Report of RAF FamCAS 2015 Survey - Royal Air Force Raf Famcas Report 2015

RAF FAMILIES
CONTINUOUS ATTITUDE SURVEY
Report of
RAF FamCAS 2015
July 2015
HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team
Report of RAF Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS)

2015
HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team
Summary Report
Published:
30 July 2015
Issued by:
HQ Air Occupational Psychology
Team, RAF High Wycombe
HQ Air Occupational
Psychology Team:
The HQ Air Occupational
Psychology Team informs
decisions to influence change by
applying professional skills and
knowledge to deliver outputs
relevant to stakeholders in order
that they can make evidence
based policy decisions. The
team has 3 main functions to:
Inform, Advise & Challenge.
Further information:
Carley Brown
SO2 Psych 2
Air-COSPers-Pol Psych2 SO2
Overview
This summary report provides results from the RAF Families
Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) 2015. A tri-Service report is
published separately by Defence Statistics. The RAF report
provides a summary of the key RAF findings highlighting differences
between Officers and Other Ranks; presenting comparisons over
time where trend data are available. The report is accompanied by
data tables which present all of the 2015 survey data.
The aim of FamCAS is to assess and monitor the views of spouses
and civil partners of RAF personnel in key welfare areas, including
family life, childcare, deployment, education, employment,
healthcare, and housing. The data are used to aid the development
and tracking of military personnel policies, informing Defence
personnel programmes such as the New Employment Model and
the Armed Forces Covenant. FamCAS was subject to a wide scale
review of its content in 2014 resulting in a revised questionnaire for
2015.
Key Points and Trends
Compared to FamCAS 2014, responses to most questions are
largely unchanged.
More respondents feel supported by the RAF than in previous
years and most know where to access welfare support if required.
Some elements of Service life continue to impact negatively on RAF
families, and increasing numbers of spouses would feel positive if
the Service person left the RAF.
The majority of RAF families own a home although over half of
respondents were living in SFA/SSFA. Most spouses were satisfied
with the condition and charges of their accommodation but were
dissatisfied with areas relating to maintenance/repairs of SFA.
RAF spouses continue to experience difficulties relating to
employment and training, including having to leave civilian jobs due
to Service reasons. Many RAF spouses have experienced
difficulties with finding employment; including those who have
accompanied the SP on an overseas tour.
Most RAF families with children did not experience any
difficulties accessing childcare, and were satisfied with the access,
quality, cost and opening hours of local childcare facilities. Most
RAF families with children of school age did not experience any
problems with their schooling; although some indicated that gaining
a place at the school of their choice was problematic.
Continuation of healthcare treatment appears to be problematic
for RAF families as RAF respondents reported significantly greater
difficulties with continuing/accessing treatment after moving to a
new location than Army or RN spouses.
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS CONTENTS

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - LARGEST CHANGES SINCE 2014
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - RANK DIFFERENCES
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS

Summary
Report structure
Key findings per section
Section A About You
Section B Service Life
Section C - Housing
Section D Employment & Training
Section E - Deployment
Section F - Healthcare
Section G Childcare & Childrens Education
Section H Armed Forces Covenant
Section I Well-being
Section J Additional Comments
3
4
5
6-7
8-10
11-14
15-20
21-22
23-25
26-27
28
28
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - BACKGROUND INFORMATION
29
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS METHODOLOGY
30
ANNEX A - Copy of RAF FamCAS 2015 questionnaire (separate

document)
A-1
ANNEX B - Tri-Service FamCAS 2015 reference tables (separate

document)
B-1
ANNEX C - RAF Only FamCAS items 2015 reference tables (separate

document)
C-1
ANNEX D - Comments Analysis 2015 (separate document)
D-1
ii
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - LARGEST CHANGES SINCE 2014

Whats going up?
Whats going down?
Negative direction
Satisfaction with quality of life being married to/in a civil
partnership with a member of the RAF (56%, 9% decrease)
Positive direction
Agreement that spouses/civil partners of SP are well supported by
the RAF (32%, 5% increase)
Knowing where to access support from the RAF if required (65%,

7% increase)
Declaring as a member of the Armed Forces Community when

accessing public and commercial services (33%, 9% increase)
Negative direction
47% would feel positive if the SP left the RAF (6% increase)
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS MAIN RANK DIFFERENCES

Partners of Officers
Areas of positivity
More likely to own their own home
More satisfied with elements of SFA/SSFA including overall standard; value for money; response to requests for maintenance/repair; fairness of allocation;
security; cleanliness when moving in
More likely to have heard of the Armed Forces Covenant
More likely to feel positive regarding Service provided facilities; family income/allowances; and knowing other military families
More likely to feel proud of the SPs Service
More likely to feel positive regarding job security
More satisfied with availability and quality of out of school activities run by the school
More satisfied with support received before SP deployed including welfare support; direct contact with SPs Chain of Command; and facilities and events to
meet other military families
Areas of negativity
More likely to feel negative regarding impact of Service life on their career
More likely to feel negative regarding frequency of house moves
More likely to live separately from the SP during the working week
More likely to have moved in the last 12 months for Service reasons
Partners of Other Ranks
Areas of positivity
More likely to feel advantaged in regards to housing and healthcare when compared to general public
More satisfied with access to, quality of and opening hours of local childcare facilities
More satisfied with availability and quality of out of school activities run by Local Authority/Third Party
Less likely to have experienced difficulties with their childrens schooling in the last 12 months
More satisfied with welfare support received during and after the SPs deployment
Areas of negativity
More likely to feel negative regarding opportunities to travel
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS

Summary
1.
The following are the key findings from the 2015 RAF version of the Families Continuous
Attitude Survey (FamCAS). Background information on the survey and a description of the
methodology can be found at the end of this report. The results are set out in section order
following the survey structure and highlighting the 2015 figures, statistically significant differences
between the current year and previous years, and differences between spouses/civil partners of
Officers and Other Ranks (OR).
2.
Of note in 2014 FamCAS underwent an extensive review whereby the purpose and content
of the survey were re-evaluated to provide more useful and robust evidence which could be
benchmarked against other data sources (eg Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey).
Subsequently, FamCAS 2015 was a revised questionnaire version; a number of new items have
been added and the time series (ie trends) for some existing items has been disrupted due to
these amendments.
3.
Overall, the FamCAS results are largely unchanged from 2014. Officers families tended to
respond more positively in many areas than OR families. Significant improvements have been
made in areas which were a source of discontent in 2014 such as RAF families knowing where to
access welfare support. Areas such as separation from the Service Person (SP) and continuity of
ones own career remain problematic.
4.
Impact of RAF lifestyle on family. This year significantly more respondents felt well
supported by the RAF than in previous years, and increasing numbers of spouses knew where to
access welfare support from the RAF if required. Many respondents reported that the SP was able
to take annual leave at a time which suited their family, although making long-term plans continued
to be problematic. Despite support, the 2015 survey results reveal a significant decrease in the
amount of spouses who are satisfied with their life being married to/in a civil partnership with a
member of the RAF; and the number of RAF spouses who would feel positive if the SP were to
leave the RAF has risen significantly.
5.
Accommodation. The majority of RAF respondents own a home and a large percentage of
those who did not own a home are currently saving to buy one. Those who do not own a home
most often reported being unable to afford one at present, or wanting to move with the SP when
they were posted. Although most own a home, just over half of respondents are living in
SFA/SSFA, the majority of which are satisfied with the condition of and charges for their
accommodation. The areas in which spouses are most dissatisfied with their SFA are responses
to requests for maintenance/repairs and the quality of maintenance/repair work.
6.
Spousal employment and training. In keeping with previous survey findings, RAF spouses
continue to experience difficulties with employment, including having to leave civilian jobs due to
Service reasons. A large number of RAF spouses have experienced difficulties with finding
employment; including those who have accompanied the SP on an overseas tour. Many
respondents indicate that they would like to work for financial reasons or their own fulfilment;
however half of RAF respondents feel unable to pursue a career whilst the SP is in the RAF.
Despite these issues, RAF spouses continue to be more likely to be in full-time employment than
their counterparts in the other Services.
7.
Assignments and operational tours. The majority of RAF spouses were satisfied with the
amount of notice given to the SP before an assignment. When assigned, respondents were
satisfied with the information provided by their new duty station in areas such as childcare and
housing, but dissatisfied with the information provided regarding local employment opportunities for
spouses. In relation to operational tours, RAF spouses continue to report satisfaction with the
support received before, after and during the SPs deployment; however dissatisfaction with the
amount of separation from the SP during pre-deployment training continues to be high.
3
8.
Healthcare. The majority of RAF families reported being able to access NHS or private
healthcare services in the last 12 months without difficulty. Despite this, RAF respondents report
significantly greater difficulties with continuing/accessing treatment after moving to a new location
than Army or RN spouses. Furthermore, one fifth of RAF respondents report feeling
disadvantaged in the area of healthcare when compared to the general public; a higher figure than
the other Services.
9.
Childrens education. In keeping with previous survey findings, most RAF families with
children did not experience any difficulties accessing childcare, and reported satisfaction with
access, quality, cost and opening hours of local childcare facilities. Most RAF families with
children of school age did not experience any problems with their schooling; although some
indicated that gaining a place at the school of their choice was problematic.
Report structure
10. This report includes the 2015 RAF FamCAS results as well as comparisons with previous
years results and where appropriate comparisons with other Services. In an effort to be more
user-friendly the report contains limited narrative; instead providing the data in tabular format.
Companion reports on hot topics as well as interpretative summaries will be produced as
supplements.
11.
The report consists of:

A summary outlining the main findings and contextual information.
Key RAF FamCAS 2015 findings outlining the summary findings of the survey.
Background information outlining the context and background to the survey.
Methodology a detailed explanation of the methodology used in the survey.
12. Annex A (supplied separately) is a copy of the 2015 RAF Families Survey. All data tables
with responses for each question are provided in Annex B (tri-Service report including item tables)
and C (RAF only item tables). Annex D provides a summary of written comments included with the
surveys.
Key findings by section

Key figures
Section A About you
Section A asks individuals

to provide biographical
information such as
gender, age and location.
In 2015, questions were
added to this section
relating to living
arrangements and
separation from the
serving person (SP) during
the working week.
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Biographical Information
The majority of respondents were
female (88%)
Unchanged
NA
B1.1
Most were aged between 25-49

(86%)
Unchanged
NA
B1.2
83% were living in England at the

time of completing the survey
Unchanged
NA
C1.1
Unchanged
NA
Living arrangements
27% have moved in the last 12
months for Service reasons
The majority have not moved

(65%)
B1.7
81% are living with the SP during the

working week
New item for 2015
NA
Of those who are living separately

from the SP during the working week,
68% see the SP weekly
New item for 2015
NA
73% reported that in the last 12

months, the SP has spent between
1-6 months away from home for
Service reasons
New item for 2015
NA
B1.6
NA
B1.8
B1.3
More Officer families see the SP
weekly than OR families
B1.4
Armed Forces experience

71% have never served in the Armed
Forces
Unchanged
Key figures

Section B asks questions
relating to quality of life as
a spouse/civil partner of a
SP, including the impact of
Service on family/home
life. It also gauges
respondent satisfaction
with the welfare support
services available to RAF
families.
(Continued on next page)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Service family life

56% are satisfied with their quality of
life being married to/in a civil
partnership with a member of the
RAF
9% decrease
NA
32% agree that spouses/civil

partners of SP are well supported by
the RAF
5% increase
NA
50% agree that the SP is able to take

annual leave at a time which suits the
family
New item for 2015
NA
69% report that they are not able to

make long term plans as a family
New item for 2015
NA
75% perceive that family

relationships are affected by Service
life
New item for 2015
NA
Officer families agree more than

OR families
C2.6
47% would feel positive if the SP left

the RAF
6% increase
NA
OR families agree more than

Officer families
C2.7
33% declare themselves as a

member of the Armed Forces
Community when accessing public
and commercial services
9% increase
NA
Officer families higher than OR

families
C2.2
Officer families more satisfied

than OR families
C2.1
C2.3

OR families
C2.4
C2.5
Key figures

(Continued)
Welfare support
65% know where to access support
from the RAF if required
84% have heard of SSAFA and 14%
have used this service. Of those that
have used SSAFA, 77% are satisfied
65% have heard of the RAF Families
Federation and 5% have used it. Of
those that have used this service,
76% are satisfied
81% have heard of the HIVE and
40% have used it. Of those that
have used the HIVE, 84% are
satisfied
48% have heard of RAF Community
Support and 8% have used it. Of
those that have used it, 77% are
satisfied
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
7% increase
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
NA
Notable comments

families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
C2.8
No trend data
available
NA
C2.9
No trend data
available
NA
C2.9
No trend data
available
NA
C2.9
No trend data
available
NA
C2.9
Key figures
Section C - Housing
Section C asks questions
relating to accommodation
and home ownership. It
seeks to measure
difficulties experienced by
Service families in buying
a home, as well as
satisfaction with Service
provided accommodation
and associated services.
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
66% of RAF families own their own

home
Unchanged
4% increase
More Officer families own a

home than OR families
B7.1
39% are living in the home that they

own
Unchanged
Unchanged
More Officer families living in

own home than OR families
B7.2
More OR families saving for a

home than Officer families
B7.2
Home ownership
18% do not own a home but are

currently saving to buy one
Top four reasons for not currently
owning a home:
Unable to afford to buy a home at
present (60%)
New item for 2015
NA
Unchanged
Unchanged

Officer families
B7.8
Want to be able to move with the SP

when he/she is posted (46%)
Unchanged
14% increase

OR families
B7.5
Living in Service accommodation is

better suited to my familys needs at
present (40%)
Do not want to buy a house where
we are currently located (35%)
Unchanged
10% increase

OR families
B7.4
Unchanged
Unchanged

OR families
B7.6
54% live in SFA
Unchanged
Unchanged
71% would prefer to live in a privately

owned home
62% are currently living in their
preferred type of accommodation
34% are not currently living in a
privately owned home but would
prefer to be
Unchanged
NA
Unchanged
NA
Unchanged
NA
Accommodation type/preferences
B7.12
B7.13
families
OR families higher than Officer
families
B7.14
B7.14
Key figures
Section C Housing
(Continued)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Service accommodation
Of those living in SFA/SSFA
61% are satisfied with the overall
standard
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B7.15
76% are satisfied with the value for

money
43% are satisfied with the response
to requests for maintenance/repair
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
42% are dissatisfied with the quality

of maintenance/repair work
44% are satisfied with how fairly
Service accommodation is allocated
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B7.19
B7.16
than OR families
B7.17
B7.18
62% are satisfied with the security of

their SFA/SSAFA
Unchanged
NA

than OR families
B7.20
56% were satisfied with the

cleanliness of their accommodation
when moving in
Distance to duty station
Unchanged
NA

than OR families
B7.21
More OR families living closer

than Officer families
C3.1
28% of respondents live less than a

mile from the SPs duty station
New item for 2015
NA
38% live between 1-19 miles from

the SPs duty station
Station facilities
New item for 2015
NA
19% rated the standard of the onbase convenience shop as good
No trend data
available
NA
Majority did not use this facility

(38%)
C3.2
35% rated the standard of the HIVE

as good
No trend data
available
NA

(46%)
C3.3
C3.1
Of all respondents:
Key figures
Section C Housing
(Continued)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
31% rated the standard of the

Messes as good
No trend data
available
NA
43% rated the standard of the station

gym/sports facilities as good
No trend data
available
NA

community centre as good
No trend data
available
NA

(60%)
C3.6

education/training facilities as good
No trend data
available
NA

(66%)
C3.7

play areas as good
No trend data
available
NA

(45%)
C3.8

youth clubs as good
No trend data
available
NA

(76%)
C3.9

families clubs as good
No trend data
available
NA

(72%)
C3.10
13% rated the standard of Service

provided childcare as good.
No trend data
available
NA

(73%)
C3.11
10

than OR families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
C3.4
C3.5
Key figures
Section D Employment &

Training
Section D measures the

impact of Service life on
the training, education and
employment of RAF
spouses. It asks
questions relating to
qualifications, and
experiences of finding and
maintaining employment.
Education
9% of spouses or their families have
experienced problems accessing
further or higher education as a result
of Service life
8% of spouses or their families have
experienced difficulties continuing a
course they had previously started as
a result of Service life
23% have had to leave a civilian job
or long-term training programme due
to Service reasons in the last 12
months
Employment status
49% of spouses/civil partners are in
full-time employment
23% of spouses/civil partners are in
part-time employment
6% of spouses/civil partners are selfemployed
5% of spouses/civil partners are not
employed but are seeking
employment
Full-time employment
6% of those who are in full-time
employment would like to work
longer hours at their current rate of
pay, given the opportunity
74% of those in full time employment
are satisfied with their job overall
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
Notable comments

families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
B5.1
B5.2

families
C4.1
RAF higher than other Services.
B5.6
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
Unchanged
B5.7
Unchanged
Unchanged
B5.8
Unchanged
Unchanged
B5.10
Unchanged
Unchanged
New item for 2015
11
NA

families
B5.16
B5.22
Key figures

Training (Continued)
72% of those in full-time employment

are satisfied that their qualifications
match their job
73% of those in full-time employment
are satisfied that their job matches
their skills and experience
Part time employment
38% of those who are in part-time
employment would like to work
longer hours at their current rate of
pay, given the opportunity
68% of those in part-time
employment are satisfied with their
job overall
employment are satisfied that their
qualifications match their job
employment are satisfied that their
job matches their skills and
experience
Finding employment
13% have experienced difficulty
claiming Job Seekers Allowance due
to being married to/in a civil
partnership with a member of the
RAF
34% of spouses/civil partners have
been looking for a job in the last 12
months
Of those who are seeking
employment, 65% reported that they
have experienced difficulties
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
New item for 2015
NA
B5.25
New item for 2015
NA
B5.28
Unchanged
Unchanged
RAF lower than other Services
B5.17
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B5.23
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B5.26
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B5.29
No trend data
available
NA
OR families experienced more

difficulty than Officer families
C4.2
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.31
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.32
12
Key figures

Top 4 difficulties experienced in

finding suitable employment:
Having a spouse in the Armed
Forces (45%)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments

families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
New item for 2015
NA
B5.37
Having a spouse who is often away

(43%)
Employment history (ie changing jobs
frequently) (42%)
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.34
Access to quality and affordable

childcare (40%)
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.38
200 respondents provided free text

comments regarding additional
difficulties they had experienced
These included:
Being based in a remote location
(11%)
Lack of suitable job opportunities in
the area in chosen career field or at
the right level (10%)
Lack of jobs in the area (9%)
Free text response
Free text response
D1.1
Free text response
Free text response
D1.1
Free text response
Free text response
D1.1
Free text response
Free text response
D1.1
B5.36
Overseas employment
9% of families have accompanied the

SP on an overseas assignment in the
last 12 months
Of those who have accompanied
the SP on an overseas
assignment:
18% have obtained paid employment
without difficulty
Unchanged
New item for 2015
13
Unchanged
NA

families
B5.3

families
B5.4
Key figures

Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
22% have obtained paid employment

but with difficulty
New item for 2015
NA
34% have been unable to obtain paid

employment
36% were able to access Serviceprovided information before moving
overseas without difficulty
A further 36% accessed this
information but with difficulty
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.5
New item for 2015
NA

families
B5.5
17% were unable to access Serviceprovided information before moving

overseas
Attitudes to employment
New item for 2015
NA
50% disagree that they are able to

pursue a career whilst the SP is in
the RAF
74% agree that they need to work for
financial reasons
No trend data
available
NA
Officer families disagree more

than OR families
C4.3
No trend data
available
NA

Officer families
C4.4
86% agree that they need to work for

their own fulfilment
No trend data
available
NA

OR families
C4.5
14

families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
B5.4
B5.4
B5.5
Key figures
Section E Deployment Assignments

These questions are
related to satisfaction with
the SPs assignments and
the station-provided
information received when
assigned.
70% of spouses/civil partners rated

the length of accompanied
assignments as about right
50% rated the length of
unaccompanied assignments as too
long
54% are satisfied with the amount of
notice the SP was given for their
current assignment
Station supplied information
Of those who have moved in the
last 12 months for Service reasons
(27%):
54% are satisfied with the information
provided by the new duty station for
housing
childrens education/childcare
healthcare
49% are dissatisfied with the
information provided by the new duty
station on own employment
opportunities
provided by the new duty station on
local amenities
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
No trend data
available
NA
No trend data
available
NA
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
C5.4
New item for 2015
NA
OR families more satisfied than

Officer families
C5.5
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
OR families more dissatisfied

than Officer families
C5.7
New item for 2015
NA

Officer families
C5.8
15
C5.1
OR families rated higher than

Officer families
C5.2
C5.3
C5.6
Key figures
Section E Deployment Operational Tours
Operational tours
63% report that the SP has been on an
operational tour in the last 2 years
These questions seek to

measure RAF families
experiences of the SP
being deployed. They
relate to attitudes
regarding deployment, and
satisfaction with the
information and support
provided to families
before, during and after
operational tours.
83% report that the SPs most recent

operational tour lasted between 0-6
months with 42% reporting that the
tour lasted between 4-6 months
Attitudes on operational tours
Of all respondents:
45% agree that the prospect of the SP
doing an operational tour is a problem
49% report that coping whilst the SP is
on an operational tour is a problem
Of those whose spouse/civil partner
had deployed in the last 2 years (63%):
48% regard the length of the SPs
most recent operational tour as too
long
39% are dissatisfied with the amount
of separation from the SP during predeployment training
58% are satisfied with the ability of the
SP to spend time with them/their family
during their post operational
deployment leave
Of those that have children and their
spouse has deployed in the last 2
years (43%):
61% agree that their childrens
behaviour is negatively affected when
the SP is on an operational tour
76% agree that the relationship
between the children and the SP is
disrupted by operational tours
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Unchanged
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
NA
B4.1
No trend data
available
NA
C6.5
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
NA
C6.1
NA

Officer families
C6.2
No trend data
available
NA

Officer families
C6.6
No trend data
available
NA
C6.7
No trend data
available
NA
C6.8
No trend data
available
NA
C6.3
No trend data
available
NA
C6.4
16
Key figures

(Continued)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Welfare support
64% of RAF spouses know where to
go for Service-provided welfare
support/information during
operational tours
Support/information received
before the SPs most recent
operational tour
Of those whose spouse/partner was
deployed within the last 2 years
(63%):
56% received a Hive Deployment
Support Pack
Unchanged
No trend data
available
NA
82% received a Compassionate

Travel From Overseas card
No trend data
available
NA
50% were made aware of the RAF

Community website
No trend data
available
NA
74% were made aware of the Point

of Contact (POC) scheme
No trend data
available
NA
C6.12
28% were able to access predeployment family briefings, either

face to face or remotely
Satisfaction levels with support
before the most recent tour
(63%):
38% were satisfied with the
information and support they
received prior to the SPs operational
tour
No trend data
available
NA
C6.13
No trend data
available
NA
17
NA
B4.2

Officer families
C6.9
C6.10

Officer families

than OR families
C6.11
C6.14
Key figures

(Continued)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
46% were satisfied with the welfare

support used
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B4.3
41% were satisfied with support

received from the SPs Chain of
Command
29% were satisfied with facilities and
events to meet other spouses and
families
Support/information received
during the SPs most recent
operational tour
Of those whose spouse was
deployed in the last 2 years and they
had accessed welfare support during
the SPs last operational tour (27%):
58% used the Hive
New item for 2015
NA

than OR families
B4.4
New item for 2015
NA
B4.5
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
Free text response
NA
C6.15
NA
C6.15
NA
C6.15
NA
D1.2
Free text response
NA
D1.2
25% spoke to the relevant Chain of

Command
18% used the Community Support
Team
144 respondents made free text
comments regarding welfare support
accessed. 22% said they used the
POC scheme and a further 7% spoke
to friends & family
Of the comments made, 24% said no
support was accessed and 6% said
no support was available
18
Key figures

(Continued)

during the most recent tour
(63%):
support used
Command
events to meet with other spouses
and families
60% were satisfied with the lines of
communication with the SP
offered by the POC scheme
after the most recent tour
(63%):
support used
Command
events to meet with other spouses
and families
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments

Officer families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
B4.7
New item for 2015
NA
B4.8
New item for 2015
NA
B4.9
New item for 2015
NA
C6.16
New item for 2015
NA
B4.10
New item for 2015
NA
B4.11
New item for 2015
NA
19

than OR families
B4.6
B4.12
Key figures

(Continued)
SP operational tour experiences

(63%):
34% felt that the SPs behaviour
changed as a result of their
experiences on operational tour
Of the 34% that felt the SPs
behaviour had changed:
76% perceived the change to have
had a negative impact on themselves
or their family
33% said the behaviour change
lasted a few weeks
37% said the behaviour change
lasted a few months
22% said that either they, or the SP
sought professional help
77% did not seek professional help
Top reasons for not seeking
professional help:
RAF families dealt with the behaviour
changes themselves (18%)
They felt that the SP needed time to
readjust to family life (18%)
They had experienced the SPs
behaviour change before following
previous tours / behaviour change
was expected / they knew how to
deal with it (13%)
The SP did not wish to seek support
(7%)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
No trend data
available
NA
C6.17
No trend data
available
NA
C6.18
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
No trend data
available
NA
C6.19
NA
C6.19
NA
C6.20
NA
C6.20
Free text response
NA
D1.3
Free text response
NA
D1.3
Free text response
NA
D1.3
Free text response
NA
D1.3
20
Key figures
Section F - Healthcare
This section contains triService items relating to
access to NHS or private
healthcare services which
are not Service provided.
The questions also
measure difficulties
experienced by Service
families in accessing
healthcare facilities after
moving to a new location.
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Access to healthcare services

Of those who have children and/or
are not currently serving in the
Armed Forces (96%), in the last 12
months:
50% of RAF families were able to
access dental treatment without
difficulty
access GP services without difficulty
access mental health treatment
without difficulty
access hospital or specialist services
Access to healthcare after moving
Of those who have moved in the last
12 months, have children and/or are
not currently serving in the Armed
Forces (32%):
8% were able to continue dental
treatment in their new location
without difficulty
27% were able to continue accessing
GP services in their new location
without difficulty
2% were able to continue accessing
mental health treatment in their new
location without difficulty
15% were able to continue hospital
or specialist treatment without
difficulty
New item for 2015
NA
B6.1
New item for 2015
NA
B6.2
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
The majority did not require

access to this service (74%)
B6.5
New item for 2015
NA

B6.6
New item for 2015
NA

B6.7
New item for 2015
NA

B6.8
21

B6.3
B6.4
Key figures
Section F Healthcare
(Continued)
Of those who required access to

healthcare treatment in the last 12
months, RAF spouses were
significantly more likely to
experience difficulties with
continuation of treatment when
compared to the other Services
22% of respondents or their children
had been on the waiting list for an
operation/consultants appointment in
the last 12 months
Of those, 36% said their waiting time
had increased as a result of moving
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
NA
NA
B6
New item for 2015
NA
B6.9
New item for 2015
NA
B6.10
22
Key figures
Section G Childcare &

Childrens Education
This section asks
respondents with children
questions relating to their
age and education status.
It seeks to measure the
difficulties that Service
families may experience
relating to access and
content of childrens
education. It also asks
respondents how satisfied
they are with out-of-school
provision and/or childcare
facilities.
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Family make up
72% of RAF spouses/civil partners
have children
35% of RAF families have at least
one child under the age of 5
one child aged 5-17 years
Childcare
Unchanged
NA
B3.1
Unchanged
NA
B3.2
Unchanged
NA
B3.3
Of those who have children (72%):

48% have required access to
childcare in the last 12 months
Of those who needed childcare
(48%):
87% were able to access childcare
New item for 2015
NA
B3.7
New item for 2015
NA
B3.8
112 respondents made free text

comments regarding difficulties
associated with access to childcare
Top difficulties experienced in
accessing childcare:
Lack of flexibility of childcare
facilities/opening times (14%)
Childcare too expensive (12%)
Free text response
NA
D1.4
Free text response
NA
D1.4
Free text response
NA
D1.4
Negative experiences of childcare

overseas (11%)
Limited spaces in childcare facilities
(9%)
Lack of childcare facilities in local
area/childcare too far away (9%)
Free text response
NA
D1.4
Free text response
NA
D1.4
Free text response
NA
D1.4
23
Key figures

Childrens Education
(Continued)
Of those who needed childcare

(48%):
79% are satisfied with access to local
childcare facilities
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
New item for 2015
NA

Officer families
B3.9
77% are satisfied with the quality of

local childcare facilities
New item for 2015
NA

Officer families
B3.10
47% are satisfied with the cost of

local childcare facilities
66% are satisfied with the opening
hours of local childcare facilities
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
42% of RAF families have children of

school age
one child in a state school
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

families
B3.14
8% have at least one child in an

independent boarding school
New item for 2015
NA

families
B3.16
6% have at least one child at a

Service school
New item for 2015
NA

families
B3.17
14% receive Continuity of Education

Allowance
New item for 2015
NA

families
B3.19
27% said their children have

changed school in the last 12 months
New item for 2015
NA
B3.20
19% said their children have

changed school in the last 12 months
for service reasons
New item for 2015
NA
B3.20
B3.11
Officer families
B3.12
Childrens education
24
B3.13
Key figures

Childrens Education
(Continued)
Satisfaction with out of school

activities
57% are satisfied with the availability
of out of school activities run by
schools
out of school activities run by
schools
38% are satisfied with the availability
of out of school activities run by the
Local Authority or third party
out of school activities run by the
Local Authority or third party
Top difficulties with schooling in
the last 12 months:
68% did not experience any
difficulties
Gaining a place at a school of their
choice (10%)
Distance to school (9%)
Not enough places at local school
(8%)
Unsuitable education standard at
local school (8%)
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA

Officer families
B3.23
New item for 2015
NA

Officer families
B3.24
New item for 2015
NA
B3.25
New item for 2015
NA
B3.28
New item for 2015
NA
B3.27
New item for 2015
NA
B3.30
New item for 2015
NA
B3.31
25

than OR families
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
B3.21
B3.22
Key figures
Section H Armed Forces

Covenant
This section seeks to
measure respondents
awareness and
understanding of the
Armed Forces Covenant.
It includes questions
relating to areas of Service
life which spouses feel
positive or negative about,
and any areas of particular
disadvantage they may
experience in comparison
to the general public.
Awareness of the Armed Forces

Covenant
41% of RAF families have never
heard of the Armed Forces Covenant
34% have heard of the Armed Forces
Covenant and know a little about it
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
New item for 2015
NA

families
B2.3
New item for 2015
NA

families
B2.3
Comparisons with general public

in key Covenant areas
NA
OR families feel more
29% of RAF families feel advantaged New item for 2015
when compared to the general public
advantaged than Officer families
in relation to housing
25% of RAF families feel
New item for 2015
NA
Officer families feel more
disadvantaged when compared to
disadvantaged than OR families
the general public in relation to
education
New item for 2015
NA
Officer families feel more
20% of RAF families feel
disadvantaged than OR families
disadvantaged when compared to
the general public in relation to
healthcare
A summary of free text comments made in relation to areas of advantage/disadvantage is available at Annex D
Areas of Service life families feel
positive about:
Pride in their spouse/civil partner
Officer families more positive
New item for 2015
NA
being in the Service (77%)
than OR families
The SPs job security (59%)
New item for 2015
NA
than OR families
Knowing other military families (43%) New item for 2015
NA
than OR families
RAF provided facilities (32%)
New item for 2015
NA
than OR families
Family income/allowances (32%)
New item for 2015
NA
than OR families
Opportunities to travel (29%)
New item for 2015
NA
26
B2.4
B2.5
B2.6
B2.18
B2.19
B2.13
B2.9
B2.12
B2.17
Key figures
Section H Armed Forces

Covenant (Continued)
Statistically
significant
changes since
2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Areas of Service life families feel

negative about:
Amount of separation from their spouse
(57%)
Effect on their career (55%)
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
Effect on their children (42%)

Frequency of house moves (38%)
New item for 2015

New item for 2015
NA
NA
Effect on their relationship with the SP

(34%)
Prospects of buying/renting their own
home (32%)
Social support for their family (20%)
Electoral registration
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
New item for 2015
NA
B2.14
New item for 2015
NA
B2.1
New item for 2015
NA
B2.1
81% of RAF spouses/civil partners are

registered to vote and registered without
difficulties
4% are registered to vote but
experienced difficulties with registration
Of those who are registered to vote
(85%):
87% are registered as an
ordinary/residential voter
8% are registered as a Service voter
B2.15
Officer families more negative
than OR families
Officer families more negative
than OR families
B2.7
B2.8
B2.11
B2.10
OR families more negative than

Officer families
B2.16
B2.2
New item for 2015
NA
B2.2
New item for 2015
NA
B2.2
27
Key figures
Section I Well-being
This section includes
questions developed by
the Office for National
Statistics on Well-being.
These items are also
included in the Armed
Forces Continuous
Attitude Survey (AFCAS).
Section J Additional
Comments
Statistically
significant changes
since 2014
Statistically
significant changes
since 2011
Notable comments
Table ref
(Annexes
B, C & D)
Wellbeing
Participants rated the following items on an 11 point scale: 0 (not at all) to 11 (completely)
62% gave a rating of 7 or more
New item for 2015
NA
regarding satisfaction with their life
families
nowadays
New item for 2015
NA
regarding how happy they felt
families
yesterday
New item for 2015
NA
regarding how anxious they felt
yesterday
New item for 2015
NA
regarding the extent to which they
feel the things they do in their life are
worthwhile
A summary of additional free text comments made by respondents is available at Annex D
28
C8.1
C8.2
C8.3
C8.4
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Introduction and Background
13. The HQ Air Occupational Psychology team is tasked by RAF Community Support to carry
out an annual investigation into the attitudes and experiences of the families of RAF personnel on
a range of issues associated with being married to/in a civil partnership with a member of the RAF.
It is a questionnaire that has been distributed since Mar 95 and has evolved based on the
changing nature of Service life and stakeholder requirements.
14. In collaboration with the other single Services, a set of harmonised questions, known
generically as the Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS), are included within the
questionnaire. These were introduced in 2010 to inform the work of the Armed Forces Covenant
team. Chief of Defence People has overall governance for these items; however they are
embedded within single Service Families Surveys and remain the responsibility of each Service.
For the RAF, SO2 Psych 2 of the HQ Air Occupational Psychology Team is the FamCAS lead. In
2012 the FamCAS items were classified as an Official Statistic. The survey also contains a set of
RAF-only items which were developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
15. Statistics from FamCAS are used by both internal MOD teams and external bodies to inform
the development of policy and measure the impact of decisions affecting Service families, including
major programmes such as the Armed Forces Covenant and New Employment Model (NEM).
16.
The aim of this report is to present the findings from the 2015 administration of the survey.
Context
17. FamCAS 2015 was distributed at a time of significant change for the MOD, including the end
of operations in Afghanistan and the continuation of high-level change programmes such as Future
Force 2020 and NEM. FamCAS 2015 was conducted at a time of public sector pay restraint,
continued austerity and impending political change.
FamCAS survey content
18. In 2014, FamCAS was reviewed by an internal working group in consultation with relevant
stakeholders with the objective of revising the questionnaire to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
The revised version of FamCAS was also subject to external consultation and was released in Feb
15. The revised questionnaire is shorter than recent versions and contains items which are more
closely aligned to stakeholder and policy needs. Where possible, items have been retained to
provide trend data.
19.
The survey itself is divided into 10 sections on the following topics:
Section A: Biographical Information

Section B: Service life
Section C: Housing
Section D: Employment & Training
Section E: Deployment
Section F: Healthcare
Section G: Childcare & Childrens education
Section H: Armed Forces Covenant
Section I: Well-being
Section J: Additional Comments
20. Annex A (supplied separately) is a copy of the 2015 RAF Families Survey. All data tables
with responses for each question are provided in Annex B (tri-Service items) and C (RAF-only
29
items). A summary of written comments provided by participants within the surveys is provided in
Annex D.
FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS METHODOLOGY

21. Target population. The target population for FamCAS 2015 was the sampled Regular SP
spouses/civil partners. Spouses of Special Forces and those who were deployed on operational
tours at the time the survey sample was drawn from the Joint Personnel Administration system
were excluded from the study.
22. Administration of the 2015 FamCAS. FamCAS 2015 was in the field from Feb-May 15.
The survey was sent to a total of 7546 RAF spouses or civil partners. The sample was stratified by
rank to ensure it was representative of the RAF at the time of distribution (for instance, if 20% of
the RAF was composed of Cpls, 20% of the sample would consist of spouses of Cpls). The
surveys were distributed by mail via the serving person for them to pass on to their spouse/civil
partner to complete1.
23. The survey is completely anonymous. Individual level data are only available to a small
group of civilian researchers working on analysis and report production but this does not contain
any identifier which can be linked back to the Service person or their spouse/civil partners.
24. Response Rates. In total, 1947 completed questionnaires were returned, representing an
overall response rate of 26%; a 3% increase on 2014. Low response rates to the survey are likely
related to the annual census sampling employed for some geographical locations; the large
number of items contained within the survey; as well as the administrative procedure of distributing
the survey via the serving person. In 2015, email reminders were sent to the serving person to
check they had received the survey and encourage them to pass it on to their spouse/civil partner.
This may have assisted in increasing the 2015 response rates to the survey.
25. Analysis. The majority of the survey consists of FamCAS items with data analysis provided
by Defence Statistics. The remainder of the survey contains RAF-specific items which have been
analysed by SO2 Psych 2 of the HQ Air Occupational Psychology team.
26. To compensate for disproportionate representation of different rank groups in the Families
sample, adjusted weighting figures were derived from Defence Statistics calculations and applied
to all data considered in this document. The percentages presented in the report represent the
responses given by individuals to questions they found directly relevant. Unless otherwise stated,
not applicable, dont know, and missing values (where respondents have not provided a
response/valid response) have been excluded from the analysis.
27. Attitudinal questions in the questionnaires have generally been regrouped to assist in
analysing results and to aid interpretation. For example, questions asked at a 5-point level (eg
Strongly agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree) have been
regrouped to a 3-point level (eg Agree Neutral Disagree).
28. Statistical testing. Where applicable, significance tests at a 1% alpha level were used to
test whether observed estimates were significantly different to estimates from previous surveys. A
statistically significant difference means that there is enough evidence that the change observed is
unlikely to be due to chance variation (less than a 1% probability that the difference is the result of
chance alone). Note that significant increases do not necessarily refer to an improvement. A
significant increase in dissatisfaction, for example, is unlikely to be considered an improvement.
It is not yet possible to send surveys directly to Service personnel spouses/civil partners as MOD neither has the
consent nor holds sufficient contact details for spouses/civil partners to contact them directly for research.
30

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RAF FAMILIES

CONTINUOUS ATTITUDE SURVEY

Report of RAF Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS)

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS CONTENTS

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - RANK DIFFERENCES

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - BACKGROUND INFORMATION

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS METHODOLOGY

ANNEX A - Copy of RAF FamCAS 2015 questionnaire (separate

ANNEX B - Tri-Service FamCAS 2015 reference tables (separate

ANNEX C - RAF Only FamCAS items 2015 reference tables (separate

ANNEX D - Comments Analysis 2015 (separate document)

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - LARGEST CHANGES SINCE 2014

Whats going down?

Knowing where to access support from the RAF if required (65%,

Declaring as a member of the Armed Forces Community when

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS MAIN RANK DIFFERENCES

Partners of Other Ranks

FamCAS 2015 RAF RESULTS - KEY FINDINGS

The report consists of:

Key findings by section

Section A About you

Section A asks individuals

Most were aged between 25-49

83% were living in England at the

The majority have not moved

81% are living with the SP during the

New item for 2015

Of those who are living separately

New item for 2015

73% reported that in the last 12

New item for 2015

Armed Forces experience

Section B Service Life

(Continued on next page)

Service family life

32% agree that spouses/civil

50% agree that the SP is able to take

New item for 2015

69% report that they are not able to

New item for 2015

75% perceive that family

New item for 2015

Officer families agree more than

47% would feel positive if the SP left

OR families agree more than

33% declare themselves as a

Officer families higher than OR

Officer families more satisfied

Officer families agree more than

Section B Service Life

Officer families higher than OR

66% of RAF families own their own

More Officer families own a

39% are living in the home that they

More Officer families living in

More OR families saving for a

18% do not own a home but are

New item for 2015

OR families agree more than

Want to be able to move with the SP

Officer families agree more than

Living in Service accommodation is

Officer families agree more than