Community Support Handbook
Station Community Support Team
The chain of command retains primacy in the provision of community support for RAF personnel and has a major responsibility of every officer and NCO. However, certain station specialist staffs have an important role to play in assisting line managers to meet this responsibility; Stns now have Community Support Teams which are dedicated to focussing on the needs and requirements of the stn and its local community. These personnel include:
- OC PMS: OC PMS is the focal point for specialist community support advice on most stations and will assist line managers and individual Servicemen and women who cannot resolve problems from within their own resources.
- Station Chaplains: Station Chaplains have always been actively involved in community support work, principally in the context of pastoral care. They are the only commissioned officers who visit SFQ occupants informally as part of their primary duties. They offer confidentiality according to their own Church discipline, outside the mainstream of the Service system, and are ideally placed to deal with family problems, particularly where bereavement is concerned. Their experience has made them capable of dealing with the whole range of human relationships and the problems arising therefrom. Station Chaplains have direct access to Stn Cdrs.
- Station Medical Officers (SMOs): SMOs have an essential role to play in the provision of community support care to Service personnel and their families. They are the professional interface with Local Authority community support agencies and regularly deal with such complex issues as adoption, mental health, child protection etc. SMOs also have direct access to Stn Cdrs.
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