National Events

Chief of Air Force AVM Mark Binskin centre, from back left Debbie Yate - WA ND, Julie Dryden - NSW ND, Emma Ward - Admino, Annaliese McCammon - Policy, Kym McKay - Vic/Tas ND, Camilla Kerr-Ruston - Laterals, Jillina Macey - Sth QLD ND, Marion Donohue - NT ND, Julie Blackburn - Convenor, Keron Wise - ACT ND, Jessica Dean - SA ND

DFA Training Week 2010

DFA brought together the dedicated volunteers whom make up the National Executive for professional training week focusing on pivotal communication skills.  They were honoured to be joined by CAF whom shared some of his own Defence family experiences, and his RAAF goals to increase communication to families.

ADF Family Survey Findings

On the 8th of December 2009, Head Personnel Capability, MAJGEN Craig Orme and the Director General Defence Community Organisation, Mr Michael Callan officially released findings and outcomes of the first survey of Australian Defence Force (ADF) families.

The ADF Families Survey represents the first time Defence has asked ADF members and their spouses and partners about their experiences and opinions via a survey. This has provided ADF members, spouses and partners, an unprecedented opportunity to influence Defence policy, and enables Defence to consider their views in its policy evaluation and development processes.

The survey was administered by the Directorate of Strategic Personnel Policy Research. It was mailed out to the home addresses of all permanent ADF members classified as having dependants in early November 2008. Respondents were also offered the option of completing the survey on-line. Overall, a response rate of 20.6% was achieved, with 5749 valid responses. The responses were from spouses & partners of ADF members, dual ADF couples and single parent ADF members.

The responses have provided us with valuable insight into how ADF families adjust to the demands of service, how they feel about deployment lengths and tempo, their relocation experiences, communication with Defence (both at the strategic and regional levels), and how the ADF work and family domains interact. Importantly, respondents have provided very constructive feedback on what families’ value and need most to help them adapt to the ADF way of life.

The feedback provided by members and their spouses and partners is already being used to develop and improve Defence Community Organisation services, such as Absence from Home Support and a Self-Reliance Strategy. The results are also shaping the 20-year ADF Housing and Accommodation Strategy so that more flexible housing options are available to ADF families. As a further outcome of the findings, commanders are being advised on ways that they can improve the quality of communication with families.

To download a copy of the survey or read the results please click here

Special Needs Task Force

October 2009

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) are currently undertaking consultation with key stakeholder groups to inform the development of a National Disability Strategy.  In support of this Defence has established a special needs task force to investigate options to remediate the lack of consistency of recognising disabilities and the lack of consistency with the level of services for dependants of ADF members with a special need.

Working in partnership with FaHCSIA the Defence Community Organisation (DCO) will undertake a pilot study of Defence special needs families posting between states over the upcoming Christmas/New Year posting cycle. DCO will track special needs families through the posting period to identify any challenges faced during this period including identification of and access to required services and wait list times for services in the new area.

Participation

This working partnership has the potential to be a catalyst for national changes in the delivery of support to people with a disability. We invite and encourage all special needs families relocating over the next six months to participate in the pilot study. Any information provided will have the names of participants removed before it is provided to FaHCSIA for ongoing discussions with the States and Territories.

If you would like to participate please contact;         Joan.Gilbert@defence.gov.au

May 09 at Duntroon, Royal Military College.  The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, AC, AFC and DFA National Convenor, Nicole Quinn help launch the ADF Family Covenant.

Launch of the ADF Family Covenant

The National Families Week event in Canberra this year was a great success, but in addition to mainstays like the sausage sizzle and jumping castles, the event had a particularly special element.  The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, AC, AFC, took the opportunity to formally launch the Australian Defence Force Family Covenant.

The Covenant is a great initiative for the ADF.  Sponsored by CDF and arranged in consultation with all three Service Chiefs, DCO and Defence Families of Australia, the Covenant articulates to ADF families how much their contribution is valued, and highlights to the Defence organisation just how important families are in the pursuit of our shared goals.  The acknowledgement offered by the Covenant comes from the very highest level within Defence.  

In his speech at the National Families Week event, CDF spoke about the ADF’s high operational tempo and the commitment that this tempo demands, not only of the ADF members but also of their families.  Maintaining our tempo would not be possible if the ADF members did not have the support of their families.  This makes families among the most crucial enablers of the ADF, and an acknowledgement of this is well overdue.

The Covenant, as the name would suggest, is not just a statement of acknowledgement and thanks, important though that acknowledgement is.  It is a commitment from Defence to ADF families to continue to work and consult with them, to listen to the concerns they raise and to do whatever is possible to help them balance the demands of Service life with the needs of the family. 

There are three copies of the signed Covenant.  One is to be held by DGDCO.  One will be kept by DFA.  And the original is going to hang on the wall of CDF’s office.  When Air Chief Marshal Houston’s tenure as CDF ends, this Covenant will be passed on to the next CDF, to ensure that the commitment to families remains in the forefront of the minds of all who hold that office.

Click here to read and download the A4 version of the ADF Family Covenant

ADF Dependant Health Care Project

In May 2009,  Stage 1 of the trial to provide free basic healthcare to ADF     dependants will commence in Singleton, Cairns (including Weipa, Thursday Island and Mt Isa), Sale, Katherine and the Pilbara region (including Karratha, Tom Price, Newman, Port Hedland, Exmouth and Carnarvon). 

It is expected that information will be ready for distribution to the initial trial locations during March 2009, with registrations set to commence by late March/early April 2009.   Director General Corporate Health Management and the Director of the ADF Family Health Trial will be visiting most trial locations late March/early April 2009 to discuss the trial with Commanding Officers and ADF members. 

Prior to registration, ADF members and their dependants will be expected to inform themselves about the trial, particularly in respect of the privacy implications and the possible fringe benefits tax reporting implications.  More information about the trial, including privacy and FBT implications, can be viewed on the ADF Family Health website:  www.defence.gov.au/health/Dependant_Healthcare/i-healthcare.htm

The ADF Family Health project team will utilise the existing Defence HealthKEYS database for registrations.  Existing dependant details from PMKeyS will be extracted to HealthKEYS to ensure there are no discrepancies in dependant details information.  For this reason, all ADF members intending to register their dependants for the trial will be required to ensure the dependant details in PMKeyS are current, accurate and complete.

In line with the Government's commitment to progressively extend the trial, a further 13,300 dependants in Townsville, Darwin and Puckapunyal will be eligible to participate in the trial from October 2009.  Contact the ADF Family Health Directorate here ADF.dependanthealth@defence.gov.au

Minister Snowdons Round Table Meetings 2009

Check out your posting locality to see when Minster Snowdon is coming to you

Oct 30 at Gallipoli Barracks The Hon. Warren Snowdon and DFA National Delegate Kym McKay and family help launch the ADF Family Survey

ADF Family Survey

Under joint sponsorship from the Chief of the Defence Force and the Defence Community Organisation, the first national ADF Families Survey will be mailed out now to families of ADF members.

The survey will be an important source of data about experiences and attitudes of ADF families, particularly how they balance the unique circumstances of service life with family needs. 

What ADF family members tell Defence about themselves will inform the development of policies and conditions of service that may enhance quality of life for ADF families, satisfaction with the ADF lifestyle, retention and Defence capability.

Who should complete the survey?

• Spouses and ADF recognised interdependent partners of permanent full-time ADF members (spouses or partners may be ADF Reserve members)

• Permanent full-time ADF members who are single parents

• Both members of dual ADF couples (where both are permanent full-time ADF members)

The survey will be mailed out to the home addresses of all those currently on the mailing list of the Defence Family Matters publication, from late October.  Completed surveys will need to be returned via the reply paid envelope supplied with the survey by 23 January 2009 . 

As an alternative to the paper survey, there is an option to complete the survey on-line.  The on-line survey will be open from Thursday 30 October to Friday 23 January 2009 .  The online version of the survey is accessible by clicking here. The survey is well set out and takes around half an hour to complete.

Extra copies of the survey can be requested by contacting the Project Manager, Ms Samantha Atkins on (02) 61272159, or at DCO, Ms Paula Sear, on (02) 6266 2313. You can also request extra copies of the survey by sending an email with your name and return address to: Defence.Surveys@defence.gov.auPlease remember to put “FAMILIES SURVEY” in the subject line.