Conference shines a light on SSAFA’s work with the RAF

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01 October 2024

The first Service Development Conference for the RAF Personal Support and Social Work Service (RAF PS&SWS) under the new contract was held in Birmingham recently. It was an opportunity for all employees within the service to get together to hear about the progress of the transition to date and the new areas of the service that will be introduced over the coming months.

The conference allowed the new team members who have joined the service this year to meet colleagues and provided networking and training opportunities for all who attended.

Representatives from the RAF joined the conference and shared valuable updates on recent changes within the RAF. This also allowed staff to discuss with Lynne Doherty and Cathie Johnson – respectively SSAFA’s Director of Social Care Operations and Head of Service for RAF PS&SWS – the service and SSAFA.

Cathie expressed her gratitude to staff, saying: "I want to personally thank everyone who attended and helped make the conference a success. As Head of Service, I am incredibly proud and privileged to work alongside such dedicated employees who provide exceptional support to the RAF community."

The conference was an opportunity to recognise the vast amount of change the service has undergone since the new contract commenced in April. From migrating to a new environment, to the introduction of new systems and ways of working, the entire service has undergone significant change.

In order to recognise this, the service introduced awards in line with SSAFA’s values and BRAVE standards, with an added award for a new team member to recognise considerable effort. The awards were given to the following people:

BRAVE Awards:

Beneficiary focused - Paula Finch

Respect for others - Jayne Whitcher

Adapting to change - Kathy Porat

Valuing diversity and inclusion - Laura Galvin

Excellence in everything we do - Angela King

SSAFA Values:

Compassion - Ali Butler, Zoe Blythe, Paul Moore

Understanding - Shani Stumke

Commitment - Millie Carter

Integrity - Sara Warren

Rising Star - Mikey Coulson