SPT PSF FORCE WELFARE OFFICER

A vacancy has arisen for a warrant officer (Any) to serve as the Unit Welfare Officer at RAF Honington on Additional Duties Commitment Terms and Conditions of Service (TCoS), with an initial proposed start date of 29 July 2024 (or earlier, subject to candidate status). 

The successful candidate will be required to cover all the roles and responsibilities of a Welfare Officer in liaison with the regional Personal Support Flight. Primarily they will:

a.    provide direct support and assistance to serving RAF personnel and their families; and advise and signpost ex-serving RAF personnel and their families as required;

b.    supplement the delivery of welfare briefs and training as part of their duties; and,

c.    act as a conduit between regional Personal Support, wider Community Support, and outside agencies. 

The successful applicant will be required to undertake mandated training courses as required; namely,

a.    the RAF Community Support Course;

b.    Casualty Notifying and Visitor Officer Training; and,

c.    any other relevant courses as determined by Service policy.

• Must either have been, or currently be, a WO (Any) or a FS (Any) eligible for promotion in accordance with AP 3392 Vol 2 Leaflet 560 and AP 3376 Vol 1. All Promotions will be ratified by means of a Promotion Board. If an applicant has been out of full-time military service and is applying for a post on promotion, they will also need to send their civilian appraisals or equivalent to evidence recent skills, knowledge, and experience to be considered by the Promotion Board.
• A working knowledge of the Welfare Support system currently available within and outside the Military.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good standard of literacy and numeracy.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, Outlook etc).
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Experience of organising and prioritising own workload.
• Professional and polite when dealing with personnel and other agencies.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.

• Previous administrative experience within an office environment.

A Selection Board will carry out a rigorous selection process for this post, based principally on an applicant’s last 3 appraisal reports as required.  Enquiries concerning this vacancy should be made to:

Name:    Stn Cdr RAF Honington, Wg Cdr M Hayward

Tel:        +44 300 1587 824

Applications.  Candidate applications, with a maximum 2-page CV (to include copies of last 3 appraisal reports as required) should be sent to:

Joseph.perks108@mod.gov.uk

The closing date for applications is 29 March 2024 and interviews (unless prom board required) will take place week commencing 15 April 2024.

Unless already enlisted in the Reserve Air Forces the successful applicant will be required to be enlisted in the Royal Air Force Reserves with a liability for call-out for permanent service.

The appointment is on Additional Duties Commitment TCoS in accordance with AP 3392 Vol 7 Part 1 and AP3392 Vol 7 Part 3 Chapter 2 for an initial period of 4 years.

Confirmation of appointment will depend on successful completion of a RAF Medical Board.  Personnel who do not meet the Age/Permanent Joint Medical Employment Standard (PJMES) may apply for the appointment but will only be considered subject to an executive waiver process on a case-by-case basis.

Regular Service Applicants.  Personnel currently serving in the Regular Royal Air Force should be mindful of the current Early Termination Minimum Waiting Time (MWT) for their respective Rank, Profession and ensure this MWT is compatible with the post sponsor’s proposed start date, prior to applying.

Admin Discharge.  Ex-service candidates who have been administratively discharged through the KR1027 process will have their applications rejected as they are not eligible to join the RAF Reserves in accordance with AP 3391.

Pension Issues.  Personnel who qualify for a service pension should take financial advice from Defence Business Services (DBS) Pensions Department on the effect that undertaking reserve service has on their pension (details can be found on the JPA splash screen). Additional guidance can also be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans and MMP116 - Re-employment. Of particular note is reference to the ‘Effect of Re-employment’ on Commutation and, for those leaving on a ‘preserved’ pension, the Resettlement Grant.

Transition between TCoS.  Personnel taking this appointment from other TCoS should consider the impact on any accrued entitlements, such as leave, resettlement etc and should seek specialist guidance where required as certain entitlements are TCoS specific and may not be retained or transferred on transition between TCoS. 

Flexible Working Arrangements.  In accordance with the Flexible Working (FW) Policy, Reserve personnel can request FW arrangements with their line manager. Any immediate FW requirements should be agreed with the line management at the interview stage.

Individual Reinforcement Training (IRT) (Module 1) and RAF Fitness Test (RAFFT).  Reserve personnel are required to maintain currency in IRT and the RAFFT iaw the relevant TCoS.  The successful applicant will be expected to undertake IRT and the RAFFT within 6 months of commencing employment (if required).

Annual Salary and Leave.  Pay will be in accordance with the pay scales published for the reserve air forces.  Leave entitlement is detailed in JSP 760.

Accommodation. Personnel serving on FTRS(LC/HC)/ADC TCoS are eligible to occupy Single Living Accommodation (SLA) if available, at entitled rates, if serving within the Air Command TLB. However, due to recognised shortages across the Estate, it may be unlikely that accommodation will be available at RAF Honington.