Personal Development Record (PDR)
The PDR has been designed to facilitate civilian accreditation of your work skills. It is a folder in which evidence of work done and expertise gained during your Service career should be collated. It is a means of recording your individual efforts and development both professionally and personally. It will form a log of your progress from which to assess your strengths and limitations. It will identify your transferable skills, indicate your direction for further development and help plan your future path. In itself, the PDR is seen as best practice by civilian organisations. It can be used to great advantage at interview. It shows commitment, intention and determination.

Forms. The assistant to ERO is usually available to help complete the plethora of forms for Resettlement activities.

Record of Resettlement. Your unit Education office will raise a Resettlement Record Card for you to note your Resettlement activities. It will form a log and be kept by the office.

DMOS Quality Assurance. You may be selected at random to be part of the quality assurance scheme set up to monitor the CTP provision. Four questionnaires are dispatched (12 months pre discharge to 6 months post discharge) and you should consider it a duty to complete and return these forms. If you do not, then malpractice, poor advice and inadequate support from the CTP will go unchecked.

Early Release. If you have an offer of employment that will not wait or wish to take up full-time education, then you may ask to leave early. You should, however, be about to complete your contract and in return, you may be required to forgo outstanding Resettlement time/terminal leave. It will also depend on agreement from your unit to gap the post.

Psychometric Testing. If you are totally at a loss about your future direction, then psychometric testing can be used to analyse your aptitudes and ability as a means of identifying appropriate career paths. SLCs may be used to fund these assessments. Log on to www.totaljobs.com for a free assessment.

Increasingly companies are using psychometric testing, as well as face-to-face interviewing, as part of the selection process. There are many different types of test, companies even devise their own. Make sure that you are familiar with this type of testing before an interview situation arises.

Medical Discharge. When your consultant considers that your medical condition may warrant invaliding, then you will need to be assessed. Until March 2002 the Corps held its own Board (CRMMB) but this has now been subsumed into the Naval Service Medical Board.

The procedure for medical discharge has itself undergone change in response to Government legislation. Worried about the increasing numbers of public servants seeking early medical retirement a 'Review of Ill-Health Retirement in the Public Sector' was undertaken. As a result the Navy has introduced a 2-tier procedure that, in essence, looks at the medical categorisation and employability aspects separately.

The Naval Service Medical Board of Survey (NSMBOS) held at the Institute of Naval Medicine, usually on the first Tuesday of the month, firstly identifies and makes recommendations as to the most appropriate Medical Category (Med Cat) for each candidate. Where possible, this assessment is conducted in absentia (papers only) but should a candidate wish to and has representations to make, then he has a right to and should attend the Board in person.

The Naval Service Medical Employability Board (NSMEB) convenes some 2 weeks later in Victory Building HMNB, to take an invaliding/retention decision. Candidates are not invited to attend this Board. The date for TX is by signal following the second Board.

Guidance on Medical Board matters may be obtained initially from the Sick Bay/Medical Centre or NSMBOS staff on 93 80 68049/68108 but candidates should also speak to Car Mike Worrall, the Naval Resettlement Officer (Medical), tel: 93 80 68068/68060 and arrange, via their Sick Bay, to attend his presentation at HMS DRAKE/NELSON/NEPTUNE or at the Institute of Naval Medicine, preferably prior to completion of any personal boarding documentation.

Finally, personnel should book an early Resettlement briefing with their ERO/RMRIO and notify
RMRIO, tel 93 785 4118, that they are to be referred to the Board.