Overseas supportability checks for RAF families with children are taking longer due to a gap in the team providing the service. It could take up to 6 months for all the checks.
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Announcement from Defence Children Services (DCS):
Due to ongoing challenges with CS recruitment restrictions, DCS are experiencing significant gapping in key workforce areas. In conjunction with an increased demand for our services, we are currently operating with a growing backlog of cases.
Service Personnel should be advised that assessments of support for overseas assignments may take up to 6 months to complete. This process should take place before Service Personnel progress with other aspects of their assignment, e.g. booking removals, withdrawing child from schools/specialist support.
If Service Personnel approach DCS less than 6 months before their assignment date, they will be advised to liaise with their CoC about possible delays to their assignment. Failure to complete the relevant forms properly or provide all requested information in a timely manner may lead to further delays. We recognise there will be exceptional cases and some short notice postings are unavoidable. Any genuine short notice assignments will require confirmation and a formal request for prioritisation from the SP’s gaining Unit.
Where additional Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) requirements have been identified, further information may be requested. This information is vital to support continuation of children’s education as they move between schools and countries. If complex cases emerge during the summer period when our schools are closed, this will preclude DCS from gathering essential details and supportability may not be confirmed until the start of the new term. Local Command availability to convene MOD Assessment of Supportability Overseas (MASO) panels may also be affected during summer stand down periods.
MOD Policy is contained within the Assessment of support needs for accompanied assignments overseas (publishing.service.gov.uk). The Overseas Education and Supportability (OES) team will continue to support issuing DCS Confirmation of Supportability for overseas postings where possible and packs issued by the Families Section will give further information and all necessary forms to be completed.
Where a child is potentially moving to an overseas area supported by an MOD provided DCS schools/settings, the schools/settings will support this process directly (please contact the appropriate DCS school/setting in the first instance).
Where a child is potentially moving to an overseas area not supported by an MOD provided DCS schools/settings, the OES team will continue to support this process directly (please contact [email protected]).
