Originally Posted by ivan_the_tolerable

However, i have been led to believe that if a county has fewer detachments, it receives less funding. I don,t know wether this is true or not but it would explain at least in part, why poor staff are allowed to continue.

I think funding is based on the number of Cadets held on strength, regardless of how they are arranged.

Smaller dets tend to close because they suck up more money per Cadet (in terms of accomodation and staffing) than a larger det. The 'manning' and equipment can then be moved to another det.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

I think funding is based on the number of Cadets held on strength, regardless of how they are arranged.

Smaller dets tend to close because they suck up more money per Cadet (in terms of accomodation and staffing) than a larger det. The 'manning' and equipment can then be moved to another det.

Ah, i see. That would i suppose still correlate to a funding connection in relation to counties being prepared to keep poor AI,s as more cadets would naturally require more instructors.
Someone did once try to explain to me vaguely how the funding worked.

For a guid to how it works this year, if you read ABN 87/10 on ArmyNet (REVISED METHOD FOR ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO CADET FORCES). It should give you a reasonable idea of how it works.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Tom,

can you just confirm (as is my understanding) Adult training goes like this...

County run. Adult Recruit Weekends (Instruction training, ACF ethos, ACF history, aCF Org, red book test, Skills and drills) as a PI.

CTT run. Adult Instructor Training Course (MOI, field exercises etc) as a PI.

Promotiom to SI on reports of above received.

CTC run. Instructor Training Course. as a SI.

Promotion to SSI, in due course.

ARD, SR, LR and KGVI as deemed neccesary after SI.

Getting confused with mention of county run 'ITCs', are these the Adult Recruit Weekends for PIs?

You shook me then with the first words being "County Run" !!!!! Trainers and tracksuits at the ready!!


My quick personal thoughts are that you are broadly correct, though the new Frimley Leadership course will be the promotion bar; also I think there is a confusion in that some Counties do their ITC as a series of weekends, and some as block time.. My thoughts are not definitive!

I am past being "of the ACF" Choc Frog, so if you allow me a couple of days, I will pass this along to a Commandant in post, and ask him if he might scan it, and ask also what flexibility he has in use of his own resources / CTT etc for training adults.

Wait out

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

But AIs are supposed to lead by example... if they aren't in kit or wearing a rank of some discription how could they acheive this? A robust policy on AIs who conviently drop the 'Instructor' from their appointment ....'

With respect, its not the uniform or rank slide that provides the example, its the individual. From my experience of AITC about 20% of the candidates could not lead a bus queue. The "Robust Policy" should come from the ACF in its selection of AIs, rather than, as appears, giving every socially inadaquate overweight 18yo female ex cadet and middle-aged male fantasist an automatic place on AITC and waiting for the CTT to do the job of binning them.

[QUOTE=Porridge_gun;4196519].

I can't imagine staying with an organisation that thought I was a chopper [QUOTE]


.... So why are you still posting ?

Originally Posted by ivan_the_tolerable

You,ll get no argument from me with regard to binning people who don,t shape up.
I,d rather see quality staff retained and the bluffers and wasters chinned off, even if that meant fewer detachments .

I suspect that if the average quality were improved by more robust action to bin the wasters then the numbers would actually improve overall. How many decent people are put off by the thought of being associated with the wasters? How many turn up a couple of times and think "Thats not for me" based on being expected to work with a clown ? My experience of jobs where the waster was held on to because "there's no one to replace him/her" was that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy - but within weeks of the clown being moved on ( and out) a BETTER replacement almost always appeared. People in the CoC need to have the cojones to make decisions. Being a volunteer doe not give you a right to stay in post for ever, etc etc.

Originally Posted by saladin

I suspect that if the average quality were improved by more robust action to bin the wasters then the numbers would actually improve overall.

From what I have seen of the ACF, that has been my experience.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Tom,

can you just confirm (as is my understanding) Adult training goes like this...

County run. Adult Recruit Weekends (Instruction training, ACF ethos, ACF history, aCF Org, red book test, Skills and drills) as a PI.

CTT run. Adult Instructor Training Course (MOI, field exercises etc) as a PI.

Promotiom to SI on reports of above received.

CTC run. Instructor Training Course. as a SI.

Promotion to SSI, in due course.

ARD, SR, LR and KGVI as deemed neccesary after SI.

Getting confused with mention of county run 'ITCs', are these the Adult Recruit Weekends for PIs?

It is not short Choc Frog, but the present view does seem to have taken a lot of account of problems which have been met. I think the new ALC course is on track in the Spring, there being I think two more KGVI before the change.

6. Approach. Figure 1 below summarises the revised induction process which aims to deliver progressive, standardised training across the ACF, making use of existing best practice.


Revised Induction Process
a. Familiarisation and Assessment Package. A number of Counties already run an assessment event and some have a programme of familiarisation for new adult volunteers. Taking best practice from across these Counties, this new package will be delivered at County level to ‘assess an individual’s suitability to serve as a youth leader in the ACF and at the same time provide potential adult volunteers with an insight into the organisation and the role of an ACF adult volunteer’. On completion of this package, the Assessment Board, chaired by the commandant will either select or reject individuals as potential volunteers in the ACF.

b. Selection and Enrolment Process. Following the Familiarisation and Assessment Package, the process for all successful candidates continues as at present, with formal selection by RFCA and the enrolment ceremony, conducted by the commandant. On completion, individuals will be appointed as a Probationary Instructor (PI) and appointed to a detachment.
c. Introduction Pack and PDR. The TDT has developed a ‘joining pack’ for all new adult members of the ACF along with a Personal Development Record (PDR) on which individuals can record their personal goals and achievements whilst serving in the ACF. These documents are downloadable from Westminster. As previously instructed, the Introduction Pack is to be issued by counties to all new adult volunteers during the enrolment process and the PDR within 6 months of enrolment.

d. Induction Training Review Findings. The TDT’s review of CFAV induction training identified that:

(1) Many new adults, especially those with no military background, were not comfortable with the subject matter in the APC syllabus and did not feel the training they received prepared them to a sufficient level of competence.

(2) Many new adults, including those with regular Army backgrounds, did not feel they were given sufficient information on the context within which they were working, (e.g. ACF ethos) nor were sufficiently prepared for:

(a) Understanding and working with young people.

(b) Applying safety and risk assessment procedures.

(c) Carrying out the required routine administration.

(3) All adults should receive some basic training in first aid procedures in order to be able to deal with or assist with incidents in the detachment.

(4) The current Methods of Instruction content is out of date and is focused on delivering training to adults, not to young people.

e. New Induction Training. Future induction training will be based on 3 courses: basic, intermediate and advanced. The first 2 of these will be a County responsibility and the final one a Brigade (CTT-delivered) responsibility. Counties will be given the flexibility to organise the material to be delivered at a combination of Detachment, Area and County level, depending upon local circumstances. They may also, if they wish, group together with other Counties to share the running of aspects of the training. The courses will each aim to achieve the following:

(1) Basic Induction Course. Ensure the adult is competent in all aspects of the APC syllabus to Basic level and is introduced to the ACF environment and working with cadets.

(2) Intermediate Induction Course Ensure the adult is competent in all aspects of the APC syllabus to One Star level, broaden their understanding of the ACF environment and develop their skills in working with cadets.

(3) Advanced Induction Course Ensure the adult is competent in all aspects of the APC syllabus to Two Star level and is able to deliver training to cadets in all subjects up to Two Star level, less Skill at Arms, Shooting and First Aid, all of which require additional formal qualifications.

(4) First Aid Training.All adults will receive first aid training during the Induction phase to enable them to deal with an emergency at Detachment level. The additional resource requirement for this training is minimal.
f. Leadership Training. One notable area where a deficiency in current training was identified was leadership, command and management. The TDT has been given, as a priority, the task of introducing more formal leadership into ACF CFAV training. Analysis in this area has resulted in the following developments:

(1) Introduction of more youth leadership, management and ACF ethos into induction training.

(2) The introduction of an Adult Leadership Course (ALC) to be run at the Cadet Training Centre, with the aim of preparing potential ACF Staff Sergeant Instructors, Lieutenants and Detachment Commanders for their future responsibilities.

(3) Future reviews of the KGVI, Area Comds’ and Senior Officers’ courses to include the need for relevant leadership training.

looking good.

What is the First aid instructor course likely to be?