36 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2008
News and information for serving personnel
Go and buy with a little
Defence
committee:
Ask
help from your friends
Is it getting
better?
me
MEMBERS of the Armed Forces
have been invited to offer their views
direct to Parliament on recruitment
ARMED Forces personnel
at workers in the London, the provide a contribution up to the Government which is interest free
and retention in a new web forum
why
with a household income
South East and Eastern England, full purchase price. and is repaid when the property
opened by the Commons Defence
but from last December the net
of less than £60,000 a
After living in the home for is sold;
Select Committee.
has been cast wider to all other three years, buyers will pay a fee Product in partnership with marina
year are now able to apply
The committee recently
regions that operate a regional to English Partnerships based lender: the purchaser receives
launched a new inquiry into the
for an extended range of
version of the scheme. on a small percentage of its a 12.5 per cent interest-free
issues affecting recruitment and
THE Armed Forces Continuous There are a number of detailed contribution. Government loan which is topped
retention across the Services, and
Attitude Survey for Spring 2008
affordable housing schemes
criteria for those deemed eligible FTBI homes will not up with another 12.5 per cent
has invited key MOD officials and
will shortly be distributed.
across England under the
– full details are available from the immediately be available in all from a commercial lender which is
commentators to give evidence.
This will be your opportunity Government’s Key Worker JSHAO or the relevant Homebuy regions, but applicants can check interest free for five years.
But it will also make use of a
to tell senior management about
status.
Agent. on availability through their Yorkshire Building Society marina
web-based system that allows MPs
how you feel about life in the
Those included in the
But among the basic Homebuy Agents. product: this is similar to the
to hear views from the public using
Royal Navy or Royal Marines. requirements are: Open Market Homebuy: product above but the Yorkshire marina
simple online web consultations.
It covers such issues as:
scheme are all regular Service
The applicant must have at This scheme enables key BS will provide an equity loan marina
Chairman James Arbuthnot
How satisfied are you with
personnel, the MPGS and
least five years left to serve with workers and other priority first of up to 15 per cent alongside marina
said: “During this inquiry we want
your pay and benefits?
some MOD civilians – MOD
the MOD; time buyers to buy a property on the Government’s 17.5 per cent,
to hear views on recruitment and
How satisfied are you with Police, Fire Service and some marina Household income must be the open market with the help of a giving an increased loan of up to marina
retention from former and current
the way in which your career is clinical staff. below £60,000; Government-funded loan that can 32.5 per cent of the market value
Service personnel and also from
managed? There are now three affordable The applicant’s permanent be topped up with an additional of the prospective property.marina
more diverse sources – religious
What do you thing about housing schemes and one duty station must be located in loan from another lender. Intermediate Rent Scheme:marinamarina
leaders, parents and guardians,
lengths of deployments? intermediate rent scheme. England; The Government loan is repaid This is where accommodation
and careers guidance counsellors.
How is Service life affecting They are: Any property bought under when the occupant can afford it or is provided by a registered social marinamarina
We want to know what motivates
the amount of separation from Shared equity arrangements this scheme must be within when the property is sold. landlord.
marina
some people but not others to join
your home and family? under the New Build Homebuy; reasonable travelling distance of The lender’s loan allows for a The tenant is likely to pay
the services and what factors can
How satisfied are you with the the applicant’s place of duty – as a five-year interest free period. between 75 per cent to 80 per cent marina English Partnership’s First marina
affect people’s desire to remain in
way the RN/RM is managed? Time Buyers Initiative; guide, around 50 miles in distance There are three variants of this of the local market rent for the
uniform over time.
The 2008 survey has been Open Market Homebuy using or 90 minutes travelling time. scheme: type of property that they occupy.
marina
“We are especially keen to
revised to make sure that we are one of three options to buy a Details of the schemes are as Government only loan: The They would have an assured short marina
investigate the disconnect that
asking the right questions; the property on the open market with follows: purchaser can get a loan of hold tenancy whilst they remain a
exists in the number of recruits
ones that our policymakers want the help of Government funding in New Build Homebuy: around 17.5 per cent from the key worker.marina
from ethnic minorities who choose
the answers to and on the issues addition to other lenders’ loans; Under this scheme
to join the Services.”
that are important to your life in An intermediate rental scheme purchasers can buy
marina Recruitment and retention
the Service. where the rent is set between between 25 per cent
RFA roll of honour presented
pressures were highlighted in the
It is also aligned with the other social and full market rent. and 75 per cent of a
committee’s recent report, MOD
Services to carry more weight on The schemes are run on behalf
new build property
Annual Reports and Accounts 2006-
big issues.
of the Government by ‘Homebuy
(depending on what
07, and it is also concerned that
The results are used to
Agents’ – housing associations
they can afford) on a
AUTHOR Chris White has concluded researching this work, often using
most MOD diversity targets have
inform policy, to make sure that
(otherwise known as Registered
leasehold basis.
a “labour of love” by presenting English and foreign websites and
also been missed.
when decisions are made about
Social Landlords or RSLs) who
marina First Time
a record of RFA sailors who have searching cemeteries trying to find
Full anonymity is respected on
personnel issues, the attitudes
run regional versions of a Key
Buyers Initiative
given their life in war or rescues to deceased merchant seafarers and the forum, which can be found
and opinions of those on the
Worker Scheme in their areas of
(FTBI): This aims
the Auxiliary. noting those who had served with at www.parliament.uk/defcom
front line, and those supporting
the country.
to help eligible
Chris served in the RFA for three the RFA. and will run until May 21.
the front line, are taken into
The Key Worker Living
first time buyers to
years in the 1960s before joining “I decided to do this book as no
account.
Programme (KWLP) was
buy a new home
the Met Police for 22 years. one had attempted it before and I
The findings are reported to
launched in 2004 to help specific
with an affordable
Discount bonanza
The roll of honour is in the form thought, with my love of genealogy
the Navy Board and are published
public sector employees buy a
mortgage.
of a book entitled A Memorial and RFA history, that this would be
MORE than 800 companies are
in the House of Commons library,
home, upgrade a family home They must take
Register 1905-2005. a task I would enjoy.
showing support for the Armed
as well as being used by desk
or rent a home at an affordable out a mortgage
Chris said: “It was a great “This work became a labour of
Forces through special discounts,
officers to shape and inform a
price. for at least 50
pleasure to present this roll of love and one which will, I hope, be
offers and benefi ts available in the
myriad of personnel projects and
The aim was to keep ‘key per cent of the
honour to Cdre Thornton on behalf a fitting memory for those who have
new Defence Discount Directory.
strategic reviews.
workers’ in the jobs for which they property purchase
of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service. given the ultimate sacrifice in the
Call Clifford Rhodes on 0207
For example, previous surveys
had trained. price, and English
“I have spent the past 14 months service of the RFA.”
807 0016 for a copy, or go to www.
have been used as evidence in
Initially the scheme was targeted Partnerships will
forcesdiscounts-mod.co.uk
some key pay reviews, including
the review of the x-factor, the
Armed Forces Pay Review Body
(AFPRB) and RM Financial
Retention Incentive.
So the questions are being
Good progress – but looking to the future
asked – and this really is your
chance to have your say about the
TRANSFORMATION has now been Equipment and Support Organisation Formed from the old RFA Naval Support Project Darwin – that will shortly introduce
whys and wherefores of life in the
running for some time, and has made
(DE&S) on long term – actually through Unit (RFANSU) has been the Fleet-wide targets for a reduction in posts.
Naval Service.
life – capability management. Maritime Aviation Support Group. Redundancy or early release schemes are
The survey will be distributed
considerable progress.
This is the very long term management Based at RNAS Culdrose it will organise often mentioned – but all this has been done
to a random sample of people
This is a good time to take stock of the
of capability that will draw on people’s support for all detached aviation units. without the need for either so far. Nor do
between April and July, so if you
initiative and see what the future holds.
experience in the front line. Training has also been split into five managers see any need for them in future.
receive a copy in the post, please
With change occurring across Defence,
Making the most of the money has also streams – Core (new entry, BRNC and In view of the progress made Fleet took
take the time to complete it, as the
the recent lessons from conflicts in
been an important aim. An early change was Raleigh – see opposite), Submarines, Surface the time to have a strategic look at the
more people that complete it, the
Afghanistan, Iraq and the northern Gulf and
to reorganise the resources and plans team Stream, Royal Marines and Aviation (much Transformation programme in March.
more weight the results will carry.
the continuing need to make the most of the
and to introduce more transparency to the of it joint). This was led by DCINC himself who was
Completed responses are
cash allocated to the RN there have been
decisions on where money should be spent. Each will look after trainees from new very pleased with what has been achieved.
analysed by a dedicated set of
some pressing reasons to develop and adapt.
That was done in time for the current entry to the highly experienced just needing
The time is now right to gently refocus
researchers, and are not seen
Transformation has concentrated on
spending round a top-up,
the Transformation process, broadening
by the chain of command,
improving the work done ashore, the aim
work and it continuing the
the approach beyond simply looking for
so anything you say will be
being to improve support to the front line.
introduced theme of looking
post reductions, and moving towards the
completely anonymous.
By letting people within Fleet look at how
‘decision - after people
development of organisational effectiveness.
A summary of the results will
they work and how what they do can be
conferencing’ from recruiting
A small number of posts will be removed
be published later in the year
improved – 97 changes so far - there has been
to the process, to retirement.
as continuous improvement takes place, but
in Navy News and Globe and
a huge amount of progress in many areas.
meaning that The change
most of these will be recycled into areas
Laurel, and the full reports will be
Individual changes and collective effect
decisions are here has
where it is clear that more posts are needed.
published on the RN web.
have both helped. So what has happened?
made openly and together, ratified by the probably been some of the most radical of
For more information contact
Fleet promised to look at the way in
senior management and then put forward all as the old FOTR organisation has now
So in effect, Transformation events
Rachel Tate, the HR Research
which forces were generated for operations.
to MOD. gone and has been amalgamated to become
will now focus on doing things
Manager, on 93832 5495 (BT
This has been done by strengthening
The great thing about this approach is part of FOST.
better, looking more deeply into
02392 625495) or by email at
what is now the commitments team
people will know where money will be spent; In this area the message is ‘so far, so
processes, and working across
Rachel.Tate644@mod.uk
in Northwood and at Fleet HQ, and
and just as importantly where it won’t. good’, but there will be further bedding-
boundaries where necessary.
adding the responsibility for long
None of this works unless Fleet properly in before the new organisation can be
In doing this the aim is to start to introduce
It’s your 2-6
term programming.
recruits, trains and manages people – and considered to have settled down.
a better way of doing things that actively
Feedback from recent front-line experience
here there have been major changes too. Finally, Fleet has been looking to save
seeks to improve year on year – a culture of
is also important and so lessons drawn will
Personnel management used to be split military posts ashore wherever they have
continuous improvement, in the jargon.
NEED to get your message
be fed back through MWC into Fleet HQ to
between career managers in Portsmouth been found to be no longer required.
What will you notice? If you are at sea
across to the rest of the RN?
inform future planning and training.
Naval Base and policy cells in Fleet HQ. This was partly to allow Fleet to stand up
it is hoped you will find that those ashore
To feature in 2-6 contact Lt
The capability team in Fleet HQ has also
Now career and branch managers are posts in the front line, and partly because
continually try to improve the way they
Cdr Gregor Birse (Fleet Media
been reorganised to remove artificial barriers
together working for the same captain, all the number of posts is higher than the help you and the service they provide.
Ops), 93832 8809 or Lt Cdr
between engineering, warfare and logistics.
in West Battery on Whale Island, bringing number of people available. That does not mean false promises of
Harvey Burwin (DPR(N)), 9621
They also established Fleet Capability
together those who manage people with So far this work has gone well. Some loads of people and instant kit upgrades, but
85984.
Integration Groups (FCIGs) to bring together
those involved with policies, regulations 800 posts had been marked for deletion by it does mean everyone will strive to do their
all who need to have a say in the planning of
and strategy. the end of March (of which 39 were to be best within the constraints.
future capabilities and future deployments.
Other, smaller changes have been equally civilianised), and 76 posts have been added For those ashore, Transformation is about
It has also meant that those who helpful. The Recovery cells in each port back to the front line. making your work more straightforward.
represented Fleet in MOD have been better area will assist those who are medically Civilian posts have also been removed or Of course it will still be busy and at times
informed and able to fight the Fleet corner. downgraded and help them recover much transferred out to commercial companies frustrating.
The FCIG approach is not just for current more rapidly by co-ordinating the effort – so far 170 posts have gone from Fleet. If your life isn’t better so far then use
or near-future preparations and planning. to ensure all aspects of treatment or The RFA have had their own strategic the opportunities this year to make that
They will also work closely with the Defence rehabilitation are managed well. review this year and have a plan for change – improvement.
News and information for serving personnel
036-038_NN_may.indd 1 21/4/08 10:35:50
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56