report of raf famcas 2015 survey - royal air force raf famcas report 2015

HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team

RAF FAMILIES CONTINUOUS ATTITUDE SURVEY

Report of RAF FamCAS 2015 July 2015

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Summary Report Published: 30 July 2015 Issued by: HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team, RAF High Wycombe HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team: The HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team informs decisions to influence change by applying professional skills and knowledge to deliver outputs relevant to stakeholders in order that they can make evidence based policy decisions. The team has 3 main functions to: Inform, Advise & Challenge. Further information: Carley Brown SO2 Psych 2 Air-COSPers-Pol Psych2 SO2

Report of RAF Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) 2015 HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team Overview This summary report provides results from the RAF Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) 2015. A tri-Service report is published separately by Defence Statistics. The RAF report provides a summary of the key RAF findings highlighting differences between Officers and Other Ranks; presenting comparisons over time where trend data are available. The report is accompanied by data tables which present all of the 2015 survey data. The aim of FamCAS is to assess and monitor the views of spouses and civil partners of RAF personnel in key welfare areas, including family life, childcare, deployment, education, employment, healthcare, and housing. The data are used to aid the development and tracking of military personnel policies, informing Defence personnel programmes such as the New Employment Model and the Armed Forces Covenant. FamCAS was subject to a wide scale review of its content in 2014 resulting in a revised questionnaire for 2015. Key Points and Trends Compared to FamCAS 2014, responses to most questions are largely unchanged. More respondents feel supported by the RAF than in previous years and most know where to access welfare support if required. Some elements of Service life continue to impact negatively on RAF families, and increasing numbers of spouses would feel positive if the Service person left the RAF. The majority of RAF families own a home although over half of respondents were living in SFA/SSFA. Most spouses were satisfied with the condition and charges of their accommodation but were dissatisfied with areas relating to maintenance/repairs of SFA. RAF spouses continue to experience difficulties relating to employment and training, including having to leave civilian jobs due to Service reasons. Many RAF spouses have experienced difficulties with finding employment; including those who have accompanied the SP on an overseas tour. Most RAF families with children did not experience any difficulties accessing childcare, and were satisfied with the access, quality, cost and opening hours of local childcare facilities. Most RAF families with children of school age did not experience any problems with their schooling; although some indicated that gaining a place at the school of their choice was problematic. Continuation of healthcare treatment appears to be problematic for RAF families as RAF respondents reported significantly greater difficulties with continuing/accessing treatment after moving to a new location than Army or RN spouses.

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FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS – CONTENTS

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - LARGEST CHANGES SINCE 2014

1

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - RANK DIFFERENCES

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FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS

Summary 3 Report structure 4 Key findings per section Section A – About You 5 Section B – Service Life 6-7 Section C - Housing 8-10 Section D – Employment & Training 11-14 Section E - Deployment 15-20 Section F - Healthcare 21-22 Section G – Childcare & Children’s Education 23-25 Section H – Armed Forces Covenant 26-27 Section I – Well-being 28 Section J – Additional Comments 28

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - BACKGROUND INFORMATION

29

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS – METHODOLOGY

30

ANNEX A - Copy of RAF FamCAS 2015 questionnaire (separate document)

A-1

ANNEX B - Tri-Service FamCAS 2015 reference tables (separate document)

B-1

ANNEX C - RAF Only FamCAS items 2015 reference tables (separate document)

C-1

ANNEX D - Comments Analysis 2015 (separate document)

D-1

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FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - LARGEST CHANGES SINCE 2014

What’s going up?

What’s going down?

Negative direction Satisfaction with quality of life being married to/in a civil

partnership with a member of the RAF (56%, 9% decrease)

Positive direction Agreement that spouses/civil partners of SP are well supported by

the RAF (32%, 5% increase)

Knowing where to access support from the RAF if required (65%, 7% increase)

Declaring as a member of the Armed Forces Community when accessing public and commercial services (33%, 9% increase)

Negative direction

47% would feel positive if the SP left the RAF (6% increase)

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FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS – MAIN RANK DIFFERENCES

Partners of Officers Areas of positivity

More likely to own their own home More satisfied with elements of SFA/SSFA including overall standard; value for money; response to requests for maintenance/repair; fairness of allocation;

security; cleanliness when moving in More likely to have heard of the Armed Forces Covenant More likely to feel positive regarding Service provided facilities; family income/allowances; and knowing other military families More likely to feel proud of the SP’s Service More likely to feel positive regarding job security More satisfied with availability and quality of out of school activities run by the school More satisfied with support received before SP deployed including welfare support; direct contact with SP’s Chain of Command; and facilities and events to

meet other military families Areas of negativity

More likely to feel negative regarding impact of Service life on their career More likely to feel negative regarding frequency of house moves More likely to live separately from the SP during the working week More likely to have moved in the last 12 months for Service reasons

Partners of Other Ranks Areas of positivity

More likely to feel advantaged in regards to housing and healthcare when compared to general public More satisfied with access to, quality of and opening hours of local childcare facilities More satisfied with availability and quality of out of school activities run by Local Authority/Third Party Less likely to have experienced difficulties with their children’s schooling in the last 12 months More satisfied with welfare support received during and after the SP’s deployment Areas of negativity More likely to feel negative regarding opportunities to travel

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FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS Summary 1. The following are the key findings from the 2015 RAF version of the Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS). Background information on the survey and a description of the methodology can be found at the end of this report. The results are set out in section order following the survey structure and highlighting the 2015 figures, statistically significant differences between the current year and previous years, and differences between spouses/civil partners of Officers and Other Ranks (OR). 2. Of note in 2014 FamCAS underwent an extensive review whereby the purpose and content of the survey were re-evaluated to provide more useful and robust evidence which could be benchmarked against other data sources (eg Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey). Subsequently, FamCAS 2015 was a revised questionnaire version; a number of new items have been added and the time series (ie trends) for some existing items has been disrupted due to these amendments. 3. Overall, the FamCAS results are largely unchanged from 2014. Officers’ families tended to respond more positively in many areas than OR families. Significant improvements have been made in areas which were a source of discontent in 2014 such as RAF families knowing where to access welfare support. Areas such as separation from the Service Person (SP) and continuity of one’s own career remain problematic. 4. Impact of RAF lifestyle on family. This year significantly more respondents felt well supported by the RAF than in previous years, and increasing numbers of spouses knew where to access welfare support from the RAF if required. Many respondents reported that the SP was able to take annual leave at a time which suited their family, although making long-term plans continued to be problematic. Despite support, the 2015 survey results reveal a significant decrease in the amount of spouses who are satisfied with their life being married to/in a civil partnership with a member of the RAF; and the number of RAF spouses who would feel positive if the SP were to leave the RAF has risen significantly. 5. Accommodation. The majority of RAF respondents own a home and a large percentage of those who did not own a home are currently saving to buy one. Those who do not own a home most often reported being unable to afford one at present, or wanting to move with the SP when they were posted. Although most own a home, just over half of respondents are living in SFA/SSFA, the majority of which are satisfied with the condition of and charges for their accommodation. The areas in which spouses are most dissatisfied with their SFA are responses to requests for maintenance/repairs and the quality of maintenance/repair work. 6. Spousal employment and training. In keeping with previous survey findings, RAF spouses continue to experience difficulties with employment, including having to leave civilian jobs due to Service reasons. A large number of RAF spouses have experienced difficulties with finding employment; including those who have accompanied the SP on an overseas tour. Many respondents indicate that they would like to work for financial reasons or their own fulfilment; however half of RAF respondents feel unable to pursue a career whilst the SP is in the RAF. Despite these issues, RAF spouses continue to be more likely to be in full-time employment than their counterparts in the other Services. 7. Assignments and operational tours. The majority of RAF spouses were satisfied with the amount of notice given to the SP before an assignment. When assigned, respondents were satisfied with the information provided by their new duty station in areas such as childcare and housing, but dissatisfied with the information provided regarding local employment opportunities for spouses. In relation to operational tours, RAF spouses continue to report satisfaction with the support received before, after and during the SP’s deployment; however dissatisfaction with the amount of separation from the SP during pre-deployment training continues to be high.

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8. Healthcare. The majority of RAF families reported being able to access NHS or private healthcare services in the last 12 months without difficulty. Despite this, RAF respondents report significantly greater difficulties with continuing/accessing treatment after moving to a new location than Army or RN spouses. Furthermore, one fifth of RAF respondents report feeling disadvantaged in the area of healthcare when compared to the general public; a higher figure than the other Services. 9. Children’s education. In keeping with previous survey findings, most RAF families with children did not experience any difficulties accessing childcare, and reported satisfaction with access, quality, cost and opening hours of local childcare facilities. Most RAF families with children of school age did not experience any problems with their schooling; although some indicated that gaining a place at the school of their choice was problematic. Report structure 10. This report includes the 2015 RAF FamCAS results as well as comparisons with previous years’ results and where appropriate comparisons with other Services. In an effort to be more ‘user-friendly’ the report contains limited narrative; instead providing the data in tabular format. Companion reports on ‘hot topics’ as well as interpretative summaries will be produced as supplements. 11. The report consists of:

A summary – outlining the main findings and contextual information. Key RAF FamCAS 2015 findings – outlining the summary findings of the survey. Background information – outlining the context and background to the survey. Methodology – a detailed explanation of the methodology used in the survey.

12. Annex A (supplied separately) is a copy of the 2015 RAF Families Survey. All data tables with responses for each question are provided in Annex B (tri-Service report including item tables) and C (RAF only item tables). Annex D provides a summary of written comments included with the surveys.

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Key findings by section

Key figures

Statistically significant changes

since 2014


since 2011

Notable comments Table ref (Annexes B, C & D)

Biographical Information

The majority of respondents were female (88%)

Unchanged NA B1.1

Most were aged between 25-49 (86%)

Unchanged NA B1.2

83% were living in England at the time of completing the survey

Unchanged NA C1.1

Living arrangements

27% have moved in the last 12 months for Service reasons

Unchanged NA The majority have not moved (65%)

B1.7

81% are living with the SP during the working week

New item for 2015 NA B1.3

Of those who are living separately from the SP during the working week, 68% see the SP weekly

New item for 2015 NA More Officer families see the SP weekly than OR families

B1.4

73% reported that in the last 12 months, the SP has spent between 1-6 months away from home for Service reasons


Armed Forces experience

Section A – About you Section A asks individuals to provide biographical information such as gender, age and location. In 2015, questions were added to this section relating to living arrangements and separation from the serving person (SP) during the working week.

71% have never served in the Armed Forces

Unchanged NA B1.8

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Key figures

Statistically

significant changes since 2014


since 2011


Section B – Service Life Service family life

56% are satisfied with their quality of life being married to/in a civil partnership with a member of the RAF

9% decrease NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

C2.1

32% agree that spouses/civil partners of SP are well supported by the RAF

5% increase NA C2.3

50% agree that the SP is able to take annual leave at a time which suits the family

New item for 2015

NA Officer families agree more than OR families

C2.4

69% report that they are not able to make long term plans as a family

New item for 2015

NA C2.5

75% perceive that family relationships are affected by Service life

New item for 2015


C2.6

47% would feel positive if the SP left the RAF

6% increase NA OR families agree more than Officer families

C2.7

Section B asks questions relating to quality of life as a spouse/civil partner of a SP, including the impact of Service on family/home life. It also gauges respondent satisfaction with the welfare support services available to RAF families.

(Continued on next page)

33% declare themselves as a member of the Armed Forces Community when accessing public and commercial services

9% increase NA Officer families higher than OR families

C2.2

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Welfare support 65% know where to access support from the RAF if required

7% increase NA Officer families higher than OR families

C2.8

84% have heard of SSAFA and 14% have used this service. Of those that have used SSAFA, 77% are satisfied

No trend data available

NA C2.9

65% have heard of the RAF Families Federation and 5% have used it. Of those that have used this service, 76% are satisfied


NA C2.9

81% have heard of the HIVE and 40% have used it. Of those that have used the HIVE, 84% are satisfied


NA C2.9

Section B – Service Life (Continued)

48% have heard of RAF Community Support and 8% have used it. Of those that have used it, 77% are satisfied


NA C2.9

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Home ownership

66% of RAF families own their own home

Unchanged 4% increase More Officer families own a home than OR families

B7.1

39% are living in the home that they own

Unchanged Unchanged More Officer families living in own home than OR families

B7.2

18% do not own a home but are currently saving to buy one

New item for 2015 NA More OR families saving for a home than Officer families

B7.2

Top four reasons for not currently owning a home:

Unable to afford to buy a home at present (60%)

Unchanged Unchanged OR families agree more than Officer families

B7.8

Want to be able to move with the SP when he/she is posted (46%)

Unchanged 14% increase Officer families agree more than OR families

B7.5

Living in Service accommodation is better suited to my family’s needs at present (40%)

Unchanged 10% increase Officer families agree more than OR families

B7.4

Do not want to buy a house where we are currently located (35%)

Unchanged Unchanged Officer families agree more than OR families

B7.6

Accommodation type/preferences

54% live in SFA Unchanged Unchanged B7.12

71% would prefer to live in a privately owned home

Unchanged NA B7.13

62% are currently living in their preferred type of accommodation

Unchanged NA Officer families higher than OR families

B7.14

Section C - Housing

Section C asks questions relating to accommodation and home ownership. It seeks to measure difficulties experienced by Service families in buying a home, as well as satisfaction with Service provided accommodation and associated services.


34% are not currently living in a privately owned home but would prefer to be

Unchanged NA OR families higher than Officer families

B7.14

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Service accommodation

Of those living in SFA/SSFA

61% are satisfied with the overall standard

New item for 2015 NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

B7.15

76% are satisfied with the value for money


43% are satisfied with the response to requests for maintenance/repair


B7.17

42% are dissatisfied with the quality of maintenance/repair work


44% are satisfied with how fairly Service accommodation is allocated


B7.19

62% are satisfied with the security of their SFA/SSAFA

Unchanged NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

B7.20

56% were satisfied with the cleanliness of their accommodation when moving in

Unchanged NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

B7.21

Distance to duty station

28% of respondents live less than a mile from the SP’s duty station

New item for 2015 NA More OR families living closer than Officer families

C3.1

38% live between 1-19 miles from the SP’s duty station

New item for 2015 NA C3.1

Station facilities

Of all respondents:

19% rated the standard of the on-base convenience shop as good


NA Majority did not use this facility (38%)

C3.2

Section C – Housing (Continued)


35% rated the standard of the HIVE as good



C3.3

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


31% rated the standard of the Messes as good


NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

C3.4

43% rated the standard of the station gym/sports facilities as good


NA C3.5

22% rated the standard of the station community centre as good



C3.6

17% rated the standard of the station education/training facilities as good



C3.7

25% rated the standard of the station play areas as good



C3.8

12% rated the standard of the station youth clubs as good



C3.9

10% rated the standard of the station families’ clubs as good



C3.10

Section C – Housing (Continued)

13% rated the standard of Service provided childcare as good.



C3.11

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Education

9% of spouses or their families have experienced problems accessing further or higher education as a result of Service life

New item for 2015

NA OR families higher than Officer families

B5.1

8% of spouses or their families have experienced difficulties continuing a course they had previously started as a result of Service life

New item for 2015

NA B5.2

23% have had to leave a civilian job or long-term training programme due to Service reasons in the last 12 months

New item for 2015 NA OR families higher than Officer families

C4.1

Employment status

49% of spouses/civil partners are in full-time employment

Unchanged Unchanged RAF higher than other Services. B5.6

23% of spouses/civil partners are in part-time employment

Unchanged Unchanged B5.7

6% of spouses/civil partners are self-employed


5% of spouses/civil partners are not employed but are seeking employment


Full-time employment

Section D – Employment & Training Section D measures the impact of Service life on the training, education and employment of RAF spouses. It asks questions relating to qualifications, and experiences of finding and maintaining employment.

6% of those who are in full-time employment would like to work longer hours at their current rate of pay, given the opportunity

Unchanged Unchanged OR families higher than Officer families

B5.16


74% of those in full time employment are satisfied with their job overall


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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


72% of those in full-time employment are satisfied that their qualifications match their job


73% of those in full-time employment are satisfied that their job matches their skills and experience


Part time employment 38% of those who are in part-time employment would like to work longer hours at their current rate of pay, given the opportunity

Unchanged Unchanged RAF lower than other Services B5.17

68% of those in part-time employment are satisfied with their job overall


B5.23

59% of those in part-time employment are satisfied that their qualifications match their job


B5.26

62% of those in part-time employment are satisfied that their job matches their skills and experience


B5.29

Finding employment 13% have experienced difficulty claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance due to being married to/in a civil partnership with a member of the RAF


NA OR families experienced more difficulty than Officer families

C4.2

Section D – Employment & Training (Continued)

34% of spouses/civil partners have been looking for a job in the last 12 months


B5.31


Of those who are seeking employment, 65% reported that they have experienced difficulties

New item for 2015 NA Officer families higher than OR families

B5.32

13

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Top 4 difficulties experienced in finding suitable employment:

Having a spouse in the Armed Forces (45%)


B5.37

Having a spouse who is often away (43%)


Employment history (ie changing jobs frequently) (42%)


B5.34

Access to quality and affordable childcare (40%)


B5.38

200 respondents provided free text comments regarding additional difficulties they had experienced These included:

Free text response Free text response D1.1

Being based in a remote location (11%)


Lack of suitable job opportunities in the area in chosen career field or at the right level (10%)


Lack of jobs in the area (9%) Free text response Free text response D1.1

Overseas employment

9% of families have accompanied the SP on an overseas assignment in the last 12 months

Unchanged Unchanged Officer families higher than OR families

B5.3

Of those who have accompanied the SP on an overseas assignment:


(Continued on next page) 18% have obtained paid employment without difficulty


B5.4

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Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


22% have obtained paid employment but with difficulty


B5.4

34% have been unable to obtain paid employment


36% were able to access Service-provided information before moving overseas without difficulty


B5.5

A further 36% accessed this information but with difficulty


B5.5

17% were unable to access Service-provided information before moving overseas


Attitudes to employment

50% disagree that they are able to pursue a career whilst the SP is in the RAF


NA Officer families disagree more than OR families

C4.3

74% agree that they need to work for financial reasons


NA OR families agree more than Officer families

C4.4


86% agree that they need to work for their own fulfilment



C4.5

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


70% of spouses/civil partners rated the length of accompanied assignments as about right


NA C5.1

50% rated the length of unaccompanied assignments as too long


NA OR families rated higher than Officer families

C5.2

54% are satisfied with the amount of notice the SP was given for their current assignment


Station supplied information Of those who have moved in the last 12 months for Service reasons (27%):

54% are satisfied with the information provided by the new duty station for housing


C5.4

38% are satisfied with the information provided by the new duty station for children’s education/childcare

New item for 2015 NA OR families more satisfied than Officer families

C5.5

38% are satisfied with the information provided by the new duty station for healthcare


49% are dissatisfied with the information provided by the new duty station on own employment opportunities

New item for 2015 NA OR families more dissatisfied than Officer families

C5.7

Section E – Deployment - Assignments These questions are related to satisfaction with the SP’s assignments and the station-provided information received when assigned.

37% are satisfied with the information provided by the new duty station on local amenities


C5.8

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Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Operational tours Section E – Deployment -

Operational Tours 63% report that the SP has been on an operational tour in the last 2 years

Unchanged NA

B4.1

83% report that the SP’s most recent operational tour lasted between 0-6 months with 42% reporting that the tour lasted between 4-6 months


NA C6.5

Attitudes on operational tours Of all respondents: 45% agree that the prospect of the SP doing an operational tour is a problem


NA C6.1

49% report that coping whilst the SP is on an operational tour is a problem



C6.2

Of those whose spouse/civil partner had deployed in the last 2 years (63%):

48% regard the length of the SP’s most recent operational tour as too long



C6.6

39% are dissatisfied with the amount of separation from the SP during pre-deployment training


NA C6.7

58% are satisfied with the ability of the SP to spend time with them/their family during their post operational deployment leave


NA C6.8

Of those that have children and their spouse has deployed in the last 2 years (43%):

61% agree that their children’s behaviour is negatively affected when the SP is on an operational tour


NA C6.3

These questions seek to measure RAF families’ experiences of the SP being deployed. They relate to attitudes regarding deployment, and satisfaction with the information and support provided to families before, during and after operational tours. (Continued on next page)

76% agree that the relationship between the children and the SP is disrupted by operational tours


NA C6.4

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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Welfare support

64% of RAF spouses know where to go for Service-provided welfare support/information during operational tours

Unchanged NA B4.2

Support/information received before the SP’s most recent operational tour

Of those whose spouse/partner was deployed within the last 2 years (63%):

56% received a Hive Deployment Support Pack



C6.9

82% received a Compassionate Travel From Overseas card


NA C6.10

50% were made aware of the RAF Community website



C6.11

74% were made aware of the Point of Contact (POC) scheme


NA C6.12

28% were able to access pre-deployment family briefings, either face to face or remotely


NA C6.13

Satisfaction levels with support before the most recent tour


Section E – Deployment - Operational Tours (Continued)


38% were satisfied with the information and support they received prior to the SP’s operational tour


NA Officer families more satisfied than OR families

C6.14

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Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


46% were satisfied with the welfare support used


B4.3

41% were satisfied with support received from the SP’s Chain of Command


B4.4

29% were satisfied with facilities and events to meet other spouses and families

New item for 2015 NA

B4.5

Support/information received during the SP’s most recent operational tour

Of those whose spouse was deployed in the last 2 years and they had accessed welfare support during the SP’s last operational tour (27%):

58% used the Hive No trend data available

NA C6.15

25% spoke to the relevant Chain of Command


NA C6.15

18% used the Community Support Team


NA C6.15

144 respondents made free text comments regarding welfare support accessed. 22% said they used the POC scheme and a further 7% spoke to friends & family

Free text response NA D1.2

Section E – Deployment - Operational Tours (Continued) (Continued on next page)

Of the comments made, 24% said no support was accessed and 6% said no support was available


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Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Satisfaction levels with support during the most recent tour




B4.6



34% were satisfied with facilities and events to meet with other spouses and families

New item for 2015 NA

B4.8

60% were satisfied with the lines of communication with the SP


47% were satisfied with support offered by the POC scheme


Satisfaction levels with support after the most recent tour








24% were satisfied with facilities and events to meet with other spouses and families


B4.12

20

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


SP operational tour experiences


34% felt that the SP’s behaviour changed as a result of their experiences on operational tour


NA C6.17

Of the 34% that felt the SP’s behaviour had changed:

76% perceived the change to have had a negative impact on themselves or their family


NA C6.18

33% said the behaviour change lasted a few weeks


NA C6.19

37% said the behaviour change lasted a few months


NA C6.19

22% said that either they, or the SP sought professional help


NA C6.20

77% did not seek professional help No trend data available

NA C6.20

Top reasons for not seeking professional help:

RAF families dealt with the behaviour changes themselves (18%)


They felt that the SP needed time to readjust to family life (18%)


They had experienced the SP’s behaviour change before following previous tours / behaviour change was expected / they knew how to deal with it (13%)



The SP did not wish to seek support (7%)


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Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Access to healthcare services

Of those who have children and/or are not currently serving in the Armed Forces (96%), in the last 12 months:

50% of RAF families were able to access dental treatment without difficulty


73% of RAF families were able to access GP services without difficulty


6% of RAF families were able to access mental health treatment without difficulty

New item for 2015 NA The majority did not require access to this service (88%)

B6.3

47% of RAF families were able to access hospital or specialist services


Access to healthcare after moving

Of those who have moved in the last 12 months, have children and/or are not currently serving in the Armed Forces (32%):

8% were able to continue dental treatment in their new location without difficulty


B6.5

27% were able to continue accessing GP services in their new location without difficulty


B6.6

2% were able to continue accessing mental health treatment in their new location without difficulty


B6.7

Section F - Healthcare

This section contains tri-Service items relating to access to NHS or private healthcare services which are not Service provided. The questions also measure difficulties experienced by Service families in accessing healthcare facilities after moving to a new location.


15% were able to continue hospital or specialist treatment without difficulty


B6.8

22

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Section F – Healthcare (Continued)

Of those who required access to healthcare treatment in the last 12 months, RAF spouses were significantly more likely to experience difficulties with continuation of treatment when compared to the other Services

NA NA B6

22% of respondents or their children had been on the waiting list for an operation/consultants appointment in the last 12 months


Of those, 36% said their waiting time had increased as a result of moving


23

Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Family make up

72% of RAF spouses/civil partners have children

Unchanged NA B3.1

35% of RAF families have at least one child under the age of 5

Unchanged NA B3.2

39% of RAF families have at least one child aged 5-17 years

Unchanged NA B3.3

Childcare

Of those who have children (72%):

48% have required access to childcare in the last 12 months


Of those who needed childcare (48%):

87% were able to access childcare New item for 2015 NA B3.8

112 respondents made free text comments regarding difficulties associated with access to childcare


Top difficulties experienced in accessing childcare:

Lack of flexibility of childcare facilities/opening times (14%)


Childcare too expensive (12%) Free text response NA D1.4

Negative experiences of childcare overseas (11%)


Limited spaces in childcare facilities (9%)


Section G – Childcare & Children’s Education

This section asks respondents with children questions relating to their age and education status. It seeks to measure the difficulties that Service families may experience relating to access and content of children’s education. It also asks respondents how satisfied they are with out-of-school provision and/or childcare facilities.

(Continued on next page) Lack of childcare facilities in local area/childcare too far away (9%)


24

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Of those who needed childcare (48%):

79% are satisfied with access to local childcare facilities


B3.9

77% are satisfied with the quality of local childcare facilities


B3.10

47% are satisfied with the cost of local childcare facilities


66% are satisfied with the opening hours of local childcare facilities


B3.12

Children’s education

42% of RAF families have children of school age


77% of RAF families have at least one child in a state school


B3.14

8% have at least one child in an independent boarding school


B3.16

6% have at least one child at a Service school


B3.17

14% receive Continuity of Education Allowance


B3.19

27% said their children have changed school in the last 12 months


Section G – Childcare & Children’s Education (Continued)


19% said their children have changed school in the last 12 months for service reasons


25

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Satisfaction with out of school activities

57% are satisfied with the availability of out of school activities run by schools


B3.21

60% are satisfied with the quality of out of school activities run by schools


38% are satisfied with the availability of out of school activities run by the Local Authority or third party


B3.23

37% are satisfied with the quality of out of school activities run by the Local Authority or third party


B3.24

Top difficulties with schooling in the last 12 months:

68% did not experience any difficulties


Gaining a place at a school of their choice (10%)


Distance to school (9%) New item for 2015 NA B3.27

Not enough places at local school (8%)


Section G – Childcare & Children’s Education (Continued)

Unsuitable education standard at local school (8%)


26

Key figures


since 2014


since 2011


Awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant

41% of RAF families have never heard of the Armed Forces Covenant


B2.3

34% have heard of the Armed Forces Covenant and know a little about it


B2.3

Comparisons with general public in key Covenant areas

29% of RAF families feel advantaged when compared to the general public in relation to housing

New item for 2015 NA OR families feel more advantaged than Officer families

B2.4

25% of RAF families feel disadvantaged when compared to the general public in relation to education

New item for 2015 NA Officer families feel more disadvantaged than OR families

B2.5

20% of RAF families feel disadvantaged when compared to the general public in relation to healthcare

New item for 2015 NA Officer families feel more disadvantaged than OR families

B2.6

A summary of free text comments made in relation to areas of advantage/disadvantage is available at Annex D Areas of Service life families feel positive about:

Pride in their spouse/civil partner being in the Service (77%)

New item for 2015 NA Officer families more positive than OR families

B2.18

The SP’s job security (59%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more positive than OR families

B2.19

Knowing other military families (43%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more positive than OR families

B2.13

RAF provided facilities (32%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more positive than OR families

B2.9

Family income/allowances (32%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more positive than OR families

B2.12

Section H – Armed Forces Covenant

This section seeks to measure respondents’ awareness and understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant. It includes questions relating to areas of Service life which spouses feel positive or negative about, and any areas of particular disadvantage they may experience in comparison to the general public.

(Continued on next page) Opportunities to travel (29%) New item for 2015 NA B2.17

27

Key figures

Statistically significant

changes since 2014


since 2011


Areas of Service life families feel negative about:

Amount of separation from their spouse (57%)


Effect on their career (55%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more negative than OR families

B2.7

Effect on their children (42%) New item for 2015 NA B2.8 Frequency of house moves (38%) New item for 2015 NA Officer families more negative

than OR families B2.11

Effect on their relationship with the SP (34%)


Prospects of buying/renting their own home (32%)

New item for 2015 NA OR families more negative than Officer families

B2.16

Social support for their family (20%) New item for 2015 NA B2.14 Electoral registration

81% of RAF spouses/civil partners are registered to vote and registered without difficulties


4% are registered to vote but experienced difficulties with registration


Of those who are registered to vote (85%):

B2.2

87% are registered as an ordinary/residential voter


Section H – Armed Forces Covenant (Continued)

8% are registered as a Service voter New item for 2015 NA B2.2

28

Key figures

Statistically



since 2011


Wellbeing

Participants rated the following items on an 11 point scale: 0 (not at all) to 11 (completely) 62% gave a rating of 7 or more regarding satisfaction with their life nowadays


C8.1

60% gave a rating of 7 or more regarding how happy they felt yesterday


C8.2

16% gave a rating of 7 or more regarding how anxious they felt yesterday


68% gave a rating of 7 or more regarding the extent to which they feel the things they do in their life are worthwhile


Section I – Well-being

This section includes questions developed by the Office for National Statistics on Well-being. These items are also included in the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS).

Section J – Additional Comments

A summary of additional free text comments made by respondents is available at Annex D

29

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - BACKGROUND INFORMATION Introduction and Background 13. The HQ Air Occupational Psychology team is tasked by RAF Community Support to carry out an annual investigation into the attitudes and experiences of the families of RAF personnel on a range of issues associated with being married to/in a civil partnership with a member of the RAF. It is a questionnaire that has been distributed since Mar 95 and has evolved based on the changing nature of Service life and stakeholder requirements. 14. In collaboration with the other single Services, a set of harmonised questions, known generically as the Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS), are included within the questionnaire. These were introduced in 2010 to inform the work of the Armed Forces Covenant team. Chief of Defence People has overall governance for these items; however they are embedded within single Service Families Surveys and remain the responsibility of each Service. For the RAF, SO2 Psych 2 of the HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team is the FamCAS lead. In 2012 the FamCAS items were classified as an Official Statistic. The survey also contains a set of RAF-only items which were developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders. 15. Statistics from FamCAS are used by both internal MOD teams and external bodies to inform the development of policy and measure the impact of decisions affecting Service families, including major programmes such as the Armed Forces Covenant and New Employment Model (NEM). 16. The aim of this report is to present the findings from the 2015 administration of the survey. Context 17. FamCAS 2015 was distributed at a time of significant change for the MOD, including the end of operations in Afghanistan and the continuation of high-level change programmes such as Future Force 2020 and NEM. FamCAS 2015 was conducted at a time of public sector pay restraint, continued austerity and impending political change. FamCAS survey content 18. In 2014, FamCAS was reviewed by an internal working group in consultation with relevant stakeholders with the objective of revising the questionnaire to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. The revised version of FamCAS was also subject to external consultation and was released in Feb 15. The revised questionnaire is shorter than recent versions and contains items which are more closely aligned to stakeholder and policy needs. Where possible, items have been retained to provide trend data. 19. The survey itself is divided into 10 sections on the following topics: Section A: Biographical Information Section B: Service life Section C: Housing Section D: Employment & Training Section E: Deployment Section F: Healthcare Section G: Childcare & Children’s education Section H: Armed Forces Covenant Section I: Well-being Section J: Additional Comments 20. Annex A (supplied separately) is a copy of the 2015 RAF Families Survey. All data tables with responses for each question are provided in Annex B (tri-Service items) and C (RAF-only

30

items). A summary of written comments provided by participants within the surveys is provided in Annex D.

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS – METHODOLOGY 21. Target population. The target population for FamCAS 2015 was the sampled Regular SP spouses/civil partners. Spouses of Special Forces and those who were deployed on operational tours at the time the survey sample was drawn from the Joint Personnel Administration system were excluded from the study. 22. Administration of the 2015 FamCAS. FamCAS 2015 was in the field from Feb-May 15. The survey was sent to a total of 7546 RAF spouses or civil partners. The sample was stratified by rank to ensure it was representative of the RAF at the time of distribution (for instance, if 20% of the RAF was composed of Cpls, 20% of the sample would consist of spouses of Cpls). The surveys were distributed by mail via the serving person for them to pass on to their spouse/civil partner to complete1. 23. The survey is completely anonymous. Individual level data are only available to a small group of civilian researchers working on analysis and report production but this does not contain any identifier which can be linked back to the Service person or their spouse/civil partners. 24. Response Rates. In total, 1947 completed questionnaires were returned, representing an overall response rate of 26%; a 3% increase on 2014. Low response rates to the survey are likely related to the annual census sampling employed for some geographical locations; the large number of items contained within the survey; as well as the administrative procedure of distributing the survey via the serving person. In 2015, email reminders were sent to the serving person to check they had received the survey and encourage them to pass it on to their spouse/civil partner. This may have assisted in increasing the 2015 response rates to the survey. 25. Analysis. The majority of the survey consists of FamCAS items with data analysis provided by Defence Statistics. The remainder of the survey contains RAF-specific items which have been analysed by SO2 Psych 2 of the HQ Air Occupational Psychology team. 26. To compensate for disproportionate representation of different rank groups in the Families sample, adjusted weighting figures were derived from Defence Statistics calculations and applied to all data considered in this document. The percentages presented in the report represent the responses given by individuals to questions they found directly relevant. Unless otherwise stated, ‘not applicable’, ‘don’t know’, and missing values (where respondents have not provided a response/valid response) have been excluded from the analysis. 27. Attitudinal questions in the questionnaires have generally been regrouped to assist in analysing results and to aid interpretation. For example, questions asked at a 5-point level (eg Strongly agree – Agree – Neither Agree nor Disagree – Disagree – Strongly Disagree) have been regrouped to a 3-point level (eg Agree – Neutral – Disagree). 28. Statistical testing. Where applicable, significance tests at a 1% alpha level were used to test whether observed estimates were significantly different to estimates from previous surveys. A statistically significant difference means that there is enough evidence that the change observed is unlikely to be due to chance variation (less than a 1% probability that the difference is the result of chance alone). Note that significant increases do not necessarily refer to an improvement. A significant increase in dissatisfaction, for example, is unlikely to be considered an improvement.

1 It is not yet possible to send surveys directly to Service personnel spouses/civil partners as MOD neither has the consent nor holds sufficient contact details for spouses/civil partners to contact them directly for research.

report of raf famcas 2015 survey - royal air force raf famcas report 2015

Documents

raf report

raf spouses

raf respondents

majority of raf families

key raf findings

summary report

triservice report

survey data