The CFI coin was recently introduced in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) to recognise and reward employees for their achievements in delivering excellence in firearms training.

The awarding of the coin is decided upon by the CFI and recognises the outstanding performance of a firearms instructor, a member of support staff or an officer attending training. The tradition of the issuing a coin dates back many years to the Roman Empire when they issued them to soldiers to recognise their achievements.

Ch Insp Tim Ferris, Chief Firearms Instructor for the CNC, said: “PC Fisher is an experienced national firearms instructor and Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) and I was pleased to present her with the CFI coin for excellence.

“She received this award as a result of her commitment and diligence when designing and reviewing firearms training packages, ensuring that they are challenging and comply with the National Police Firearms Training Curriculum.”

PC Fisher said: “I was really proud to receive the coin for excellence from the Chief Firearms Instructor for my role in the compliance unit within firearms training. I really enjoy my job, which is demanding but hugely rewarding and ensures that our officers remain highly skilled and ready for the challenges they face in their role.”

Published 21 January 2020

The notice was served to St Paul’s Veterinary Clinic by a VMD inspector during a routine inspection.

The following contravened the Veterinary Medicines Regulation (VMR) 2013:

• The administration of a veterinary medicinal product not in accordance with its marketing authorisation, contrary to Regulation 8 (Administration of the product) of the VMR.

The improvements required are:

• The practice must provide procedures they will follow to ensure that broach limits are adhered to in the future.

Published 21 January 2020

The Charity Commission has appointed an interim manager to the charity CAWRM Ltd, also known as Jerusalem Merit, which aims to relieve poverty and financial hardship, in particular among refugees in the Middle East.

Gordon Reid of Barlow Robbins Solicitors was appointed under section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 on 14 January 2020. His role will be to assess specific issues, including the charity’s relationship with a third-party company, and the charity’s viability.

The charity’s trustees will remain responsible for the general running of the charity while the IM conducts his work. Interim managers are appointed as a temporary and protective measure where the Commission has identified misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of a charity, or where there is a need to protect a charity’s property.

The Commission opened an inquiry into CAWRM in November 2018 to investigate serious regulatory concerns about the charity’s management and finances. The investigation continues.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission power to appoint interim managers to a charity.
2. This appointment is a temporary and protective power that will be reviewed at regular intervals. It will continue until the Commission makes a further order for its variation or discharge.
3. Once the inquiry has concluded the Commission intends to publish a report setting out its findings. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK.

Published 21 January 2020

The Customer Service Excellence standard is an external independent review of the services on offer at an organisation. It’s a continuous improvement tool to help public or private sector organisations provide services that are efficient, effective, and place customers at the heart of the service provision.

The accreditation lasts for 3 years, with organisations being reviewed each year by independent assessors.

How it’s assessed

To achieve the award, organisations need to successfully meet all the assessment criteria. There are 57 elements assessed across 5 key areas:

Our assessment

The assessors review took place in November 2019, with a full day site visit to our Cardiff office.

The assessors spoke with various members of staff including senior management, visited the contact centre and spoke to external customers and key stakeholders. They validated and challenged all of our evidence against the standard.

The outcome

We’re proud to reveal that we’ve retained the Customer Service Excellence standard. In some elements, such as the work we do interacting with our wider and local communities, we’ve exceeded the standard and achieved a compliance plus grading. Compliance plus grading is assessed as exceptional good practice.

The Customer Service Excellence standard helps customers identify us as an organisation that’s committed to providing excellent customer service. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re delighted that we’ve been awarded an external accreditation to demonstrate this commitment.

The MOD’s UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) has signed a £183 million contract to boost training services for new Rotary Wing pilots.

The contract amendment includes:

• An uplift of four new Airbus H145 helicopters
• A state-of-the-art simulator and infrastructure improvements
• Support in attracting and training personnel to meet the increased helicopter demand from the frontline

The new H145 helicopters and simulator will enable students to learn how to fly a range of missions, covering expected scenarios on operational deployment. In addition, the H145s enable students to practice winching tasks and rear crew activities.

Defence Minister James Heappey said:

This £183 million boost for our helicopter training will see our student pilots benefit from an ultra-modern simulator, new infrastructure at RAF Shawbury and four brand-new Airbus H145 helicopters. These crucial upgrades will help our students become the finest helicopter pilots in the world.

The Rotary Wing contract amendment was signed by UKMFTS – part of Defence, Equipment & Support (DE&S) – and Ascent Flight Training Management Ltd, which delivers pilot training for the UKMFTS in a partnering arrangement. It is part of a wider programme to increase training capacity for UK military pilots overall, as part of the £3.2 billion UKMFTS programme and helps address the increased demand for pilot training identified in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The four new H145 helicopters and simulator will be based at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire, which is where the Rotary Wing element of UKMFTS is delivered. The infrastructure improvements will cater for the increased student numbers.

Commodore Tom Manson, UKMFTS Head, Defence Equipment & Support, said:

I am delighted to uplift the capacity of our tri-service military helicopter pilot training services that we deliver in partnership with Ascent. The new twin-engine Airbus H145s will enhance the current mix of H135 and H145s that are used on UKMFTS, providing increased flexibility to deliver the range of training required for both pilots and aircrewmen in advance of flying front line helicopters.

The H145 family (BK117, EC145 and H145) is a well-proven training aircraft with more than 1,300 helicopters in service around the world and has clocked more than 5.5 million flight hours.

The UKMFTS Programme is delivering a world-class, state-of-the-art training system which is a global exemplar for training aircrew in preparation for the operational front line.