Family Support

Introduction

This area of the website is intended to provide general guidance for those who are coping with life’s general 'ups and downs' and who may need a listening ear or a gentle steer in the direction of some expert advice, receipt of which would soon see you safely back on route to 'normal' family life (if there is such a thing!). If you are reading this page and you have specific concerns about housing, finance, health or educational issues, please click on the relevant pages as these will take you direct to pages that deal specifically with those issues.

For those facing a particular family crisis, the pages provide useful links to some outstanding organisations whose very existence is to support you and those in similar circumstances who just need that little bit of extra support and who need a confidential service that can deliver sound advice and practical support where required.

If the family has a deployment coming up there are notes on what to expect and useful check lists and tips on how to keep the family functioning as normally as is possible, who to contact and other bits of advise. If, in this section you think we have missed something important then do get in touch.

Support Available

It’s almost impossible to summarise on a few pages the sorts of problems that a family may confront and the agencies available to support them. This page seeks to summarise the main agencies available and to guide you towards the most appropriate support agency for you and your family.

One source of support is clearly the on-base welfare support staffs, all of whom can offer confidential and expert advice. You may wish to confide in the padre, the medical officer, the SSAFA Social Work Practitioner, the HIVE Information Officer or a member of the Personnel Management Squadron staff. Flight and Squadron Commanders also have a Line Management responsibility for their subordinates and a duty of care to support them and their families, particularly when the uniformed family member is away from home. So, whilst most serving personnel and their families have a natural and understandable reluctance to approach anyone in the chain of command for help, we do encourage you to at least consider whether they may be best placed to offer the support you need, particularly if your problem has the potential to impact on the Serviceperson’s ability to do his/her primary duty.

Keeping in Touch

Our Website

Keep an eye on the RAF Families Federation website homepage and news listing for up-to-date news and developments, (the website is updated daily) The site carries stories of interest to anyone in the RAF family or associated with it.

RAFCOM

It would be remiss of us if we did not draw your attention to RAFCOM, the RAF Community Support website which is available to all via the Internet and/or Intranet. RAFCOM has over 1,000 pages of useful information and links that cover a vast range of family-related issues. Where possible, we have linked our site to the relevant RAFCOM pages but, if you can’t find what you are looking for here, RAFCOM may well have the answer.

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service)

BFBS has always had the intention of informing and entertaining military personnel, whereever they may be in the world. Now on DAB radio and with more TV channels they increasing their reach. BFBS as well as being good entertainment and will carry items of new and interest and have a relevance for the whole Service Community. To visit their website Click here

Web Based Forum and Discussion sites

These sites do not come with our recommendation but they never-the-less discuss Service issues which maybe useful.

Mumsnet By Parents for Parents

PPRuNe The Professional Pilots Rumour Network

E-Goat The Totally Unofficial RAF Rumour Network

ModOracle An unofficial resources for military information.

HM Forces A Service Community Site

RAF associated Facebook groups

(WAGS - Wives and Girlfriends)

RAF Fire WAGs

Marham WAGs

RAF Brize Norton WAGs

RAF Odiham WAGs

RAF Wittering WAGs

WAGs of RAF Cottesmore

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