safety of young people?
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Agreed! Neither did I 
I think HQAC miss the point of SharePoint.
You could read much of the content in advance in the modern era, so in the modern era why much of the content can’t be sent as reading material and the actual course is there to answer questions and focus on people’s real needs, which as I have said can be asked in advance, even in the Sunday night admin session.
The HQAC talks could be condensed into a day.
The OSC never accepts that people have been doing the job for anything from a couple of months to whatever, which is why it should be there to work over the problems people are experiencing. Which would have an awful lot of common ground. Not to mention many will have been doing other jobs on squadrons, so a wealth of experiences and frustrations, which as a sqn cdr will land in your lap so just talking to each other to help with these as that experience is not in the ATF / HQAC.
Hello,
Although I stayed as a CI during my time in cadets, many of the Sqn Cdrs I came across had no idea how to run a Sqn, did not have the personal skills and were unable to make forward plans. CI’s (including myself) were treated as ‘second class’ citizens even though many of us were more academically qualified, some held positions in the MOD at ‘RAF Senior Officer level’. I’m afraid that some basics need to be taught, manners, leading by example (e.g. correct dress code) have clear and concise goals which all staff buy into and realising that 2 stripes on your shoulder does not award you instant respect, this has to be earned.
I’m not really sure that you can’t teach someone not to be an idiot, that’s more a matter for the selection in the first place. Of course, the root of that problem is the lack of suitable candidates…
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i’m reminded very much of the SENCO diploma that teachers with responsibility for SEN children have to hold - my wife has been a SENCO for years and the school finally got around to paying for the course - during the course my wife had to do quite a bit of work of specific SEN(D)'s and some essays on partnerships and implementation of strategies (yes, i know…), but absolutely nothing whatsoever on how to be a good SENCO, standards of/natures of evidence that works for the EHCP panel, funding etc…
it was very much a tick box thing, almost entirely it was knowledge that the provider wanted to impart, and very little that the candidate, all of whom were established SENCO’s in schools, needed to help them do their job better.
The courses are not designed to do those things. In the ATC, Scouts, ACF and so on, you get the people prepared to take the crap, who might not be those best placed in different ways to actually do the job. I’ve known people who have jobs that take them away from home for weeks at a time and yet they are the sqn cdr, as there is no one else to do it. Then there are those who hit sticky times personally but still carry on, but don’t get the support from other staff, like they should expect.
When the crap (this can be from anywhere) gets too much they decide not for me and go, which just throws the sqn into turmoil.
The problem is unlike work, you find there are people on squadrons don’t think for themselves and need to be lead and or instructed, as they work on the assumption that as the OC will do it all. I’ve had staff who have had senior/lead roles at work and when you challenge them as to why you don’t see the sort of behaviours they will exhibit at work at the sqn, they get defensive. I’ve always worked on a system of you have the idea, you make it happen, don’t expect others to pick it up.
I found as a CI and since I’ve done things as I’ve thought I’ll do that as it will help of my own volition, which I’ve done throughout my working life and in other areas where I volunteer.
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One of the staff on my Sqn is going on her course in the coming months and is panicking because of the presentation she’ll apparently have to do.
Can anyone share some light into this? What are you actually being assessed on?
Tell her not to worry! It’s a group presentation which they will test her on her communication skills like her IOC. They will give her group a topic which will have to be pulled apart, look at pros and cons, how it can be made better etc. Each person should take a slide or two each.
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I shouldn’t worry about the senior officers course nothing strenuous and if anything a bit disappointing as most of it you already know… A lot of talks and presentations. I didn’t really come away any much the wiser if I to be honest…
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