Duty of care Instructor training and selection
DGTE
Addressing the responsibilities for providing
duty of care for students is covered in a variety of ways during
instructor training. A key recommendation of the DOC Appraisal
was the requirement for instructors to be given training in listening
skills, which is now provided by the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre
at Amport House for RN and RAF personnel and at the Initial Training
Group Instructor School for Army instructors at Lichfield. Specifically,
the Care of Trainees course also covers the signs and symptoms
of various issues such as suicide, para-suicide, self harm, depression
and stress. Also, instructors are given guidance on codes of practice,
which clearly define acceptable and unacceptable behaviours and
also articulate the considerable responsibility that instructors
have placed upon them for others' development. Although these
codes of practice are currently single service-based, work is
in-hand to produce a Defence Code of Practice for Instructors.
Equality and diversity are themes that run throughout the various
instructor training courses. Finally, the analysis and design
of training requirements are carefully managed with risk assessment
being an integral part of the process.
ARMY
Initial Training Group's Instructors School (ITGIS)
At ITGIS instructors talk about "Commanders
who instruct, not Instructors who command". (The term commander
in this instance relates not only to officers but to the whole
chain of command, including junior NCOs). This is a shift of emphasis
toward duty of care and treating Recruits with the same firmness,
fairness and respect that you would treat any soldier or other
human being. Closely aligned with this are the Army's Core Values
underpinned by EO&D (Equal Opportunities and Diversity) management.
For some Commanders this will be a shift in their thinking as
they will see themselves as "Instructors" with a lesser
duty of care role. That sets the tone of the courses that run
at ITGIS.
The Welfare package covers areas such as Self-Harm,
Suicide, Homesickness and all the other issues that Recruits will
have when they join the Army. Commanders are given a number of
indicators to look for, whether that be a drop off in performance
of a Recruit or a change in attitude. This is followed by what
action the Commander should take to deal with the situation and
what agencies are available to help. During the module representatives
from the WRVS, the Army Welfare Service and the Chaplains Department
all come to speak to the courses. Firstly, to outline what they
can do and secondly to give the Commanders a point of contact
to help with a situation. The school also covers interview techniques
in some depth as this is the best way to elicit info from a Recruit
with a potential problem. The module is designed to give the Commanders
the knowledge so that they can identify a potential problem, gain
the right information to then deal with it effectively by knowing
which agencies they should go to for help.
The instructor selection process is carried
out by a formal process. This is initiated by the instructor unit
agreeing a job description with the Army Personnel Centre (APC).
The APC will then forward the job description to field army units
who are required to fill the relevant post. The "duty of
care" requirement is covered in two sections of the job description
under Duties and Personal Attributes. In the duties section, the
instructor's responsibilities for duty of care will be detailed;
in the personal attributes section, the kind of character required
to fulfil the duty of care responsibilities. The unit designated
to fill the post must then take in to account the requirements
of the job description when nominating candidates for the job.
See Ev 271-2 for an example of a job description.
Phase Two Instructor School (PTIS)
The PTIS was established in the autumn of 2003
with courses running from January 2004. It follows roughly the
same format as week one of the ITGIS course, as parallels can
be drawn across the training spectrum. However, although the PTIS
programme includes the ITGIS main core subjects of motivation,
H&S, EO&D, Welfare and Drugs, it also delivers the new
Defence Coaching Package.
The PTIS is DGATR's key method of influencing
the training ethos of the Phase 2 Operating Divisions. It is also
a medium by which changes in Army training methods can be introduced
in both a timely and effective manner. Insisting on maintaining
standards but aiming to increase the numbers passing through the
ATRA Training Pipeline it aims to develop selected instructor
and staff skills, knowledge and attitude in order to maximise
the number of recruits passing from Phase 2 to the Field Army
at the required standard.
A similar course is run at ITC (Catterick),
known as the Catterick Induction Course.
RAF
RAF Training for Duty of Care
As a result of the DOC Audit and the RAF Instructor
Studies Paper, a new three-week modular course was designed for
all RAF Phase 1 and Phase 2 Instructors to be undertaken prior
to taking up appointment. The new course commenced on 1 April
2004 and includes a Care of Trainees module, which is undertaken
at Amport House. A full breakdown of course modules is as follows:
— Defence Instructional Techniques
Course (five days).
— Coaching and Motivation (two days).
— Care of Trainees (two days).
— Conduct of Trainee Assessment (one
day).
— Equal Opportunity and Managing Diversity;
Generational Theory; Instructor Rights and Student Rights; Core
Values, Ethos and Culture; Facilitation Skills (Total three days).
— Specific Learning Difficulties; Revision
Skills; Time Management; Instructor Roles and Responsibilities
(Total two days).
Instructors trained prior to 1 April 2004 attended
the old Basis Instructional Techniques (BIT) course with the emphasis
on training delivery. Further duty of care training for these
instructors and other administrative support staff is conducted
as part of their induction training at that training establishment.
Duty of care issues will still be included as part of the Induction
Training for personnel completing the new instructors course.
Selection of RAF Instructors
Individuals may either apply for instructional
duties or be nominated by Personnel Management Agency (PMA) staffs
for such roles. In all cases, the Station Training and Development
Officer (STDO) on will be tasked by PMA through the Stn's Chief
Clerk to conduct an instructor suitability screening board of
the individual concerned. The STDO carries out this with another
board member, usually someone within the line management of the
candidate. As a result of the board, a consensus is reached on
the individual's instructor potential and a report raised commenting
on this and any other factors which may affect their suitability
in such a role. This report is forwarded to PMA who consider it
in conjunction with Annual Confidential Reports and other reports
to fully assess the suitability of the candidate before a final
decision is taken. Each assessment takes into account duty of
care issues as an integral part of instructor duties.
NAVY
All staff with regular, routine contact with
trainees completes a two week training package, consisting of
three parts. Instructional Techniques concentrates on the essential
classroom skills, Coaching and Motivational Skills teaches the
specific skills required to adopt a more flexible approach to
learning, Care of Trainees teaches the skills necessary to identify
those trainees in distress, take immediate first aid action and
refer appropriately.
An additional two week package is provided to
those delivering training to Phase 1 trainees at HMS Raleigh.
This includes training for specific environments encountered during
Phase 1 (eg Dartmoor) and First Aid training. This has been provided
using existing resources through the success of Flag Officer Training
and Recruiting's Wastage Action Plan.
Job Analysis of the Initial Training role was
undertaken in 2003 by FOTR's Intelligent Customer Cells (ICC).
The Defence Centre of Training Support (DCTS) owns and delivers
the course.
In addition to this, there are plans to provide
training in the management of distress in trainees. The Local
Department of Community Psychiatry will deliver this training,
which will take two forms. It will provide an introduction to
the issues for those who may interact with trainees but who do
not attend the Care of Trainees (COT) course (eg Officers of the
Day). It will also enable those who have undertaken the COT course
and then engaged with trainees for a period of approximately six
months to explore some of the concepts and skills in the light
of their experience and to discuss issues with an expert in the
field.
Commodore Naval Drafting has written to all
Career Managers to ensure career management activity attaches
due importance to Initial Training roles. Suitability is also
a specific recommendation from Senior Ratings Command Course.
CND has amended the Naval Manpower Management Information System
to track potential trainers who have been specifically identified
by Commanding Officers against Naval Recruiting and Training Agency
(NRTA) determined competence criteria.
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