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Is the army exempt from discrimination rules/laws?

15 replies

membershipcard · 05/04/2012 14:23

DS has recently joined the Army cadets and is going on his first camp.
I am shocked by the form I have to fill in...

It asks for his Christian Name Shock

It also clearly states that cadets who require medication by injection can't go nor can cadets with a food allergy nor can cadets with asthma! Shock

Is this the norm in the Forces?

OP posts:
membershipcard · 05/04/2012 14:36

Does this sound normal?

OP posts:
UniS · 05/04/2012 14:43

Quite likely.

catsareevil · 05/04/2012 14:47

I think that the DDA doesnt apply to armed forces, but dont think that they are exempt from all law regarding discrimination, as I'm aware of them being sued for sex discrimination in the past.
I dont know about religion, it does sound like a strange way to word the form.

membershipcard · 05/04/2012 14:58

I work in an environment where this would never be tolerated.

We live in a very multi-cultural town.
The school DS goes to is multicultural.
I haven't seen the phrase "Christian name " on a form for many, many years and was shocked to see it here.

I am shocked that they exclude so many groups.

OP posts:
LtEveDallas · 05/04/2012 15:05

I'm not sure why you are shocked? Because it is Cadets, not the Army, so should be run differently? Or because you think the Military should be run differently. Do you think you could explain please?

membershipcard · 05/04/2012 15:14

I am shocked that they are allowed to be run differently than any other group/organisation in our society.

OP posts:
blonde83 · 05/04/2012 15:17

hello!
I cant speak for the Army cadets only as in instructor in the Air Cadets. All of our forms use the terms forenames / surname.
We have a medical form for cadets to list any medical issues on them and i have been on camps with cadets with a wide range of medical issues ranging from severe nut allergies to asthma, diabetes etc. The form asks for what type of medication they are on and when to take it etc. If it is something we havent come across before then we may sit down with the cadet and parents.
The food allergy one may stem from the fact that the cadets may be eating from ration packs which are not suitable for people with nut allergies.
The actual armed forces is a whole different ball game.

membershipcard · 05/04/2012 15:45

Thanks blonde83

The actual armed forces is a whole different ball game.

I'm beginning to realise this Grin

It doesn't seem fair that someone with very mild asthma wouldn't be allowed to go Sad.

You may be right about eating rations but a little explanation would have been welcome.

May be it is just this detachment. Confused

OP posts:
blonde83 · 05/04/2012 15:52

yes that doesnt seem fair - these opportunities should as far as possible be all inclusive. We just ask the cadets to let us know where their medication is in case they need it..... and to please not bury it at the bottom of the rucksacks!

As i said though the Army cadets operate differently to us as i found out when we had a couple of cadets transfer to us as we apparently do more than them :o

KatieMiddleton · 05/04/2012 15:58

There's nothing about the provision of services (which this would probably come under) in the Equality Act 2010.

Sounds like somebody in their admin department needs to go on a diversity training course... Grin

LtEveDallas · 05/04/2012 16:01

It could just be this detachment OP. It depends what quals/skills the AI's have I expect, and if they would be able to cope in a medical emergency.

Cadet teams are being slashed left right and centre. The one on my camp had 8 Permanent Staff 2 years ago and is now down to 3, but they are still expected to run the same amount of camps Hmm. The 3 we have left are well trained, but I could easily see them placing restrictions on the kids that can attend if they are worried about them and not sure they have the skill if the worst happens. Bloody cutbacks Angry

Military rations can be ordered veggie/halal etc but cannot be guaranteed nut or egg free etc, so again that makes sense.

I can't comment on the Christian Name thing, as I've not come across that for a long while! All the forms I see these days say fore or first names with another space for 'known as'.

Obvs in the 'real' Military things are different, and the powers that be can and do 'discriminate' for good reason, but it's a shame that the Cadets can't be 'all inclusive' so to speak.

membershipcard · 05/04/2012 16:02

Sounds like somebody in their admin department needs to go on a diversity training course...

I think you are right Kate

OP posts:
KatieMiddleton · 05/04/2012 18:21

Sorry I meant there's nothing to exclude them from the provision of services section in the Equality Act. doh.

membershipcard · 06/04/2012 08:53

Obvs in the 'real' Military things are different, and the powers that be can and do 'discriminate' for good reason, but it's a shame that the Cadets can't be 'all inclusive' so to speak.

Exactly LtEveDallas [busmile]

OP posts:
FormSquare · 22/04/2012 14:52

The Cadets are a Youth Organisation sponsored by the MoD. It is a blurry distinction, but a distinction never the less.

Likewise, the Armed Forces are NOT exempt from discrimination rules... although you are unlikely to find a blind recruit, but then would you find a blind trainee fireman?

Your form, complete with the offensive 'Christian' wording has probably been knocked up locally at your kids local ACF Det. i appreciate it is still the 'face' of teh ACF, but it was probably knocked up years ago, and teh adults of the ACF det just never had the time to a. think about something so mundane or b. they are older and it just didn't click.

Rather than dropping digs in on the internet, why not mention it to the ACF adults at your det? At least give them taht much of your time.

Maybe even offer to give up some of YOUR time to help them out. They are all volunteers, they give up their time taking your kids away. I am sure they would welcome someone giving up a few hours to go through their forms and do some photocopying to help them, after all many will do a full time job and then anything up to 6 hours with teh aCF per week. Not to mention weekends and holidays.

You could find you enjoy it, and you yourself become an AI. I had a 50 odd year old woman join as an AI, because her kids had. She'd never had contact with the forces before and loves every minute of it.

Re Cadets, ALL Children can join, there is no medical barriers. There are many Cadets who are disabled and still enjoy the ir time. That said, sometimes you are going to have to accept that not ALL kids can be catered for.

If the kids can't inject themselves, who can do it? An ACF Adult can't just stick a needle in to a Cadet. Larger camps usually have Nurses with them, but if it is a small camp, perhaps the medical issues are too great.

I've often been canoing on a lake with a big waterproof bag of meds.

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