Research and analysis

Communicating with Service personnel: understanding the awareness of communications about changes to UK Armed Forces accommodation policy

Published 19 September 2023

List of abbreviations

DAS Defence Accommodation Strategy

FAM Future Accommodation Model

HMNB His Majesty’s Naval Base

MOD Ministry of Defence

RAF Royal Air Force

SFA Service Family Accommodation

SLA Single Living Accommodation

SNCO Senior Non-Commissioned Officers

SP Service personnel

WAC Wrap Around Childcare

Executive Summary

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides Service personnel (SP) and their families in the UK Armed Forces with subsidised accommodation to aid workforce mobility, operational readiness, and capability. In 2024, aspects of the Defence accommodation policy will change, affecting all SP. The offer will reflect modern family structures, including recognising long-term relationships, moving away from rank-based entitlement, and providing more subsidised accommodation options for single SP.

The MOD wanted to understand whether SP had seen previous communications about upcoming changes to accommodation policy and how to improve future communications. They were particularly interested in exploring which communication channels would be most effective in reaching all SP.

The MOD designed a qualitative research project to understand awareness of recent communications. MOD Government Social Researchers designed and completed six face-to-face focus groups with 47 SP at UK military sites which took place between November 2022 and January 2023.

Whilst this research included a broad group of SP, these findings are not representative of the entire Armed Forces.

Key conclusions

• SP receive information through many different communication channels to undertake their jobs and lives in the Armed Forces. The communication channels used to receive information varied depending on Service and Rank, meaning there was no standard approach across the entire Armed Forces. Weekly briefs/routine orders (or equivalent) were most likely to reach all SP.

• SP from all Services and Ranks said their spouses and partners mainly received information about their lives in the Armed Forces from them. However, the spouse/partner may receive information from social media (Facebook), HIVES, HR Clerks and via email/letter if SP are deployed.

• SP across all Services and Ranks took a similar approach when finding out about their accommodation options when they received their Assignment Order or had a change in personal circumstances during an assignment. SP tended to automatically know where to look to apply for their accommodation. This was often based on previous experience of moving sites and the knowledge was gathered over several moves.

• SP from all Services and Ranks liked the use of QR codes on posters. SP already use QR codes at work and in their personal lives. SP from all Services and Ranks liked pictures (photos or infographics) on posters. SP noted that pictures tended to draw the eye towards the poster, so they were likely to stop and read the content or find out further information online.

• SP from all Services and Ranks disliked posters with large amounts of text, that used very corporate language and buzzwords and lacked definitive statements.

Introduction and purpose

Introduction

The MOD provides SP and their families in the UK Armed Forces with subsidised accommodation and support to aid workforce mobility, operational readiness, and capability. To find out more about the Defence Accommodation Policy visit the MOD Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations (Joint Service Publication 464).

Currently, entitlement to subsidised accommodation is based on marital status with only SP who are married, in a civil partnership, or single with sole, full-time parental responsibility entitled to Service Family Accommodation (SFA). Rank also informs the accommodation offer, with Officers and Warrant Officers generally entitled to larger properties irrespective of family size.

Despite the significant subsidy, a quarter of SP live outside of Service accommodation during the working week (Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey, 2022), meaning the value of the subsidy is not evenly spread amongst SP. Furthermore, basing entitlement to family accommodation on marriage or civil partnership means some families (including those with children) are not entitled to subsidised family accommodation.

Aspects of the Defence accommodation offer to SP will change in 2024. This will be one of the biggest changes to the accommodation offer in a generation. The offer will reflect modern family structures, including recognising long-term relationships and moving away from rank-based entitlement. The Future Accommodation Model (FAM) pilot trialled aspects of the new accommodation offer at three sites (His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, Aldershot Garrison and Royal Air Force (RAF) Wittering) from 2019 to 2023. You can find out more about the pilot by visiting Future Accommodation Model: what you need to know.

Purpose of the research

The MOD will widely communicate the change of accommodation offer to SP and their families. The MOD has already provided information, in different formats, to SP and their families to raise awareness of the new accommodation offer. The MOD wanted to understand whether SP had seen previous communications about changes to accommodation policy and how to improve future communications. They were particularly interested in exploring which communication channels would be most effective in reaching all SP. Whilst the Armed Forces know who and where SP are, there are some who do not have access to MOD IT systems on a regular basis – which can make this cohort hard to reach. The research findings will also be used by MOD Analysts to increase the recruitment of participants for research purposes.

Research objectives and methods

Research questions

Research questions were developed by the Research Team, working in collaboration with the MOD Accommodation Communications Team, to understand their requirements from the research. The research aimed to answer the following research questions:

• What communication channels do SP currently receive information through?

• How do the spouses/partners of SP receive information about the life of their spouse/partner in the Armed Forces?

• What process do SP follow to find out their accommodation options when they receive their Assignment Order or have a change in personal circumstances during an assignment?

• What is the level of awareness of recent communications about changes in accommodation policy?

• What do SP like and dislike about the design of posters used to communicate changes to policy?

Research methods

Qualitative data was collected through six face-to-face focus groups with 47 SP at three UK military sites.

Qualitative research was preferred as this approach delivered breadth and depth to answer the research questions. It allowed for a deeper investigation of input shared by research participants through techniques such as probing (asking follow-up questions to a participants answer) and laddering (asking a series of questions to identify the order of decision making) to gain a deeper understanding of the topic (Roller and Lavrakas, 2015).

This was also a different approach from quantitative survey-based research, which have historically sometimes attracted low response and low participation rates across the MOD.

Focus groups were chosen so that different views from SP could be gathered and discussed. The focus group topic was not considered to be controversial or sensitive, so it was assumed SP would be willing to contribute in a group setting. Participants were reminded they did not need to respond to any questions they did not feel comfortable answering. The focus groups also allowed visual aids (posters) to be used to initiate a discussion.

Face-to face focus groups were chosen as not all SP have access to MOD IT systems. They also enabled a natural discussion between participants, which may not have been achieved when using online platforms. The focus groups were conducted at UK military sites, which limited travel for participants, and they were more likely to be comfortable in their own surroundings.

A topic guide (see Annex A) was created for the focus groups by the Research Team, following discussions with the MOD Accommodation Communications Team. The research methodology and topic guide were peer reviewed by a Government Social Researcher not involved in the research project.

The research is qualitative and as such is limited in the breadth of coverage. Whilst the research insights represent a range of SP views and provide informed outputs, this research is not reflective of the entire Armed Forces. It also does not explore how SP may receive communications when serving outside the UK.

Sampling

A convenience sample was used to identify three military sites, one from each Service (Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force) to participate in the research. This type of sample was used due to time constraints imposed by the research customer. The research was conducted close to the Christmas leave period for SP, so the research team had to guarantee SP would be available to participate.

UK Military sites were selected which had not been involved in the FAM pilot and were likely to have a wide range of ranks. An opportunity sample was adopted at the military sites selected to identify participants for the focus groups. Each focus group was stratified by rank (Officer or Other Rank), but no other stratification or quotas were applied. The focus groups contained a mix of ranks and professions. This approach taken means some SP cohorts may have been excluded from the research.

The sampling approach adopted means the findings may be biased and not representative of the entire Armed Forces or the SP serving at that site.

Research recruitment and participation

Participants were recruited by a Personnel Officer at the military site who was sent information about the topic of the focus groups by the Research Team. SP who were available at the time of the focus group were asked to attend. This means availability bias could have applied in this research as it was a self-selecting sample. Personnel Officers were asked to identify approximately 10 SP to allow for attrition.

Participation in the research was voluntary and used informed consent. The informed consent was gained by the focus group facilitator starting the session by clearly stating the aims of the research and how the information that was collected would be used. Participants were told they had the right to withdraw from the focus group at any time without reason. They did not have to contribute to the discussion if they did not want to. Participants were also informed that anything shared in the session would be anonymised, unidentifiable, and reported in aggregate. They were reminded their Chain of Command would not be told if they did not contribute to the discussion or left the focus group early. Chatham House rules applied to the focus group. The facilitator sought a verbal agreement from the participants to this principle before beginning the questioning.

Participation incentives were not offered.

Data collection

The focus groups lasted between 60 and 75 minutes, where participants responded to questions from a researcher. Each focus group was completed by one Government Social Researcher, with a second Government Social Researcher present to take notes.

A member of the Accommodation Communications Team was present at each focus group. Their role was to observe the focus group and did not participate in the discussion. Their presence ensured any specific questions about Defence Accommodation Policy could be answered.

The discussions were audio recorded and transcribed through Microsoft Teams. These transcripts were pseudonymised by the research team and checked for quality purposes against the recording. Recordings and analysis were stored securely with access limited to the Research Team only.

Data collection took place between November 2022 and January 2023. Six focus groups were completed. Table 1 shows the achieved sample.

Table 1: Achieved sample for focus groups

Service	Rank	Achieved sample
Royal Navy	Officers	6
Royal Navy	Other Ranks	7
Army	Officers	6
Army	Other Ranks	18
Royal Air Force	Officers	5
Royal Air Force	Other Ranks	5

The Royal Navy Officers focus group also included some Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO). This was not deemed an issue as the SNCOs generally had a longer length of service and similar entitlements and working patterns as commissioned officers.

Analysis

The analysis approach for this research was thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is aimed at systematically describing the meaning of qualitative data by assigning codes to the data and then identifying themes that emerge from the codes. An inductive approach was used in this research, meaning the data determined the themes that emerged.

The focus groups transcripts were coded independently using Microsoft Excel by two Government Social Researchers, the researchers also identified themes for the codes. The codes and themes were then compared in a workshop attended by the researchers. If there were any discrepancies between the researchers, the original transcripts were reread by both researchers and discussed.

Quotes used in this report have been provided from the focus group transcriptions and these have only been edited for grammatical errors, clarity and brevity.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance processes were applied throughout the research project. The research proposal and discussion guide were reviewed by a Government Social Researcher within the Accommodation Team. The topic guide was also shared with the MOD Accommodation Communications Team. This ensured the topic guide would enable evidence to be generated to answer the research questions and meet customer needs.

The codes and themes created through the data analysis were quality assured by a Government Analyst who was not involved in the data collection or analysis. The analyst independently coded and themed a sample of the transcripts. A workshop was held to compare the codes and themes to those generated by the Research Team.

The final report went through several iterations and was quality assured by a Government Social Researcher in the Accommodation Team. This is to ensure the report met MOD and Government Social Research Profession standards.

Findings

Current communications channels

This section addresses the following research question:

• What communication channels do SP currently receive information through?

SP receive information through many different communication channels to undertake their jobs and lives in the Armed Forces. This could be information relating to their role, social events on site or their family lives. The communications channels used to receive information varied depending on Service and Rank, meaning there was no standard approach across the entire Armed Forces.

SP mentioned they received information via the following channels:

• Microsoft Teams

• SharePoint

• Emails

• Skype meetings

• MOD Intranet

• Defence Connect

• Defence Gateway

• Joint Service Publications (JSP)

• Weekly briefs/Orders

• MyNavy / MyRAF App

• Social media

• Posters

• Videos

• Word of mouth

• HIVE newsletter

• Defence Instructions and Notices (DIN)

All SP (all Services and Ranks) were likely to receive information via ‘Weekly briefs’ or ‘Orders’. These are instructions from the Chain of Command to SP containing information or actions that need to be undertaken. There may be a small number of SP who do not receive a weekly brief due to a lack of IT.

Royal Navy personnel in all ranks would always receive information through daily orders when serving on a ship. Army personnel in all ranks could have ‘Scale A’ briefings where everyone must attend.

SP did note that the information that filters down the Chain of Command can vary. Different levels of command may remove information they do not feel is relevant or important to their subordinates.

It’s 78% regimental, but there if there are big ticket items coming into play, then it’s briefed through the chain. If so, you will get it from [Senior Officer] and he’ll break it down if he thinks the soldiers needs to know. So, does stuff get filtered out as it goes down? I would argue yes it then gets briefed at the level it needs to get briefed out. So, something for everybody it should go all the way. [Army, Officer]

SP received information via platforms on MOD IT systems; however, the usage of MOD IT varied by Service and Rank. Many Other Rank personnel in the Army and Navy did not have regular access to MOD IT, whereas RAF Other Ranks were more likely to have access. Officers and higher ranked Other Ranks from all Services were likely to have full access to MOD IT.

SP who did have access to MOD IT received information on different platforms, for example via SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and the MOD intranet. SP noted that there can be a high turnover of information on these platforms, so even though communications are pushed out, SP do not always pick this information up quick enough or do not know where is best to look for the information they are after.

Usage of SharePoint and Microsoft Teams varied by Service. The Royal Navy used SharePoint as a file storage system, whereas the RAF used SharePoint to communicate ‘How to Guides’ about each site. The RAF received most information via Microsoft Teams. However, this platform provided a constant stream of notifications, which causes ‘white noise’, meaning some of the notifications could be missed. Army Officers used the MOD Intranet to search for documents and Joint Service Publications.

Teams is definitely becoming the biggest one. However, it’s rubbish, so many streams going into it and then my notification just seems to go tick, tick, boom, whatever. Just constantly ticking over, someone’s posted this, or someone’s added a comment to it, and you look at it and it’s just someone putting bump. [RAF, Other Rank]

I’m on my squadron site and I’m on the station site and I’m on this site and it’s just notification after notification and it’s sometimes you’ll click on. Some of its relevant, but then you get to point, that much stuff that’s not relevant. You start switching off from [it] and possibly the stuff that is relevant because you just bombarded by it all the time. [RAF, Other Rank]

All SP (all Services and Ranks) tended not to use social media such as Facebook or Twitter to receive information about their lives in the Armed Forces. Information on these sites is often out of date or published after the event. SP in the Army followed Armed Forces related pages on social media to find out about Armed Forces related events, but these were more likely to ‘pop-up’ on the feed, rather than being actively searched for. SP used encrypted messaging apps to receive information about work, such as muster times.

[REDACTED] Facebook page actually has a few jobs lists and things like that… there’s a few like I know, like Freedom of [CITY] parades and things like that. They’ve sold the Army Navy tickets through there. Yeah, I’ve never looked at information there, but occasionally browse and see if it fits a box. [Army, Officer]

Defence Connect and Defence Gateway are MOD provided platforms, which staff can access without MOD IT. Defence Connect is a private social network and provides a collaborative environment to connect with others across the organization. Defence Gateway is a secure platform for UK military personnel to access information and services.

Defence Connect and Defence Gateway were not widely used in the Royal Navy or RAF (all Ranks). SP had either not heard of Defence Connect or used it very infrequently, for example a few times a year to complete training. Defence Connect was not frequently used in the Army, SP noted there was often too much information provided or it was unstructured. Defence Gateway was widely used in the Army by all ranks to access information such as pay and training.

SP all received information via posters. Posters were often found in a crew room or Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block. Royal Navy personnel would read a poster on a ship, noting that on the back of a toilet door or next to the canteen queue is often a good location. However, SP noted posters can often become out of date or have other information placed over the top.

SP from all Ranks and Services were most likely to find out information about their job and life in the Armed Forces by word of mouth.

Communication channels used by spouses and partners of SP

This section addresses the following research question:

• How do the spouses/partners of SP receive information about the life of their spouse/partner in the Armed Forces?

SP from all Services and Ranks said their spouses and partners mainly received information about their lives in the Armed Forces from them. However, the spouse/partner may receive information from social media (Facebook), HIVES, HR Clerks and via email/letter if SP are deployed. This might include information about how to contact them in an emergency etc.

SP mentioned the usage of social media by spouses/partners can often be unreliable. Social media means incorrect messages and rumour spread quickly. This can often be caused by spouses/partners being in multiple social media groups as SP move sites regularly. The information that is provided via social media can also be late or incorrect.

Some SP may serve unaccompanied with their family home in a predominantly civilian community. SP mentioned their spouse/partner may not be interested in their military life. They may only be interested when the SP is deployed, and emergency contact information is required.

I know when I was deployed all the spouses then set their own Facebook page up together and that’s how they all talk. It’s a nightmare. [Navy, Other Rank]

It should be noted that the findings from this research question were not directly collected from spouses/partners of SP, but indirectly via the SP. Therefore, the findings may not reflect the opinions or behaviours of the spouse/partner.

Understanding accommodation options

This section addresses the following research question:

• What process do SP follow to find out their accommodation options when they receive their Assignment Order or have a change in personal circumstances during an assignment?

SP across all Services and Ranks took a similar approach when finding out about their accommodation options when they received their Assignment Order or had a change in personal circumstances during an assignment. An Assignment Order is an instruction about the next job a SP will undertake. This assignment could be at the same or a new site.

SP tended to automatically know where to look to apply for their accommodation. This was often based on previous experience of moving sites and the knowledge was gathered over several moves. SP could be moving into SFA or SLA.

If SP had been in the Armed Forces for several years (any Rank), and their personal circumstances (relationship status, number of dependants) had not changed, then they were unlikely to look at the accommodation policy to understand their entitlement.

SP who were Officers noted that some junior ranks needed help or advice when applying for their accommodation due to a lack of experience moving sites.

SP moving into SLA (as single SP or serving unaccompanied) from all Services and Ranks had similar approaches to finding information about their accommodation at a new site. SP mainly asked their new line manager, the individual they were replacing (normally Officers), a mentor (Army Officers) or contacted the mess to ask for details about booking SLA at their new site. The contact would then provide this information, for example sending a link to a booking form or mess telephone number.

9 times out of 10. You know the person you are relieving. So, I say right, where have you got to go for accommodation? [Navy, Officer]

SP in the Army were adamant that if they were single, they were only entitled to live in SLA and there were no alternative options for subsidised accommodation. Army personnel stated they would arrive at a site and be given keys to a room.

You live in the block; you don’t have an option. Turn up, the SQMS [Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant] gives you a room. That’s it. That is the accommodation. [Army, Other Rank]

SP in the Navy were unlikely to have internet on a ship, so they would arrive at a new site and get allocated accommodation when they arrive.

SP moving into SFA noted they searched via Google for the e1132 accommodation application form or called Unit HR at their new site for a link to book accommodation. Some SP commented they looked at the Accommodation JSP or spoke to the new site Welfare Team about their personal circumstances, if they were ‘unique’.

I got my admin order, but I didn’t know how to apply for a house. So, we had HR on the squadron. I went in and saw the girls in there and they were like, here’s the website, you need to set up a login and you just go in, put in your admin order number and then you’ll speak to whoever the people are down there. [RAF, Other Ranks]

Awareness of recent accommodation communications

This section addresses the following research question:

• What is the level of awareness of recent communications about changes in accommodation policy?

In September and October 2022, the MOD Accommodation Communications Team communicated with SP about upcoming changes to accommodation policy. Information was shared with SP about the end of the FAM Pilot, publication of the Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) and changes to the entire accommodation policy. Information was shared via all internal communications channels and social media. Posters were produced to communicate the upcoming changes (see Annex B).

SP from all Services and Ranks had very low or no awareness of recent communications about changes in accommodation policy. Only a few SP had seen the posters shared in the focus group. Some SP had heard about different aspects of accommodation policy or policy changes, but none could recall in detail the changes. Some SP had heard about the FAM Pilot, but not recently and they could not fully recall the details of the policy. Some Royal Navy personnel had heard about the Flexi Rooms pilot at HMNB Portsmouth. The Flexi Rooms pilot allows SP to book a room in SLA when required like a hotel, rather than block booking a room and only residing in it when required. There was some awareness of the Forces Help to Buy scheme and SP in Long Term Relationships being eligible for surplus SFA if it was available.

SP noted that awareness of changes to accommodation was often via word of mouth, rather than specific communications from the MOD.

Feedback on design of communications

This section addresses the following research question:

• What do SP like and dislike about the design of posters used to communicate changes to policy?

Participants were shown four posters. Three posters related to changes to accommodation policy and one poster was about the introduction of the Wrap Around Childcare (WAC) scheme. SP in the Army focus groups were not shown the WAC poster due to time constraints. SP identified aspects of the posters they liked and disliked.

Likes

SP from all Services and Ranks liked the use of QR codes on posters. SP already use QR codes at work and in their personal lives. Army personnel frequently used QR codes during their work, for example to register attendance at the medical centre or a physical training session. SP noticed there were some posters without a QR code and stated they would expect a poster to have one. SP noted they can use a QR code on a personal device, which most SP had access to compared to MOD IT. SP stated they were unlikely to read a poster fully and would instead just scan the QR code and read the information later at their leisure.

QR codes. Great. Yeah. Take you straight to it. It gets sorted. [Navy, Officer]

QR code? Because everyone’s got access. Yeah, they won’t even read the poster. They’ll [Junior Other Rank] go, Future Accommodation Model. Which is accommodation again. That is ringing the bells in the youngsters’ ears. Money, how much is it gonna cost me? What’s changing? Where am I gonna live. Everyone’s got a mobile phone and they’ll click on that and then get the information. [This poster says] go to an e-mail, unless they’ve got a MOD laptop or anything like they can’t get to that e-mail. I’ve never seen anyone take a pen and a pencil and paper and write that down…They wouldn’t even bother taking a photo of it. But they would scan a QR Code. [Navy, Officer]

SP from all Services and Ranks liked pictures (photos or infographics) on posters. SP noted that pictures tended to draw the eye towards the poster, so they were likely to stop and read the content or find out further information online.

I like this one [DAS POSTER] because it’s so simple. Yeah, it’s already caught my eye in terms of like recognizing long term relationships, that’s already made me think, actually, I might look into that because I’ve already noticed something that maybe does appeal to me. It’s quite good that it’s quite basic and it’s got really key points. [Army, Officer]

Dislikes

SP from all Services and Ranks disliked posters with large amounts of text. They were unlikely to stop and read a poster with large amounts of text. They noted that any text used needs to be simple, catchy, and relatable to the individual.

I’d rather see pictures. Yeah, I like that rather than relying on loads of info because it’s just simple, short, sharp. If I’ve gotta sit and read that. I’m not gonna read it. Give me that. I’ll be honest I started reading that and I got halfway. [RAF, Other Rank]

SP also noted the posters used very corporate language and too many buzzwords. Some SP were also unsure on the definition of ‘needs based accommodation’, which had been used on the DAS poster.

Are we getting a framework after the strategy? Yeah, it’s all a bit corporate [Navy, Officer]

SP from all Services and Ranks expected to see posters with definitive statements about the changes to accommodation policy that will definitely occur, rather than stating something might happen in the future or there is no date to confirm when a policy will change. SP were unlikely to pay attention to a poster until something had happened.

The posters used in the focus groups had a mix of MOD and single Service logos displayed. SP noted they did not tend to associate with MOD logos, instead they were more likely to associate with a poster that had a logo of their Service on it. Army Officers understood that accommodation policy was Defence wide, so were content to see a Defence logo.

And actually, we’re in the Navy. Most people see the Ministry of Defence thing on it and ignore it. OK because they don’t class themselves in the Ministry of Defence and they’re all Navy. OK and there’s MOD employee and Navy employees, were in different clans, yeah. OK. Anything that comes up to my emails that I see as MOD I know to pretty much to ignore. [Navy, Other Rank]

Neutral

SP commented they would like to know how the accommodation policy changes will affect them personally and would expect to see this in any websites they are sent to via a QR code. Army Officers mentioned they would like to know how the changes would affect them, particularly if they thought the new policy may financially disadvantage them.

Facilitator: What would you then expect to see at the other end of that QR code?

Participant: “…interactive, like you can put in your age, your living situation, all that kind of stuff… Yeah. And you press go and it gives you everything. This is what you’re entitled to. [Army, Officer]

The WAC scheme poster (not shown to the Army focus groups) contained a photo of a Service person and a child. Some SP wanted to see a photo they could relate to, for example an SP from the same Service or Rank. However, some SP were happy to see a generic photograph of a person from any Service.

The WAC scheme poster also contained a quote from a Service person who had used the scheme and how it had personally benefitted them. Some SP would not read the quote and instead skim over this. Whereas some SP thought a quote made the poster more personable.

If you’re gonna put a quote for some from somebody. Yeah, I think, yeah, it’s the kind of thing that I would sit and read if I was waiting in sickbay for an appointment for 10 minutes with the dentist. It’s certainly not something that I would stop and read if I was walking past in the accommodation block. [Royal Navy, Officer]

SP had mixed views on the colour scheme of the posters. Some SP liked the colour scheme that was used on the posters. However, several SP from all Services noted the colour scheme and use of shiny paper did not meet accessibility guidelines and was unlikely to be accessible by individuals with dyslexia. Some SP noted they would walk past a poster with white writing on a blue background as the text did not stand out.

SP also noted that posters can go out of date, particularly if they are left on the wall for a long time and SP are likely to ignore these posters. Royal Navy personnel mentioned it is also likely another poster will be put over the top if there is a lack of space on the notice board.

You could look at the whole poster and actually miss that bottom bit and we all know if posters it’ll go up on the wall and then suddenly go, oh, this is more important then stick it over the top and then actually you can’t see it. [Royal Navy, Other Rank]

Other communication channels

SP from all Services and Ranks were likely to attend briefings about major policy changes, for example many had attended briefings about Armed Forces pensions. SP noted they did not have a preference for whether a Service person or civilian delivered the briefing. However, they wanted an individual who was knowledgeable about the policy, rather than someone in a uniform who was reading from a script and could not answer detailed questions on the topic.

SP mentioned they were likely to watch videos to find out information about activities that were taking place across their Service and the Armed Forces. SP were likely to watch a video which was short in length. They preferred not to see a high-ranking Officer in the video reading from a script. They expected the individuals to be relatable and not an actor.

Video is more engaging, accommodates every type of personality…academic qualities. Yeah, I think the video is more engaging. [Army, Other Ranks]

Facilitator: “And what would you like to see on a video? For me it’s short, sweet and straight to the point. [Army, Other Ranks] So with a lot of army videos, I think they spend so much time on the amazing introduction and then, like I said, it’s a dinosaur in a uniform and monotone. [Army, Other Ranks]

Conclusions

What communication channels do SP currently receive information through?

• SP receive information through many different communication channels to undertake their jobs and lives in the Armed Forces.

• The communications channels used to receive information varied depending on Service and Rank, meaning there was no standard approach across the entire Armed Forces.

• Weekly briefs/routine orders (or equivalent) were most likely to reach all SP.

• SP received information via platforms on MOD IT; however, the usage of MOD IT varied by Service and Rank. Officers and higher ranked Other Ranks from all Services were likely to have full access to MOD IT.

• The information that filters down the Chain of Command can vary. Different levels of command may remove information they do not feel is relevant or important to their subordinates.

How do the spouses/partners of SP receive information about the life of their spouse/partner in the Armed Forces?

• SP from all Services and Ranks said their spouses and partners mainly received information about their lives in the Armed Forces from them.

• The spouse/partner may receive information from social media (Facebook), HIVES, HR Clerks and via email/letter when SP are deployed.

• SP mentioned the usage of social media by spouses/partners can often be unreliable.

• Some SP may serve unaccompanied with the family home in a predominantly civilian community, therefore the spouse/partner is not interested in their military life.

What process do SP follow to find out their accommodation options when they receive their Assignment Order or have a change in personal circumstances during an assignment?

• SP across all Services and Ranks took a similar approach when finding out about their accommodation options when they received their Assignment Order or had a change in personal circumstances during an assignment.

• SP tended to automatically know where to look to apply for their accommodation. This was often based on previous experience of moving sites and the knowledge was gathered over several moves.

• SP who were Officers noted that some junior ranks needed help or advice when applying for their accommodation due to a lack of experience moving sites.

What is the level of awareness of recent communications about changes in accommodation policy?

• All Services and Ranks had very low or no awareness of recent communications about changes in accommodation policy - only a few SP had seen the posters shared​.

• Some SP had heard about different aspects of accommodation policy or policy changes, but none could recall in detail the changes or policies. SP knowledge of changes to the accommodation policy was generally low or non-existent.

• Awareness of changes to accommodation was often via word of mouth, rather than specific comms from the MOD.

What do SP like and dislike about the design of posters used to communicate changes to policy?

• SP from all Services and Ranks liked the use of QR codes on posters. SP already use QR codes at work and in their personal lives.

• SP from all Services and Ranks liked pictures (photos or infographics) on posters. SP noted that pictures tended to draw the eye towards the poster, so they were likely to stop and read the content or find out further information online.

• SP from all Services and Ranks disliked posters with large amounts of text, that used very corporate language and buzzwords and lack definitive statements.

• SP from all Services and Ranks were likely to attend briefings about major policy changes, for example many had attended briefings about Armed Forces pensions.

• SP mentioned they were likely to watch videos to find out information about activities that were taking place across their Service and the Armed Forces.

References

Ministry of Defence (2022). Armed Forces continuous attitude survey 2022. Retrieved from GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2022

Roller, M., and Lavrakas, P. (2015). Applied Qualitative Research Design: A Total Quality Framework Approach. Guildford Publications.

Annexes

Annex A: Topic Guide

A: Introduction [10 minutes]

Welcome and thank you for volunteering to take part in this focus group. You have been asked to participate as your point of view is important. I realise you are busy, and I appreciate your time.

My name is [INSERT NAME] and I’m joined by my colleagues [INSERT NAMES]

This focus group discussion is designed to help us understand how you like to be informed about changes in policies that affect you and test some communications materials with you about upcoming changes to accommodation policy.

The focus group discussion will take about 60 minutes.

Your participation is entirely voluntary. If you do not want to take part, you are free to leave now or at any time without giving a reason. We won’t tell your Chain of Command or anyone else that you left. If you need to nip out to the toilet or take a phone call, just let us know you are leaving, but will return.

We will be recording and transcribing this focus group using MS Teams on the laptop and a backup Dictaphone. However, despite this session being transcribed, I would like to assure you that the discussion will be anonymous. After this session, the transcript will be processed by the research team to remove any information that would allow you as individuals to be linked to specific statements.

Would you be happy for me to use the transcribe function on MS Teams and a Dictaphone? This means we can listen back to the focus group and analyse the information you tell us.

The data from today will be summarised into themes and written into a report which will be used to inform the types of communication materials and messages used by the Accommodation Team. Your individual comments and the report will not be shared with your Chain of Command.

Please try to answer and comment as accurately and truthfully as possible. I and the other focus group participants would appreciate it if you would refrain from discussing the comments of other group members outside the focus group – Chatham House Rules. If there are any questions or discussions that you do not wish to answer or participate in, you do not have to do so; however please try to answer and be as involved as possible.

The most important rule is that only one person speaks at a time.

• There are no right or wrong answers

• You do not have to speak in any particular order or answer every question

• You don’t have to address me as ma’am

• When you do have something to say, please do so. There are X of you in the group and it is important that I obtain the views of each of you

• You do not have to agree with the views of other people in the group

• Does anyone have any questions?

OK, let’s begin

First, I’d like everyone to introduce themselves. Can you tell us your name and explain your job in one sentence?

B: Generic Communications [15 minutes]

As I said in the introduction, we want to find out more about how you receive information about your job and life in the Royal Navy/Army/Royal Air Force.

• Can you tell me some of the information you need to know about your job and to be able to live your life in the Armed Forces?

Prompt:

For example:

• Finding out whether you are entitled to Get You Home allowance

• What your next posting is going to be?

• What’s happening on the base, for example Summer Ball?

• Can you tell me where you find this information out or hear about it from?

• What information do you get from your Chain of Command?

Prompt:

For example:

• Chain of Command

• Defence Instructions and Notices

• Routine Orders

• MyNavy App

• Poster on base

• Spouse/partner

Probe:

• Facebook/social media: which specific pages or groups, for example Family Federations, Base specific, WhatsApp

• Where are the physical communications found? For example, diner, mess, crew room

• In front of you are two examples of communications that have been sent out recently by Head Office and your Service. One is about Wrap Around Childcare and the other is a Defence Instructions and Notices related to Operation London Bridge and the Queen’s death.

Looking at the two examples can you tell me:

• Do you remember seeing either or both communications, or hearing about the information contained in these?

• Where did you see this information?

• What do you like about this type of communication?

• What do you dislike about this type of communication?

Prompt:

• Length of communication, tone, pictures, colour, amount of information, ability to read again, ability to share with others

C: Assignment Order [10 minutes]

Now we’re going to move onto some questions about moving assignments within the Royal Navy/Army/Royal Air Force and where you go to find information about where to live.

• Can you raise your hand if you’ve received an Assignment Order since you joined the Armed Forces?

• Can keep your hand raised if you’ve moved location because of your Assignment Order?

I’m going to assume you all need somewhere to live, but I appreciate your circumstances might be different and your choice of accommodation might be different.

• For those of you who have moved location, when you received your Assignment Order can you tell me where you first looked for information about your accommodation choices at your new location/base.

• Why did you choose to look for information there?

Prompt:

• JSP, Base intranet, DIO, colleagues, Chain of Command, social media, spouse/partner

• If you didn’t find the information you were looking for, where did you go to find out more information?

Some of you might have had a change in personal circumstance which affected your accommodation, for example a new relationship or child being born or leaving home or promotion.

• For those of you who have had a change in circumstance – I don’t need to know the circumstance, if you don’t want to share that, can you tell me where you first looked for information about your accommodation choices following that change.

• Why did you choose to look for information there?

Prompt:

• JSP, Base intranet, DIO, colleagues, Chain of Command, social media, spouse/partner

• If you didn’t find the information you were looking for, where did you go to find out more information?

• Finally in this section, for those who have a spouse or partner, where do they find out information from about changes that affect your life in the Armed Forces?

D: Recent accommodation communications

Now, I’m going to move on to our final set of questions.

Next year, there are going to be some changes to the MOD accommodation offer. If you have any questions about this, then we can answer them at the end.

Over the last few months, the Accommodation Team has sent out information to SP about these upcoming changes.

• Does anyone remember seeing any information that has been sent out recently about the upcoming changes to accommodation?

If no, do not prompt – move to next question

If yes:

• What information did you see? [Is it related to changes in accommodation policy or infrastructure?]

• Where did you see this information? For example, DefNet, Facebook etc

• Do you remember what the information told you?

• What were your initial reactions to the information? For example, ignore it, consider not relevant, did something about it now, remembered for later, spoke to someone else about it

I’ve got a few pictures here of some of the communications we’ve sent out recently.

[Show posters of recent Defence Accommodation communications]

• Does anyone remember seeing any of this information?

• Did your Chain of Command share any of this information with you?

For those who did remember in the previous question – check if this is the information they had seen

I’ll just give you some time to read the information in the communications. [Provide verbal a summary]

• Do you understand what the information is telling you?

• What do you like about this type of communication?

• What do you dislike about this type of communication? What do you think could be improved?

Prompt:

• Length of communication, tone, pictures, colour, amount of information, ability to read again, ability to share with others

E: Close [5 minutes]

Thank you for participating. This has been a very useful discussion for us. We hope you have found the discussion interesting.

If you have any questions about Accommodation Policy, then we’re happy to answer them now. If there is anything we can’t answer now, then we can note your question and get back to you.

I would like to remind you that any comments featuring in this report will be anonymous and not shared with your chain of command.

Annex B: Posters shown during focus group

Poster 1: Defence Accommodation Strategy

Poster 2: Accommodation Update

Poster 3: Future Accommodation Model

Poster 4a: Wrap Around Childcare (Army)

Poster 4b: Wrap Around Childcare (Royal Navy)

Poster 4c: Wrap Around Childcare (Royal Air Force)