So if ATC now stands for ‘All Training Cancelled’ is CFAV now ‘Can’t Face Anymore Volunteering’???
Not at all, you came across very balanced even though we could all hear your frustrations 
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I would now like to see a basic action plan that shows the plan to get the activities (or some) up and running on the 01st September and what activities/events are likely still to be on the grand pause so that we have a clear understanding now rather than waiting until we want to organise something.
There wasnt much said other than the CS team are feeling overwhelmed, however I am greatful that we have had SOME comms. We complain when we get nothing, we cant complain when we get some, even if this doesnt answer all our questions.
Clarity is key for everyone so we can all manage our key stakeholders well in advance.
5 posts were merged into an existing topic: The Beginning of the End - The Capitulation of SW Region
All that is clear is that RC south West has no idea. The contingency plan that should have been in place clearly doesn’t exist. And we are now into a sustained period of instability. A rubicon has been crossed and it will continue to happen. Permanent staff show no level of responsibility. From Tuesday night looks like only 1 was on the call. So the rest don’t care, know they are in the wrong or all on holiday. There is no point having these meetings if there is no change which it doesn’t feel like there will be.
Or perhaps they had prior commitments that they couldn’t move considering how short notice it was. Or perhaps another reason. And I don’t know why a holiday would be something to criticise someone for having (during the summer holiday period especially, but any time).
You can stab in the dark and hypothesise all you like, but there is a point at which hypothesis becomes derangement if pursued to extremes. You already seem angry at people you know little to nothing about for reasons you’re inventing in your own mind…
We’ve had one. Just one. That was itself focused in a very specific direction with a particular topic of discussion. It’s too early to be drawing such discrete conclusions. It was short of what a lot people are hoping that these will become, and many are disappointed, but it’s the start of a fresh project and things won’t be perfect. This is going to be a process on both sides to work towards generating the best possible outcomes for the broadest possible range of demographics within the org.
No idea about what? Pretty sure she knows a lot more about a lot of things than you or I do, so she will have ideas.
I don’t think that’s a surprise, at least in terms of the contingency plan that we can imagine was feasible and would be successful, but that doesn’t mean that none were attempted or considered. We all wish things were better, and many have had a go at finding what we think could have been viable solutions or mitigations, but there’s a certain point at which we need to move on and assist in looking forward. We can ask questions about the past and present to create our own analyses and perhaps to guide others’, but devolving into blame culture isn’t going to have a productive outcome - especially when there are now opportunities to move forward.
There is a responsibility on CFAV to engage in good faith with this new process; where offering critique it needs to be constructive. Be curious and challenge fairly.
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I believe that we are challenging fairly (in most cases) but the responses leave a bit to be desired…
Did anyone notice that the RC mentioned that a ‘plan’ would be forthcoming at the end of Sept? If this is the case then a return to some sort of normality is still some way off…
And now AVIP’s cancelled too 
so the CS have a recruitment freeze which is indirectly imposed on us! @AlexCorbin is right in his questions about policy… how does all this sit with policy? Will the 1st September be the restart date? If not what redress do we have? @Cab RAF Odiham Families day this Friday and for the 1st time since the 90’s (bar Covid) there will be only 2 SQN’s from another region helping unlike the 150-200 from SW region with just 10 days notice #embarrassing
They may not have all spoken, but saw on the participants list CAC, RC SW, acting COS, two E1s, and two E2s.
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The whole point of contingency planning is to be ready for all eventualities. The system is not robust and at a time of strain should be able to cope. The RC and her team should have been able to see this coming and clearly did with the cancellation of shooting earlier in the year and yet communicated nothing to allow some management by the volunteer staff. Volunteers are programmed to fill gaps and take full advantage of situations. When the cadets are on holiday in the good weather of course more activities are going to be undertaken. All that is going to happen now is things will move down the line with a pressure build up probably at October Half Term. When again there is the likely hood of CD staff also wanting leave. We can not go into a cycle of doing preparation work for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. The permanent staff team should be tied to some Service level agreements with volunteers so there is a minimum expectation. Clearly we are way below that at this moment in time.
go on then, in what way?!?!
Being on call every night of the week, just in case a phone call is made! Never happen. HQAC are attempting to remove on-call allowance for WExOs, do that and they won’t work past 5pm or worse, leave their job and cause even more issues.
The problem is that the CFAV and PS do work in different areas, different timeframes and that’s a big issue between being full time and a volunteer.
There is an expectation from both sides and its now reached a point of impasse because of poor management, so be careful blaming all PS because many are working harder than you think, and in some case probably harder than some CFAVs.
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Whilst we all feel disappointed that we are not in an Ops Normal situation and therefore maybe need to vent a little we also need a little pragmatism here:
- People leave jobs - unless it is retirement then they don’t tend to advertise an intention to go and will leave based on their notice requirements in their contracts - we have all done it. Even with free recruitment there will be gapping of several months
- CS Recruitment freeze is not a RAFAC, RAF or MOD issue - it comes from higher up and we have to deal with it as best we can
- We need to work together to find ways to deliver the most we can within the capabilities we have at the moment - Adapt, Overcome and Survive - until the Jam tomorrow arrives. Lets not shoot the messenger and fight amongst our selves.
At the end of the day we are where we are - lets find the way to make the most of a poor hand and let the Powers that Be work out what went wrong and what to do to prevent it happening again and how to mitigate. They have far more detail than we do and hopefully the ability to access the data and use the lessons learned. Hopefully we can continue to be briefed in an open fashion and that we will then support.
Unfortunately, this is one mitigation that can’t be applied with generous applications of Bubblewrap
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No plan survives first contact.
Unfortunately sometimes mitigations don’t work out. The harder plan would have been a stricter pause, earlier. The staffing situation is dire, and has unfortunately become worse in the interim. On the assumption that additional resource couldn’t be attached, there is a logic to the way things have progressed, but the situation continued to worsen for reasons outside of control.
Perhaps there could have been a better plan, but ultimately we’re now where we are and I’m sure a lot of reflection has already occurred - both internally and on comments made publicly such as here (where reasonable to consider).
So as with many on the meeting asking “what can we do?” and “what are the next steps?” are my questions. It’s been enough time with enough commentary that the dead horse is well and truly flogged when it comes to sticking the knife in over what has already happened.
A valid concern and one that is shared. Many are asking for details on how this will be avoided or the pause not extended, but there are more constructive ways to do so than making accusations of “doesn’t care”, “has no idea”.
Why should someone care about you if all you do is disrupt and insult when even after they open up a little more and engage directly/bidirectionally?
If what we heard on Monday was open and honest then I was at a different meeting. Only heard what they want to say. Not the full why and the poor planning that has got us to where we are. I hope they are working harder than volunteers . They are being paid! As to smarter then I don’t have that information. At the end of the day all businesses are struggling to recruit good quality people. But they still demand the output and the customer has to be served. Volunteer staff are their customer just as the cadets are the volunteers customer. We are still producing an output to our customers despite a shutdown by Permanent staff. As to SLA how about start with something simple like maintain sufficient people in the business to carry out functions at Squadrons and Wings.
Fixed that for you
Perhaps it was a different meeting 
Edited sorry
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That’s not for RAFAC to decide or agree, that has to be the RAF and not forgetting the unions who will (want) to get involved!!
I’d hope so - it’s their job!
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