Personnel and Training Command (PTC) - Air Officer Administration

Senior Personnel Staff Officer (SPSO)

Introduction

The SPSO's area is the focal point for all personnel issues within PTC and is headed by an Administrative Branch group captain. In simple terms, SPSO is responsible for the proper process and progression of disciplinary and personnel-related casework, working closely with the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS), and for providing the link between policy formulation and implementation at station level. SPSO also has RAF-wide responsibility for the specialised areas of Ceremonial, Uniform Dress policy and the Compulsory Drug Testing team.

Personnel Casework

The Personnel Casework element of SPSO PTC’s department deals with the staffing and progression of all disciplinary and certain administrative casework within the Command. Headed by a wing commander, with a squadron leader as deputy, the workload is shared by 3 flight lieutenants and one D grade civil servant, who have responsibility for a variety of units, including large training stations, NATO units, embassies and exchange posts. In particular, Personnel Casework has responsibility for the following:

Advising the Commander-in-Chief, Air Officers Commanding and specialist departments of incidents, such as disciplinary cases, Parliamentary Enquiries, Redresses of Complaint or Special Report cases, which may give rise to media attention.
The progression of all disciplinary and administrative casework, including Courts Martial, Appropriate Superior Authority hearings, Redresses of Complaint, Boards of Inquiry and Special Reports.
Providing advice to Commanding Officers and their staff on all personnel casework and disciplinary matters.
As the PTC Equal Opportunities Focal Point, providing appropriate advice to units on equality and diversity matters and tasking the Equal Opportunities Investigation Team.
Providing briefs on current disciplinary personnel casework matters for Air Officers visiting units within PTC.
Providing a focal point for Data Protection Act legislation.
Providing feedback to Employment and Discipline policy staff.

Personnel Management

The Personnel Management strand of SPSO’s branch covers a wide range of responsibilities, contributing at the policy and functional levels. The primary roles of the team of 10 Service and civilian staff, headed by a wing commander, are listed below:

Contribution to the development and implementation of RAF and tri-Service personnel policy matters.
Provision of advice and guidance on all personnel policy issues to PTC unit staffs.
Conducting ‘health checks’ of the provision of personnel services at PTC units and advising on appropriate remedial action for problem areas.
Ensuring that manpower requirements placed upon PTC for operations and other unestablished commitments are met.
Processing citations from PTC units for Honours and Awards.
Ensuring that PTC units receive/provide necessary services from/to other military or civilian organisations which they are unable to provide from within their own resources.
Provision by a specialist 4-man team of compulsory drugs testing within the RAF.
Provision of administrative support services across SPSO’s whole branch.

RAF Ceremonial Office

The RAF Ceremonial Office is a HQ PTC unit located at RAF Bentley Priory. The office operates under the auspices of a wing commander based at Innsworth with daily operations delegated to a RAF Regiment squadron leader.

The London Office is the focus of the RAF’s contribution to State, National and Service ceremonial matters in accordance with accepted military traditions. This ranges from providing the RAF’s input into all recurring and non-recurring ceremonial occasions to advice on unit badges, Colours and Standards, orders of dress and decorations and the protocols and actions necessary for Royal Visits etc. The office has functional control of The Queen’s Colour Squadron (for ceremonial purposes) and the allocation of RAF Music Services; it also administers RAF voluntary bands and the Pipe Bands.

In essence, the office provides wide ranging advice and support on ceremonial matters to the RAF as well as NATO HQs overseas and the general public, and works in concert with the RAF Participation Committee to ensure that the Service’s high profile and public image are maintained.

Uniform Clothing (Policy and Supply Monitoring)

Uniform Clothing (Policy and Supply Monitoring) provides Supply Support to all Royal Air Force Service and civilian personnel. This support covers uniform clothing, workwear, protective dress, ceremonial equipment and accoutrements, and Defence Accommodation Stores.

Different clothing ranges have to be provided to accommodate the performance of similar tasks in all climates to which RAF personnel are required to operate. In order to present a uniform appearance, the varieties of dress must be controlled by the maintenance and publication of Dress Regulations detailing how and when each variation is to be worn. Uniform Clothing (Policy and Supply Monitoring) provides advice to the RAF Dress Policy Committee, which in turn decides on Dress Policy.

Provision of Defence Accommodation Stores includes furnishings and equipment for service families’ accommodation, office accommodation, single service accommodation, messes, kitchens and medical centres. These ranges of equipment amount to many thousands of items and are used to support the Royal Air Force.

Date Last Updated : Tuesday, March 16, 2020 6:15 PM

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