Provision of Actors for Role Play for the Training of Visiting Officers

The Bereavement and Aftercare Support (BAS) Team is located in Ramillies Building, Marlborough Lines, Andover, and is responsible for the training of Visiting Officers (VO), whose job is to support Army bereaved families. BAS plans to run 15 courses each year split between the Emergency Planning College, Easingwold, York, YO61 3EG and other selected Garrisons as required such as Stafford, South Wales, Colchester, Aldershot. Courses cater for a maximum of 35 students, drawn from regular and reserve Army units, and last for three days, with the third day being devoted to role-play with professional actors. The role play is based on five syndicates of seven students each, and uses 20 pre-written scenarios, issued by the Authority, spread between three female and two male actors on each course of 35 students - this requirement will vary if there are fewer students on the course as explained in Para 5 below. Each student conducts one role-play of 15-20 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes critique and discussion, which requires feed-back from the actor.