AFF Germany - What we are working on
Employment for dependants
In British Forces Germany we are extremely reliant upon the military for many services that in the UK would be provided by different organisations, for example we all go to our local Medical Centre on camp which is run by the military, our children attend an SCE school or a nursery on camp. We are also very reliant upon the military for employment opportunities for spouses and dependant children of serving personnel.
However, to enable the medical centre to function and for children to be cared for in nurseries, or for us to be able to get our fuel coupons we all need dependants to take up these employment opportunities. This spring AFF Germany wants to hear from all dependants in BFG about their opinions on employment while posted here.
What motivates you to apply for a job? Would you consider a job in childcare? How many hours per week do you work and would you like to work? How easy is it to apply for a job and how do you hear about vacant positions? Do you want to work, but find it difficult to get childcare, or are you just not wishing to be in paid employment at the moment? We want to hear your thoughts to enable us to present our findings to the chain of command to help make improvements where required.
Our quick online survey can be found here and will only take five minutes of your time to complete. We will post the results of the survey on our latest news page in late May, so look out for the results and make sure that your voice is heard.
Foreign and Commonwealth
A large number of our enquiries are from Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers and their spouses. The first piece of advice that we give to everyone regarding any visa issues is that they must speak with their Unit Welfare Officer first. It is very important that Unit Welfare Officers are aware of the visa requirements for everyone in their units including the spouses and children of the serving soldier. AFF Germany is working closely with Unit Welfare offices and HQ BFG to ensure that families are taking that first step in the process. To access further information on Foreign and Commonwealth issues while posted to BFG visit the Foreign & Commonwealth in Germany pages on this website.
Childcare
Childcare continues to be a big issue for many families posted to BFG, waiting lists in nurseries are long and opening hours aren’t always suitable. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel with an agreement between SCE and AWS that SCE will take on the responsibility of the provision of childcare for children aged 0-5 from 1 April 2013.
Although April 2013 seems a long way off, families have the opportunity to shape this future provision as AFF Germany sits on a number of childcare working groups and your voice can be heard. If you have strong opinions on childcare provision in BFG, get in touch and let us know. This is a great opportunity for a real change and improvement for families in Germany so please email us at germany@aff.org.uk.
Allowances
This spring will see yet another cut to our Living Overseas Allowance (LOA). Although we have all known that it is coming, it will still see our bank balances significantly lighter as a result of the cut and making ends meet will be even harder. If you are struggling financially, don’t stick your head in the sand, there are lots of people available to help from the RBL and Citizens Advice. Please get in touch with us as we can signpost you in the right direction.
The future
Life in the Army has never been more uncertain, particularly here in Germany with the drawdown added to the redundancy worries. We will shortly be hearing the results of the review into the future of the Army and we will no doubt hear some news that will not be particularly palatable for many. When you do hear the results of the review make sure you let AFF know your opinion, good or bad, germany@aff.org.uk.
The 12th June will bring with it the results of the latest round of redundancies, for some this will be a wonderful opportunity and for others it will be a devastating blow. If you need any assistance with anything regarding redundancies please contact your local AFF Co-ordinator and they will be pleased to help.
If you do have an enquiry on anything ranging from housing to education, from dental to childcare, from jobs to debt then our Co-ordinators and team at branch office are always pleased to help, so pick up the phone, drop in to see us, send us an e-mail, or log on to facebook. Visit the Contact AFF Germany page for details.
Back to top
